Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, offers stunning Pacific island vistas, miles of hiking trails, and a tiny runway perched precariously on the top of a dynamited mountaintop. With the beautiful surroundings and scenery, pilots can easily get distracted from what’s below.
To better understand the flight challenges associated with this airport, San Carlos Flight Center asked Senior Instructor Herb Patten to discuss what pilots need to know when flying into Catalina. In this seminar, he will cover what unique flight planning considerations are needed when venturing to Catalina, including local arrival and departure procedures, open water flying considerations, route selection for IFR and VFR pilots, and transiting the LA Special Flight Rules area. He will review weight and balance, fuel planning, and discuss the facilities, services, and associated fees at the Airport in the Sky (KAVX) atop the island. There are lots of things to do once you are there, and he will share some of those highlights.
Catalina can serve as a perfect day trip for most pilots, but for those willing to do the advance planning and safety management. Join us for this unique opportunity to understand Catalina Airport operations, and how you can fly there safely.
This is a great seminar for FlyOutGroup pilots planning to do the Catalina FlyOut coming up May 30-31.
Herb Patten is a Senior Instructor at the San Carlos Flight Center, a CFII, an FAA certificated advanced and instrument ground instructor, and past SCFC Chief Pilot. He is a instrument-rated commercial pilot that has flown over 2,500 hours to more than 130 different California airports. He teaches private pilot ground school at San Carlos Flight Center, and is the current chairman of the Upwind Foundation, famous for its Upwind Summer Scholarship Program. In 2023, Herb was named a Distinguished Flight Instructor by AOPA.
San Carlos Flight Center (SCFC) is the SF Bay Area’s most dynamic flying club, committed to building general aviation through safety, community, and adventure. AOPA has consistently recognized SCFC in their Best Flight School survey, most recently in 2024 as a Distinguished Flight School for the fourth year in a row.
SCFC is committed to promoting safety in general aviation through our regular safety seminars and guest speaker programs. Our seminars are free to watch when attended in person at our facility in San Carlos but live streaming and viewing recorded seminars are exclusively available to members. Click here or contact an SCFC member service rep at (650) 946-1700 for more information about online access to our web library of over 500 recorded safety seminars and live-streamed content.
