Boat U.S. - March 2008 - (Page 22)

Landing on the mountaintop runway on California’s most popular island requires a double dose of pilot confidence. Photo by Mike Jahr Just as crossing a sandbar in less than ideal conditions requires a lot of skill, practice and nerve, the same is true for private pilots landing their aircraft at Catalina Island’s “Airport in the Sky.” But unlike boaters contemplating a dubious bar crossing, we were eager to touch down at the island’s unusual airport for two peculiar reasons: to have an experience similar to landing on an aircraft carrier and for the “$100 burgers.” Perched 1,600 feet atop a mountain out at sea, Catalina’s runway is not only sloped, but drops off steeply on three sides. Add in unusual topography causing visual distortions and strong downdrafts, and you have one of the most challenging landings for private pilots anywhere in the world. West Coast boaters and pilots alike have long been drawn to Catalina — a jewel of an island located about 26 miles southwest off the coast of Los Angeles. This 22-mile-long rocky island is one of eight in the Channel Islands archipelago, and is a favorite among boaters because of the vacation atmosphere of a bygone era where footwear is optional and golf carts have replaced cars. Prior to the airport’s construction, boats and seaplanes provided the only access to the remote island, which chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. purchased in 1919. Before that, hunters, smugglers, ranchers, gold miners, servicemen and celebrities all held a place in the island’s history. Today wild buffalo can be seen roaming the island — leftovers from a 1920s movie shoot. Just like any coastal boating trip, planning a flight to Catalina Island takes a little more effort and preparation than short closeto-home outings. Pilots use aeronautical charts similar to those of sailors, but pilots’ charts also give radio frequencies and airspace boundaries — important when you’re flying near busy airports such as LAX. Weather is always a factor for both boaters and aviators, but is a definite deal breaker for pilots because the airport is closed about 25% of the time due to fog, low cloud cover or other bad weather. Also, since we were flying in a single-engine plane over a distance of water, we needed to calculate our flight altitude, so we flew at a level high enough to allow a “glide back” to land in case our engine failed. Similar to any tricky boating maneuver, pilots landing here require experience, local knowledge and mental preparation, but some would argue that aviators have much smaller margins for error. When approaching Catalina in normal prevailing wind conditions, pilots first see the runway at the edge of a 1,600-foot cliff. In unusual northeast winds, pilots land in the opposite direction, which involves clearing a hilltop before landing on the sloped runway that ends with a cliff. The latter approach is the one we were on for our very first landing at Catalina Island. The 3,250-foot runway is also pitched in the middle, so on a short approach it appears to be much shorter than it actually is. This can cause pilots to brake severely on landings, or on take-offs, they pull up too quickly for fear of running out of runway. Other hazards include strong downdrafts, which can cause loss of altitude, and a lack of visual cues for assessing altitude. For these reasons, most Southern California flying clubs require Catalina first-timers to be accompanied by a “Catalina Islandexperienced” instructor. As we cleared the small hill at the end of the runway in a Piper Arrow, I sensed my husband’s high level of concentration, so instead of quizzing him on what island adventures lay ahead, I played the good co-pilot and kept quiet. We landed with a heavier thud than normal, and three squeaks from the tires as we hurtled down the narrow runway. Time moved quickly for a few tense moments, but at last we came to a full stop with plenty of space between us and the cliff. Despite the challenges, the Airport in the Sky does not have a high rate of accidents or incidents. Even the number of “Go Arounds” (a term pilots use to describe aborting a landing when optimum parameters are not met) is not all that more common than at other airports. “If you get visually seduced and don’t follow normal procedures, then, yes, you can get into trouble,” says Huntington Beach pilot Marshall Dempsey. The rough-surfaced runway was constructed in the late 1930s and 1940s for the purpose of providing a landing strip for the Wrigley family’s DC-3, enabling a faster commute from their Chicago home. Building the runway involved leveling the tops of two mountains then backfilling the canyon gap 22 BoatU.S. Magazine March 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2008

Boat U.S. - March 2008 Contents Behind the Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum Cap'n Drew Sailing the Sidewalk Aviators Ahoy Docking and Duffing Waterfront Living: Charleston Waterfront Marketplace Grady Right 2nd Time Around DIY: Keeping the Water Out Hot Tips Boat Smart Ask Chuck Foundation Findings Tangled Line At Your Service Good Foundations BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - March 2008

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