Airport In The Sky

Was our mid-​way stop on the Skyline Adventure Tour with Molly and it was a quaint, charming and friendly spot to stretch your legs. I’m a history buff so I really enjoyed the history and conservation of the airport. I f you like little known facts about a place you’ll find it worth your time even though it’s a small establishment.

My son’s words capture the experience, «We are higher than the clouds.» If you hike, bike, land a plane or tour in a truck, reach for the stars and meet up at the pinnacle of Santa Catalina island.

Flew the Skyhawk into Catalina Island and fell in love. The landing fee was about 25 bucks at the airport.
The view is amazing and you can grab a bite to eat before you hike around the area. There is a little restaurant inside the gift shop at the airport. They have a pretty decent food selection. The buffalo burgers are so delicious. I still crave it till this day. It’s pricey but it’s worth every bite.
I can’t wait to go back!

If you’re coming to Catalina for shopping, dining and beach going, then this probably isn’t going to make it on your to-​do list. Yes, it’s a bumpy (but spectacularly scenic) road and it takes about 40 min each way but it’s also the most prominent point on the island which allows for spectacular vistas back toward the So Cal shores and mountains.
The café offers a great selection of home-​cooked specialties, including their signature buffalo burger. As there may be some roaming nearby, be sure to eat first or you may not have the heart to order one. The gift shop is worth visiting, as is the quaint nature center on the patio but if you have time, take the 3 mile trail around the airport for some views of the island that are one of a kind.
Bison? Yes there are and you may be lucky enough to see and photograph one that often lurks on the south end of the airport.

As part of my yearly ritual, I head over to the Airport in the Sky to take in the breathtaking views and enjoy the nice ride on one of their Flexible busses. Get one of their cookies, grab a beer, and enjoy the beauty that is the Catalina Skyline. Definitely would recommend this to anyone wanting to experience everything about Cataline Island.

Rode a mountain bike up here on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Oooof what a ride! But definitely worth it at the top. Fantastic beers and burgers to re-​fuel before the long ride back. Lots of items for sale, including some really cute art and locally handmade items. I believe you can take a shuttle up here, or be really fancy and fly a plane over. Worth checking out if you’re on Catalina!

I thought they recently resurfaced the runway? Felt as though my nose wheel was going to come off as I tried to slow down just prior to the hump on RY22. The runway is in pretty deplorable shape in some areas, use caution and keep back pressure in as much as possible during roll out.

This was a super fun adventure. The roads leading here were terrible, but the rewards is great. I watched a handful of private craft take off right in front of me, had one of their cookies (which are phenomenal), ate a brisket sandwich and enjoyed the scenery.
The staff was friendly and I had a very good time. On an island that was overpriced and pretentious, this was a great destination to check out. There was even a wedding being set up while we were there, and interesting idea.
Check it out and have a cookie!

My family and I took the shuttle to the Airport in the Sky for breakfast. We had a delightful time. Our driver, Charles, was personable and knowledgeable, and made the ride very pleasant. Breakfast was delicious and priced reasonably. Overall it was a wonderful experience.

What a treasure! We visited the Airport in the Sky while on our Cape Canyon Expedition. The restaurant and shop are nice and cozy — it was a crisp, cool day outside, but they had a nice fire going in the fire place. The Buffalo Burger and fries were delicious! The DC-​3 cookies are monstrous and very tasty! The service was great and the gift shop had lots of neat items to choose from. There were a lot of old photos and lots of historical information. We enjoyed our visit!

Flying to Catalina is so fun!
I definitely prefer it to taking the ferry.
This airport staff has always been very accommodating and friendly. Whether you need information, a shuttle, or food, you can count on the Airport in the Sky.
Shuttles to and from Avalon or Twin Harbors are available for a (relatively pricey) fee. However, the alternative is walking/​biking several hours down VERY rugged terrain. The ride usually includes very close encounters with the local buffalo herds and beautiful views all around. (For those interested in rally racing, you MUST take a look at these roads. Pure gravel hairpin heaven! It’s a shame that they can’t hold races here. :P)
There is a restaurant and giftshop available while you are waiting for a shuttle. The menu is relatively limited, but all of the food is good. There is both adequate indoor and outdoor seating. Sometimes you can see foxes scurrying about from the little patio. If you park your plane/​helicopter there, I believe you get a free (huge) cookie of your choice with a purchase of $ 10 or more. The gift shop has lots of souvenirs for infants and children. There is outerwear and jewelry for adults, as well as typical magnet and shot glass kind of gifts.
Public restrooms are clean and just down the hall from the restaurant seating.
If you so choose, you can take a walk down the few trails outside of the airport and see the historic facts of Catalina. There are little placards posted on the marked trail.
It’s a very pleasant place to visit.

Great airport. Friendly and helpful staff. Fun place to visit for an afternoon.
One of my favorite airports in Southern California. Easy to get to, and a nice restaurant right at the airport.
Check their website for their famous summer bar-​b-​ques where they stay open late, fire up the bar-​b-​que and have a huge dinner out on the patio during sunset. Airport stays open late for take off after these events.
The shuttle into Avalon is reasonably prices at $ 28 round trip. Plan on 30−45min drive depending on opposing traffic. Going down the narrow road switchbacks can take some time if there is a lot of opposing traffic that the bus needs to wait for. In general I don’t even go into the city anymore. Plenty of hiking to do up on top of the island and the restaurant has great food.
The airport now offers yearly memberships for $ 150 and includes unlimited landings for the pilot. Normally $ 25 per visit. Decided to try it out and now find myself going a couple times a month if not more.
Stabilized approach is critical. Too fast and you can find yourself going over the other end, too slow and the downdraft at the end of the runway can wake you up real fast.

(Sing like Jim Morrison)
Airport in the sky
Airport in the sky
Airport in the sky
This olé boy and his girl went riding out one sunny and windy day
Upon a ridge they rested as they went along their way
When all at once a mighty herd of tourist they did see
A-​plowing through the bustling gift shop, heading right for me
Their pales legs were pink like fire and their socks were made of black
Their hats were big and floppy and their enthusiasm we could feel
A bolt of fear went through us as they thundered through the halls
For we saw the tourist coming hard and he heard their joyful calls
Yippie yi ooh
Yippie yi yay
Airport in the sky
Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, their shirts all soaked with sweat
We’re riding hard to escape that herd, and they ain’t caught us yet
’Cause they’ve got to ride back down on that bus, down from that range up high
On buses snorting fumes
As they board, we all just sigh
As the tourist shuffled on by us, we heard one call a name
If you want to save your soul from our bus a-​riding on our range
Then boy change your ways today or with us you will ride
Trying to catch the tourist’s herd, across these endless skies
Yippie yi ooh
Yippie yi yay
Airport in the sky
Airport in the sky
Airport in the sky

This is a review of the eatery place at Airport in the Sky. We had a stop here from one of the tours we took. The airport is on top of mountain with a nice view of Catalina. We bought a hot dog from the snack shop and my BF could not stop talking about it. It was the best food we had on the island. We’ve had our share of hot dogs from bacon wrapped to what not street dogs of LA but this was just a plain hot dog butterflied in the middle with your regular condiments less the relish and onions but maaan was it good. I heard the cookie is delish too that even ravens are crazy for them (so I heard)! ;)

The Airport-​in-​the-​Sky is probably the most wonderful airport in the world. You literally fly over the ocean and land on a mountaintop! Though pilots consider the takeoffs and landings here to be challenging, it is a spectacular place to arrive or depart from.
Perched 1602 feet above the Pacific Ocean, Catalina Island’s Airport-​In-​The-​Sky is built between two mountain peeks in the interior of the island. The asphalt-​paved, 3250-​ft. runway can handle aircraft up to and including DC-​3. Mainly small private planes use the runway.
The Airport also has a nice little restaurant– the Buffalo Springs Station Restaurant. There is a gift shop, historical displays, beautiful native plant gardens, a Nature Center, scenic vistas, tiled fountains and a great hiking trail. If you take the Inland Motor Tour of the island, it will stop here at the Airport for a brief visit.
Shuttle service is available between the Airport and Avalon. The ten-​mile drive takes approximately 25 minutes and goes down some steep, hair-​raising turns to reach town. Built in 1946, landings are restricted to daylight hours from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. from mid-​April to mid-​October and until 5 p.m. the rest of the year. The landing fee if you fly in is $ 20 per plane with an overnight tiedown charge of $ 5.
Even if you are not inclined to fly over to Catalina, don’t miss the opportunity to visit this most beautiful and scenic airport in the sky.