Catalina fly in - brand new runway

[Stephen]

6 hours ago, Skates97 said:

I think the 29th, 6th, or 13th work for me. The 15th and 22nd I will be on our cross country adventure back to NC/VA.

Just an FYI, my hangar neighbor flies to Catalina all the time so he told me he would get the low down on the ramp/dirt parking situation. He flew there Monday and I ran into him at the airport on Tuesday. They told him that Mon-Thur it is first come first served and if there is room on the ramp you can park there. However, Fri-Sun and holidays if you are flying a single you are parking in the dirt, regardless of if there is room on the ramp or not.

If you don't mind a Missouri MSer crashing the party, I might be in LA that weekend (I have been consulting 2 wks / month in Rosemead at SCE and other two back home at KHAE). Would love to come out if I someone has an empty seat. Alternately If I could treat any LA MSrs to dinner, I will be there M-F next week as well. 

[M20S Driver]

July 13th works for me. 

I am also there  flying in on 6/1 and leaving on 6/2.

[xcrmckenna]

I’m getting excited!!!!! Any weekend in July work for me.


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[jrwilson]

I’ve seen a couple of mentions of July 6th. I dont think there will be much hotel availability, if you’re gonna do an overnight.  Or really expensive at least...

 

[sdflysurf]

Hey all, I am hoping to fly in this saturday for the grand opening.  I have around 60 hours in my mooney M20F but I haven't landed at Catalina before,  I have done my fair share of reading on the procedures and tips (this guide is a must read: https://www.catalinaconservancy.org/userfiles/files/HowToFlyToCatalina_PilotInfo.pdf ) as well as watching You tube videos of catalina landings.... along with planning my route so that I have measured 30 miles from shore to shore and keeping in mind my glide ratio at 100mph is going to be 2mi for each 1000ft I will make sure to be about 8000-9000ft at the middle of my ocean crossing so that I am ensured to make land either way, and planning to come in just a little high to prepare for downdrafts on the approach end and keeping my roll to a minimum.  Other than that, anything else I need to prepare?  Have all of you that have been here before flown with a CFI first? (the club I did my PPL with required a checkout for Catalina).

I'd love to hear your experiences or if you plan on going in for the first time.

[JohnB]

Looking good! Just flew into Catalina yesterday and have a pirep. No more potholes! Its got striations between segments of concrete so you’ll hear them but not a big deal. 

No more hump in the middle of the runway. It’s now a fully up sloping runway with a 2.1% uphill grade on landing runway 22. So now very easy to land 22, even bigger planes have no problem. But would NOT land on rwy 4 given the steep downslope. If there’s a headwind strong enough to keep you on a steeply down sloping runway 4 it would be possible to land 4 but if winds were that strong I personally would be rethinking about going to Catalina that day. RWY 22 is the one that should be used. Don’t try rwy 4! (Someone did Saturday with a very expensive outcome) 

Parking is a breeze. Yes it’s on flat dirt with nice rebar lines attached so you can tie your plane to it easily (bring rope). Just like before but no chock rocks present or needed.

All in all, great runway, now easier to land (rwy 22) and would be great if we can get a group going!

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by JohnB

[Niko182]

I flew in on the 25th of may on the fly in they had. I did land runway 4 and do agree it does down slope a decent amount.
I ended up using all of the 3000ft strip, but made it out okay. there was a guy who injured his baron over there, but he got out
okay. Going in using 22 would be much easier, but i didn't really have that option since the marine layer was at the start of 22.
fun airport, decent food, and a super nice scenic flight.

[JohnB]

Hmm ill try to see if I can rotate the pictures above.. had a cool landing video, but ill try that later. Nice to see you did 4 safely @Niko182, the slope isn't well advertised, and may be surprising to some pilots who are expecting the middle hump (it is in the AFD) but im sure it helps a lot with getting larger planes into Catalina via rwy 22.
 

Here's our updated entries. 

• June 15 - 0
• June 22 - 0
• June 29 - 2
• July 6 - 4
• July 13 - 3

[carusoam]

Dang i’m Getting pretty good at this pic spinning gig... 

Gotcha covered, JohnB.

yeah, that’s quite a slope for a slippery plane...  really want to be on the speed numbers if coming in over the high end...

Best regards,

-a-

[Andy95W]

37 minutes ago, carusoam said:

Dang i’m Getting pretty good at this pic spinning gig... 

Gotcha covered, JohnB.

Steppin' up while Chris is away!  Nice work, Anthony!

[carusoam]

Chris said he is busy...

And, he did show me how to do this.

So I take no credit...

-a-

[JohnB]

7 hours ago, carusoam said:

Dang i’m Getting pretty good at this pic spinning gig... 

Gotcha covered, JohnB.

yeah, that’s quite a slope for a slippery plane...  really want to be on the speed numbers if coming in over the high end...

Best regards,

-a-

@carusoam Thank you sir! Would be interested in knowing how you did that as I did have a video but watching  a sideways approach  video is not fun! 

 

 

[carusoam]

John,

Rotating the pics is as simple as editing in another piece of software...  

then selecting it with the ‘click to choose files’ to bring it into the MS post environment...

So... start with your favorite video editing tool?

for still pics, I use the iPad picture app... edit, rotate 90° 3X, save...

Hope that helps...

Best regards,

-a-

[stevesm20b]

July 13th would be my choice. But anytime in July would be okay with me.

 

[sdflysurf]

Video added.  I was there for the 25th as well...weather looked like crap so I flew in on the 24th and stayed in Avalon and then came up at around 10am to watch everyone come in....it was quite a sh1*show!   Fog on the 22 end of the runway so people were coming in on 4 with a tailwind and no good option for go-around.  I saw the baron incident, there are now skidmarks all the way down half the runway and right over the 22 numbers.  I also saw a guy in a cherokee try to land, go-around with a steep turning climbing 180 to stay out of the fog - did it again, and then finally make it.  Glad no one got hurt.

I posted the video over here on the r/flying reddit as well:

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/bujnk0/catalina_airport_in_the_sky_reopening_fly_in_52519/

 

Edited May 30, 2019 by sdflysurf

[sdflysurf]

@Niko182 is that you that we got a landing video of?  I spoke with a couple of other mooney owners and we had snapped a video of one of them landing, not sure if that was u.

[Niko182]

Just now, sdflysurf said:

@Niko182 is that you that we got a landing video of?  I spoke with a couple of other mooney owners and we had snapped a video of one of them landing, not sure if that was u.

Yeah that was me. Ny landing was not the best but i didnt run off the end so its a win.

[carusoam]

Sdf’s video may get stuck. I pushed play again... and it went right along...

Nice video, sdf. Thanks for sharing it.

Best regards,

-a-

[M20S Driver]

I flew to Catalina today but could not get in

The overcast was at 200-500 feet when I arrived and was way below my/legal VFR or IFR limits.   The original forecast called for clearing by noon but it really did not clear all day.

I flew to Santa Ynez (the closest VFR airport) to wait it out.  By the time is was at 1200 feet ceiling at KAVX for an IFR approach, we had a front getting close to Santa Ynez and we decided to go back to the bay area.  My next flight to Catalina will be after I make sure that I can get in and not rely on forecasts...

[Skates97]

11 hours ago, M20S Driver said:

I flew to Catalina today but could not get in

The overcast was at 200-500 feet when I arrived and was way below my/legal VFR or IFR limits.   The original forecast called for clearing by noon but it really did not clear all day.

I flew to Santa Ynez (the closest VFR airport) to wait it out.  By the time is was at 1200 feet ceiling at KAVX for an IFR approach, we had a front getting close to Santa Ynez and we decided to go back to the bay area.  My next flight to Catalina will be after I make sure that I can get in and not rely on forecasts...

Later in the day it started to clear around LAX/Long Beach but Catalina was still pretty well socked in. This was about 6pm yesterday looking towards San Pedro. The low clouds off the the left (towards Catalina) were lower and thicker the further south you went.

Nice thing about Santa Ynez is that for about $10 you can Uber/Lyft into Solvang and there is some pretty good food there.

 

[M20S Driver]

42 minutes ago, Skates97 said:

Later in the day it started to clear around LAX/Long Beach but Catalina was still pretty well socked in. This was about 6pm yesterday looking towards San Pedro. The low clouds off the the left (towards Catalina) were lower and thicker the further south you went.

Nice thing about Santa Ynez is that for about $10 you can Uber/Lyft into Solvang and there is some pretty good food there.

 

According to flightradar24, only two planes made it to Catalina yesterday both flew low and below the clouds.  I am not a good swimmer and my IFR personal minimum is 1000 feet ceiling specially after 2 hours of flying and navigating LAX.  we had a 500 feet ceiling when I was circling above the airport which is below the minimum for both approaches.

We Ubered to Baker's Table after landing at Santa Ynez which turned out to be almost across the street from the airport. The driver suggested to go hang in Solvang after lunch, which we did.  I highly recommend Baker's Table if you are ever at Santa Ynez.  Small menu but great people and fantastic food.

[M20S Driver]

I just learned that Aero Club members at Catalina can camp at the airport at night!   Does anyone know more about this?  See below:

CATALINA AERO CLUB
The Catalina Pilots has now become the newly revamped Catalina Aero Club.  Along with a new name comes new exciting benefits that combines membership with unlimited annual landing at Airport in the Sky!  Benefits include:

• Unlimited landings at the Airport in the Sky for one year*
• Discounts on Wildlands Express shuttle service for member and their guests, based on membership level.
• Invitations to social and special events at Airport in the Sky
• A free Killer Cookie with $10 entree food purchase at Airport’s DC-3 Gifts & Grill
• One annual Freewheeler bike pass
• 50% off Conservancy campground fees, ask the Tower about underwing camping!
• Complimentary subscription to Conservancy Times newsletter and UPDATE Online E-newsletter
• Discounts at various Avalon merchants
  *Landing pass is non-transferable and applies to member not aircraft. Not valid for commercial aircraft.

[sdflysurf]

On 6/1/2019 at 10:06 PM, M20S Driver said:

I flew to Catalina today but could not get in

The overcast was at 200-500 feet when I arrived and was way below my/legal VFR or IFR limits.   The original forecast called for clearing by noon but it really did not clear all day.

I flew to Santa Ynez (the closest VFR airport) to wait it out.  By the time is was at 1200 feet ceiling at KAVX for an IFR approach, we had a front getting close to Santa Ynez and we decided to go back to the bay area.  My next flight to Catalina will be after I make sure that I can get in and not rely on forecasts...

Bummer.  Yeah I know another pilot that was trying to get over this weekend but I think had to change plans...definitely June Gloom is for real in California this year so far.

Is that your first time to Santa Ynez?  such a cool little get-away airport. I took my wife and stayed in Solvang for a weekend, would love to get back there soon.  Lots of good wine, restaurants, scenery.

[JohnB]

Alrighty looks like it’s this weekend with the most votes. I just got a request for a dog rescue flight Saturday so this Sunday would work better for me but if everyone can only do Saturday, I’ll move the pups!  

[kmyfm20s]

Darn, didn’t hear anything recently so my plane went into the shop and I’m out of town for the weekend. You all have fun!