What is the runway condition at Catalina Please? Might try to go there next month, any negatives? Have heard bad things regarding runway. Thanks
Larry:
It has been almost 5-years since I left SoCAL and maybe the last time at Catalina was within a year of my departure.
Catalina was doable back then in a tailwheel or nose wheel RV. I find it hard to believe that it could have gotten much worse over that period of time.
It was a year or two ago that you visited me in Pennsylvania and we parked your RV in the rental hangar that I had overnight. Catalina airport runway and ramp 6-years ago was no worse than the runway and ramp you landed on when you visited me in PA.
About all I can suggest is to pickup the phone and call one of your RV friends that you may stay with in SoCAL and ask them for a current report.
The U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy to the rescue!
https://www.ocregister.com/2018/10/30/marines-to-help-repair-catalina-airport-runway/
"In January about 100 Marines, part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, are expected to come ashore and establish a base on the top of a mountain in the island?s interior. There they will set up a camp, including places to sleep and eat, and from there will work to repair the runway at Catalina?s Airport in the Sky. The $5 million project is expected to take three months and will be used as a training exercise for the Marines.
The project is a collaboration between the Catalina Island Conservancy and U.S. military. It will restore the 77-year-old runway that has become cracked and decayed. Presently, there are about 7,000 flights onto Catalina Island each year."
The U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy to the rescue!
https://www.ocregister.com/2018/10/30/marines-to-help-repair-catalina-airport-runway/
"In January about 100 Marines, part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, are expected to come ashore and establish a base on the top of a mountain in the island?s interior. There they will set up a camp, including places to sleep and eat, and from there will work to repair the runway at Catalina?s Airport in the Sky. The $5 million project is expected to take three months and will be used as a training exercise for the Marines.
The project is a collaboration between the Catalina Island Conservancy and U.S. military. It will restore the 77-year-old runway that has become cracked and decayed. Presently, there are about 7,000 flights onto Catalina Island each year."
There they will set up a camp, including places to sleep and eat
I go to Catalina all the time. Runway condition is good enough, and there's certainly nothing an RV owner needs to worry about there. Myron is right about the small rocks, keep your head on a swivel. I like to call the mountain bike shop down in Avalon and arrange to have a couple of bikes delivered to the airport. He drops them off before we get there, and I find them parked next to the restaurant. After a quick lunch, we bike the island for the day and end up in Avalon where we deliver the bikes to the shop, go to a hotel, and then catch a van ride back up to the airport in the morning.
B. How did all these Buffalo get here?
Speaking of buffaloes, my family owned a bull stud ranch when I was a kid (where you collect from bulls for AI breeding in registered herds). My dad got the crazy idea to buy the biggest, meanest buffalo in the country to try some buffalo breeding. I've seen a lot of mean cattle before, but I have NEVER seen anything as homicidal, savage, bloodthirsty and mean spirited as that buffalo. It hated my guts and seriously wanted me dead. That's all the thanks I got for feeding it alfalfa.
Back to Catalina Island...
When we were out mountain biking the island, some other bikers were pulled off the road and tried to walk over to a wild buffalo in a field. I kindly talked them out of it.
I do like to eat buffalo burgers at the restaurant!
LET?s GO!!!!!!!!That's great news! I'll be willing to take my RV to AVX now, which is something I refused to do when the runway was all chucked up.
-Marc
LET?s GO!!!!!!!!
I have about another year on my plane, but thinking of making this trip in the near future in a spam can. Any PIREP would be appreciated.We are flying out for breakfast *somewhere*, If we can get into AVX we'll go in the morning. Supposed to be some low clouds though so we may have to go somewhere with a decent approach. The GPS Bravo approach only gets you down to 2220, and that usually won't make it on the island.
-Marc
I landed my -6 there yesterday. I'd love to say it was an awesome experience, but the surface is so uneven that I was being launched airborne between concrete slab joints and other imperfections. They seriously need to run a highway grinder over the surface, which will then make it perfect.
I paid for my yearly membership in July of last year. I only flew there a couple of times before they closed for the runway reconstruction. I just got notice to renew my membership in the mail. Does anyone know if they'll at least give us a partial credit for all that time the airport was closed?? There's no phone numbers on the notice for me to call and talk to someone.
The runway was rebuilt with taxpayers funds. I really dont like them taking advantage of our good graces to collect more money. If they want i would rather see no change in landing fee and a collection box in the cafe for a needed project. Really am miffed at this.