Catalina Getting a Makover

W00T! Great news! I have wanted to fly in there, but my CFI warned of not only of the tricky sight picture, but the rough (pot holed) surface of the runway. I wonder if the Marines will flatten the runway so it doesn’t have a crest in it. Whatever the case, looking forward to April!
 
rtk11 said:
I wonder if the Marines will flatten the runway so it doesn’t have a crest in it. Whatever the case, looking forward to April!
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The hump will still be there when they are done. It is due to shallow bedrock in the middle. Would be a whole 'nuther scope of project to try to take that out.
 
Looks like Ace Clearwater Co. donated $1.5 million to the runway project for naming rights.

But over the radio, it'll still be "Catalina Traffic." :)
 
Mooney Fan said:
Blasphemy!!!

SEABEES are US Navy ;)

The jarheads are hosing out the latrine lol
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Were you stationed at Pt Hueneme?

Regarding the jarheads... as the say "USMC... when it absolutely has to be destroyed overnight...." Someone had to demo the old runway... :cool:
 
Just got this in an email:

We are pleased to announce that Airport in the Sky, with its newly-repaired runway at ACE Clearwater Airfield, will open to the public at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 3. This reopening marks the culmination of an innovative group effort to enhance the experience at Catalina Island’s only airport.

Through a unique partnership between the Conservancy and the Department of Defense, a total of nearly 200 Marines and Seabees were deployed to Catalina Island over a three-month period to replace the main runway’s asphalt with concrete as training for future missions. The Runway Repair Project was conducted as an Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) project through the Department of Defense.

The Airport’s main landing strip has required frequent patching, costing the Conservancy about $250,000 a year in labor and materials. The California Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) Aeronautics Division issues a public use permit for the Airport and annually inspects the Airport in the Sky’s runway. Caltrans had told the Conservancy that it needed a long-term repair plan in place by September 2018 to continue to operate the airport as a public airport. This IRT project provided the military with valuable construction training while benefiting the community of Catalina by ensuring that the airport remains open to the public.

We look forward to seeing you in the skies over Catalina!
 
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Haven't been there since 1979...

Do they still give you a ride to the extremely overpriced marina and that big round thing?
 
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Rgbeard said:
I do not believe, in any way, that the conservancy EVER spent $250k in a year on runway maintenance. I doubt they ever spend $50.

That said, I'm looking forward to seeing the new runway! Can't wait!!
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You'd be surprised what they were having to spend to keep up that old, crap runway. That's why they went with concrete now - the old runway just was impossible to keep up.
 
N1120A said:
You'd be surprised what they were having to spend to keep up that old, crap runway.
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If it's more than ten cents, yes, I'd be surprised.

I don't believe anyone did any effort there since the airport opened. I swear the old potholes had sons and daughters along the runway.
 
With less than a month to go, before the grand re-opening...Does anyone have current photos of the almost completed project?
 
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