Stale and Moldy Post (AKA: Catalina Island)

Alright, so I typed this post... um... 3 months ago. Then the computer decided to hate me again and this was never posted. This post is holding me back from putting up other stuff, so here I will give you an old, out-dated, expired, stale, and moldy post.
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For a couple years now, Jeremy has been talking about flying to The Airport In the Sky (serious- that is what them pilot folk call it.) Also known as Santa Catalina Island, which is located 25 Miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Why we haven't gone before this, I don't know.... but it probably has had a little to do with time, money, and me thinking it sounded scary.

From what I've heard, landing (and taking off) from Catalina Island comes with some bragging rights.... so I'm here to brag for you Jeremy. You didn't crash the plane into the side of a cliff, or into the ocean for that matter, and now you can have "AVX" in your logbook- you rock, and I love you.

Here is what I found on a couple websites for runway descriptions, because I've had blog readers tell me before that they want more info. I am not trying to scare our parents, I'm just saying how it is. If it does scare you, then that is probably why we didn't tell you we were going.... we didn't want you to worry.......... =)

from http://airports.pilotage.com it says:

The approach end of Catalina's runway 22 begins at the edge of a 1500' cliff. This gives the airport some characteristics similar to landing on an aircraft carrier that is 1,602' in the air. Be aware:
1) There are no familiar visual cues for altitude reference. You MUST rely on your Altimeter. 2) There is usually a strong downdraft at the approach end of the runway caused by the prevailing winds falling over the 1500' cliff. Be prepared for this downdraft and possible loss of altitude during your short final.
3) The uphill slope of runway 22 can cause approach and flare problems for inexperienced pilots.

and from the website of Frank Holbert, http://160knots.com/pilot.htm:
-There is a optical illusion on final. Focus on the approach end numbers. -The runway slopes up hill and pilots who watch the departure end come in way high. The next mass of land beyond the departure end is Japan. Seeing nothing but blue water messes with the mind. -After landing you can't see the other end of the runway but you know it drops off a clift. It always looks like there is only 500 feet of runway remaining. It helps if you note the locations of the intersections for a reference before landing. If you feel like being nice tell you passengers too.

I had planned on just posting some of my favorite pictures, and putting the rest into a slide show for people that really wanted to see them, (like parents... or me in 5 years)... but the computer died the night I was loading pictures. I put some pics into a Picassa Web Album. You can copy and paste the following web address to view them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/115432598856946764708