Catalina Airport
Encyclopedia
Catalina Airport is a privately owned airport located six miles (10 km) northwest of the central business district
of Avalon, California
in the middle of Catalina Island
. The airport is open to the public and allows general aviation aircraft to land there. The only requirement is that inbound pilots state their intention to land and that they pay a $25.00 (US) landing fee. The airport is primarily used for general aviation. The airport is also used for airfreight from the mainland. Supplies for the island are delivered via Douglas DC-3
aircraft daily. There are no scheduled passenger flights to or from the airport. It is also known as the Airport in the Sky due to the fact it lies near the island's highest point at an elevation of 1602 ft (488.3 m) All roads to the airport from the island's population centers climb steeply upward.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
for the FAA
and IATA
, Catalina Airport is assigned AVX by the FAA and CIB by the IATA. The airport's ICAO
identifier is KAVX.
There is a restaurant at the airport, the DC-3 Gifts and Grill (http://www.catalinadc3.com), and for private pilots in the Los Angeles area, the airport is one local choice for a $100 hamburger
(aviation slang
for a private general aviation flight
for the sole purpose of dining at a non-local airport
). Buffalo burgers are the house specialty. The restaurant and airport is also a stop on some of the tours of the interior of Catalina Island from Avalon.
The airport originally opened as "Buffalo Springs Airport" in the late 1930s and was made by leveling off the top of a hill. Scheduled passenger service was briefly provided by United Airlines in DC-3s; long-disused refueling equipment is located in the pavement in front of the terminal building; no fuel currently available. The Wrigley family
- who owned Santa Catalina Island for decades - used to keep their DC-3 in the large hangar at the airport.
(4/22) measuring 3,000 x 75 feet (914 x 23 m). Surface elevation of the runway is 1602 feet (488 m) above sea level. The runway is known for being pitched up in the middle, so that on short approach it appears much shorter. Pavement condition varies widely; after recent maintenance it is good, but following the rainy season there are often potholes, soft spots, and chunks of loose asphalt on the runway. Terrain falls off steeply at both ends of the runway. Due to turbulence and downdrafts at the approach ends, lack of normal visual references on final approach, and the upslope of the first 1/3 of Runway 22 (which creates the illusion of being too high on final approach) the airport can be hazardous for inexperienced pilots. Aircraft at opposite ends of the runway cannot see each other. Contact with UNICOM
is required to obtain permission for landing.
For 12-month period ending April 13, 2006, the airport had 23,000 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 98% general aviation (22,450), 2% air taxi (500) and <1% military (50). There are 10 aircraft based at this airport, all single-engine.
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Avalon, California
Avalon, California
Avalon, or Avalon Bay, is the only incorporated city on Santa Catalina Island of the California Channel Islands, and the southernmost city in Los Angeles County. Besides Avalon, the only other center of population on the island is the small unincorporated town of Two Harbors...
in the middle of Catalina Island
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
. The airport is open to the public and allows general aviation aircraft to land there. The only requirement is that inbound pilots state their intention to land and that they pay a $25.00 (US) landing fee. The airport is primarily used for general aviation. The airport is also used for airfreight from the mainland. Supplies for the island are delivered via Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
aircraft daily. There are no scheduled passenger flights to or from the airport. It is also known as the Airport in the Sky due to the fact it lies near the island's highest point at an elevation of 1602 ft (488.3 m) All roads to the airport from the island's population centers climb steeply upward.
Although most U.S. airports use the same three-letter location identifier
Location identifier
A location identifier is a symbolic representation for the name and the location of an airport, navigation aid, or weather station, and is used for manned air traffic control facilities in air traffic control, telecommunications, computer programming, weather reports, and related services.-ICAO...
for the FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
and IATA
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
, Catalina Airport is assigned AVX by the FAA and CIB by the IATA. The airport's ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...
identifier is KAVX.
There is a restaurant at the airport, the DC-3 Gifts and Grill (http://www.catalinadc3.com), and for private pilots in the Los Angeles area, the airport is one local choice for a $100 hamburger
$100 Hamburger
$100 hamburger is aviation slang for a general aviation pilot needing an excuse to fly.A $100 hamburger trip typically involves flying a short distance , eating at an airport restaurant, and flying home...
(aviation slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
for a private general aviation flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
for the sole purpose of dining at a non-local airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
). Buffalo burgers are the house specialty. The restaurant and airport is also a stop on some of the tours of the interior of Catalina Island from Avalon.
The airport originally opened as "Buffalo Springs Airport" in the late 1930s and was made by leveling off the top of a hill. Scheduled passenger service was briefly provided by United Airlines in DC-3s; long-disused refueling equipment is located in the pavement in front of the terminal building; no fuel currently available. The Wrigley family
William Wrigley Jr.
William Wrigley Jr. was a U.S. chewing gum industrialist. He was founder and eponym of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
- who owned Santa Catalina Island for decades - used to keep their DC-3 in the large hangar at the airport.
Facilities and aircraft
Catalina Airport covers 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) and has one asphalt runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
(4/22) measuring 3,000 x 75 feet (914 x 23 m). Surface elevation of the runway is 1602 feet (488 m) above sea level. The runway is known for being pitched up in the middle, so that on short approach it appears much shorter. Pavement condition varies widely; after recent maintenance it is good, but following the rainy season there are often potholes, soft spots, and chunks of loose asphalt on the runway. Terrain falls off steeply at both ends of the runway. Due to turbulence and downdrafts at the approach ends, lack of normal visual references on final approach, and the upslope of the first 1/3 of Runway 22 (which creates the illusion of being too high on final approach) the airport can be hazardous for inexperienced pilots. Aircraft at opposite ends of the runway cannot see each other. Contact with UNICOM
UNICOM
Universal Communications or as known by its abbreviation, UNICOM, is an air-ground communication facility operated by a private agency to provide advisory service at uncontrolled aerodromes and airports.-Description:...
is required to obtain permission for landing.
For 12-month period ending April 13, 2006, the airport had 23,000 aircraft operations, an average of 63 per day: 98% general aviation (22,450), 2% air taxi (500) and <1% military (50). There are 10 aircraft based at this airport, all single-engine.