Catalina - KAVX - Landing Above The Clouds

[Skates97]

A short hop from Fullerton to Catalina. The channel was covered in a marine layer that also covered most of Catalina Island. The airport was sitting just above the tops of the clouds living up to its name "The Airport in the Sky."

 

There was a lot of traffic in and around the airport but we easily slid in behind a Pilatus. A year ago when we were going to AVX regularly the landings were smooth. This time, after 8 months between flights there, the upslope got me and it was more "planted" on the runway than "touched down."

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

That’s pretty cool!

[Bolter]

When I was based on KFUL, and had a membership for Catalina (unlimited landings), I went often.  I do not think I ever saw a vehicle on the road below short final like that.  

[Skates97]

11 hours ago, Bolter said:

When I was based on KFUL, and had a membership for Catalina (unlimited landings), I went often.  I do not think I ever saw a vehicle on the road below short final like that.  

I didn't even notice the vehicle until watching the video later. I was keeping an eye on the guy holding short and the runway in front of me. The road isn't used much, we've been there a bunch and made the hike on the airport perimeter trail a couple times and rarely see any vehicles. Most of them are going down the road to Avalon.

[hais]

So how do they report the ceiling: -100?

[rbp]

Did you just go for the day? $250 burger? 

[Skates97]

16 hours ago, hais said:

So how do they report the ceiling: -100?

That would be funny. Side story, when I was doing my night cross country for my PPL I decided to go to KTRM which has a field elevation of -114'. I thought it would be cool to land below sea level. We landed, and the altimeter had stopped at 0'. I commented that it was a ripoff and my CFI said "I can adjust it down for you," reached over and turned the knob on the kollsman window to put it below zero.

14 hours ago, rbp said:

Did you just go for the day? $250 burger? 

Yep, just a short trip over for lunch. The burgers are good but I got their DC-3 chicken sandwich instead this time. It was very good.

[Hank]

On 5/31/2023 at 10:22 AM, Skates97 said:

I didn't even notice the vehicle until watching the video later. I was keeping an eye on the guy holding short and the runway in front of me. The road isn't used much, we've been there a bunch and made the hike on the airport perimeter trail a couple times and rarely see any vehicles. Most of them are going down the road to Avalon.

Nice video. Tell Kathy that we said Hey, and hope to see you both in Tampa this fall.

I didn't see the vehicle on the road until reading the comments and going back to watch the end again. Looked like he stopped to watch you go by.

Now that it's getting warm again, I need to make window tinting like yours. Still undecided on the windshield strip, but I've driven cars like that.

Do you always wear your Halos around your head like that? I put mine over my ears and let the whole thing rest on the back of my neck. Also, my microphone likes to drift away from my mouth instead of staying close. Maybe because my set is now pushing 15 years old?

 

[Skates97]

32 minutes ago, Hank said:

Nice video. Tell Kathy that we said Hey, and hope to see you both in Tampa this fall.

I didn't see the vehicle on the road until reading the comments and going back to watch the end again. Looked like he stopped to watch you go by.

Now that it's getting warm again, I need to make window tinting like yours. Still undecided on the windshield strip, but I've driven cars like that.

Do you always wear your Halos around your head like that? I put mine over my ears and let the whole thing rest on the back of my neck. Also, my microphone likes to drift away from my mouth instead of staying close. Maybe because my set is now pushing 15 years old?

 

Will do, tell Deborah hello from us. I don't think we'll make Tampa this year. With Oshkosh and a number of other trips I'm about tapped out on vacation days.

I don't have sun visors so the windshield strip helps. I also have some scraps that get put up on the front side windows in cruise and even across the top of the windshield for an extra layer if the sun is right there. On descent I will pull them off the windows, fold them up, and shove them in the back pocket of the seat.

If I'm wearing a hat (almost always when flying) I wear them like that. If I don't have a hat on I wear them like you do, but then the mic seems to wander around and after 3+ hours I feel them on the tops of my ears. Wearing them up on the hat, the mic stays in place better and I don't even notice them there.

[Fly_M20R]

Beautiful flight and views!

Chris

[flyboy0681]

Are buffalo burgers still on the menu there?

[Skates97]

1 hour ago, flyboy0681 said:

Are buffalo burgers still on the menu there?

They are, but I like the regular burgers more. They get them from Harris Ranch, good beef.

[hammdo]

Awesome flight video!

-Don

[natdm]

Looks amazing. Wife and I made the 6 hour drive + hour ferry (and then back) to Catalina last month, since the plane was down. It was a terrible experience. With traffic, we were driving barely above rotate speed the entire way there and back.

Potentially stupid question: What did you do to make sure the weather was good to land at Catalina since the ceilings are below airport elevation? Just check against that? Or just check if it's reporting VFR Metars?

[N201MKTurbo]

29 minutes ago, natdm said:

Looks amazing. Wife and I made the 6 hour drive + hour ferry (and then back) to Catalina last month, since the plane was down. It was a terrible experience. With traffic, we were driving barely above rotate speed the entire way there and back.

Potentially stupid question: What did you do to make sure the weather was good to land at Catalina since the ceilings are below airport elevation? Just check against that? Or just check if it's reporting VFR Metars?

The AWOS and METARS are from a weather station on the field. They report field conditions. In the above video they were probably reporting clear skies. 

The weather at AVX can go from VFR to below IFR in a few minutes and then back again. I once was going there IFR and picked up the weather over Oceanside and they were reporting 500 ft ceilings. When I got there the controller asked if I had the weather and I said yes. He said "Well you should check it again" It was below min vis. Held for about 10 minutes, then diverted to Long Beach.  

[Tommooney]

The restaurant will usually answer the phone and give an unofficial look out the window right before departure : 310-510-2196. It used to be the guy up in the tower but not recently, he just seems to collect the landing fee now.

If it does go IFR on the way, my home base is only 20 min back to an ILS: OXR. or, LGB, TOA, etc. There is no fuel there so you'll have to have the fuel to get back.

 

[natdm]

Good to note. Thanks!

[hubcap]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[Will.iam]

I went there in 2009 in a rented 172 out of apple valley as I was going over the water socal kept asking me if I was going to land there or not. I kept stating standby as I couldn’t see the runway yet, it was broken overcast. I figured worse case I would fly over the island and return to apple valley if I couldn’t see the runway. As we got there, there was a hole that showed only the first half of the runway. Had I been in a Mooney I doubt I could make it but at full flaps that home sick brick dropped in just fine with plenty of runway to spare.