Landing at Catalina Island | Airport in the Sky!

Catalina Island is on every pilot's bucket list. Today I will show you our family trip from San Diego Montgomery airport to the Catalina Island, the airport in the sky. Welcome onboard!
Santa Catalina is one of the California's Channel Islands. It lies about 30 miles off the coast of the Los Angeles. Most people go there by boat or ferry. For pilots, of course we will land our planes there as long as there is an airport. The airport on the island is actually a very unique one. Nicknamed "the airport in the sky", it was created by leveling two mountain tops and filling the canyon, at one of the highest points on the island. The tricky part of landing at the airport is that, the 3000 ft runway has cliffs on both ends, and also has a steep 2.1% slope. When winds are going upslope, you have to choose either upslope with a tailwind or headwind with a downslope. Due to these tricky situation, it is not recommended for new or rusty pilots. Since I was taking my families there, I practiced a couple of landings there with an instructor the day before the trip.
I rented this beautiful Cirrus SR20 from Coast Air Center which has a brand new building with excellent amenities. With our plane towed just outside the building, we were ready to go!
Since the wind was at 050 @ 8 Knots, I was debating which runway I should use. Normally runway22 is the preferred runway for landing due to its upslope. However, a 8 knots tailwind can't be ignored on a 3000 ft mountain top runway without much margin for error.
The landing was uneventful, and I am glad I chose the right runway, as it was recommended to take runway 4 for headwind of 8 knots and above. The airport has a Mexican style tower. After you paid the landing fee and overnight fee, you can hike a trail around the airport or enjoy a meal at the aviation themed restaurant called DC3. The airport has a bus shuttle to Avalon which reminds me of an Italian coastal town. For the beautiful sceneries at Avalon, please subscribe and expect my next video coming soon.

[@dethray1000]

my dad,family would fly to catalina during the early 60ties in either 172 or piper 140 out of compton---we also would take the big white steam ship--there was a pby flight service out of long beach too which landed in the water but never took it--my aunt,uncle had a hotel in avalon--my other aunt,uncle worked over there too,many cousins--their house was tiny but we slept anywhere! it was damn fun--we would dance with the older girls in the town square-saw all the surf bands like beach boys,deltones ,etc--the concerts were free--we almost had a mid air over san pedro but my dad was a ww2 pilot and put the nose down in a hurry as i watched the other little plane come from behind,left, fly right over the top of us,missing maybe 50 ft,it was very loud!! he was a student pilot and held steady which was the right but very dumb move,lucky is more like it--dad circled back and talked and got his tail #...the drive down to town takes a while from the airport--i miss those days huge....

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for sharing the vivid stories! Feels like warm memories and a mid air adventure. Hope you can go back one day. It’s still very charming today.

[@TheProfessorpat]

Brings back a lot of good memories from when I worked as a camp counselor on Catalina in the early ‘60s.

[@VincentAir]

Wow, that’s quite a while ago. Good memories last!

[@cfi1598]

Hi I instructed out of Compton in the 60s I worked for Aero Ventures and then Ben-Air

[@hodgiecodo]

The wife had absolutely no interest in any of it. 🤣 Good flying though, have fun!

[@VincentAir]

😂 thanks!

[@cmr58]

You noticed that too!.....I bet she's fun at parties. Good grief. Great video despite that distraction.

[@imilva]

@@cmr58 texting all the time!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@tonil.476]

The Mom kept her eyes on those adorable babies in the back seat!! Cool, calm and collected. 😁. Great landing. 😊. Beautiful family.

[@Comrade_Kamala]

She was enjoying the scenery--- all the while thinking of the kids and her husband

[@ArVeeNiner]

Iris was sure into her phone. I’d leave her back at home next time! 😂 Flying to Catalina has been on my list for a while. Nice video.

[@VincentAir]

Haha thanks. Have fun flying there!

[@Reach41]

Flown into Catalina for lunch a number of times in a Cessna 310. Plenty of runway even for a twin engine, but approach to land using the VASI lights to manage your descent. That’s the tricky part for some pilots, because there’s no sense of the ground coming up - the water is a thousand feet below. Once you get there, the peace and quiet of the place is astounding. The only activity is a lazy cat sleeping on the block wall outside, and bees taking advantage of tiny flowers on the local shrubs. There are sometimes some buffaloes a hundred feet down the road from the airport, but even they are silent. As easy as the airport is to get to, it can be difficult to work up the will to leave.

[@VincentAir]

What a beautiful paragraph you wrote! Agree that it is so hard to leave this peaceful and tranquil place, especially it’s just 30 miles away from the hustle bustle LA.

[@yu-huayang3556]

Does anyone else prefer that the video has no background music and simply the radio?

[@stephensmith60]

Brings back my memories of flying from Cable Field in Upland, CA. to Avalon Airport (AVX) for their infamous Buffalo Burger (at the airport restaurant), then a trip down in-to Avalon for some walking around. This, back in the late 80s and early 90s. The Field is a bit awkward because of it's change in slope about mid-field. Upon takeoff, you might feel like you're running out of runway and then all of a sudden you reach that peak (mid-field) and you see that you have a whole lot of runway left. You did a great job demonstrating your flying abilities. Stay safe!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you for sharing your stories too Stephen. Now the slope problem is a bit better. I see the slope change towards the end of runway 22.

[@georgewhitehead8185]

At 3:33 under his left wheel, you can see the Asian Market, and across the street the In-N-Out Burger building. I have been to these two places many times and watched the planes taking off from Montgomery airport...but this is a great and fun new perspective. You can get some great take out Sushi at the Asian (Japanese) market, and of course a great burger at In-N-Out. Thanks for the airborne view. Doctor W.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Doctor W! Yeah the takeoff view from Montgomery is stunning. I was lucky to shoot that in a perfect weather.

[@jonicarr6294]

Great job Captain. I lived on the island and know the dangers landing there. 👍

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! 😊

[@pyramidnaturalgoods5537]

Badass … great skill of flying… my daughter is in High school pilot program !!!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks man! Best of luck to her!

[@davidmalone9022]

I've flown into Catalina twice - once from Lindbergh while attending a meeting. I took some friends along as a scenic flight. Landed, hiked around the airport to the east, climbed back in and returned to San Diego. Perfect flying. The second time, I was flying in for the Catalina marathon, so stayed a few days. Taking off, we had the marine layer. I took off for the first and only time in zero-zero conditions. The top of the layer was only about 200' off the airport, so we were out of it quickly and headed east to head back home in Utah. I, too, was in a single engine - a C-182 with a Texas Skyways conversion (300 hp O-550) in which I have over 1700 PIC hours. The trickiest part of that airport is that the runway is 3,000 feet, but with a cliff at each end. Avoiding the possible downdraft is tricky since you don't want to float too far down the runway. Plus, the runway is slightly domed, so as you are about to touch down, the runway looks even shorter than it actually is (which your video captures very nicely.) It's a great flight. Anyone else watching this video should make that flight at some point. Avalon is a really nice town, with a shuttle that runs to and from the airport (at least, I assume it's still in operation.) Nice video, Vincent.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you David for sharing this amazing story. I have never taken off from zero zero conditions and admire the courage and experience in doing so. The runway is indeed very tricky and I had to take the downslope side due to wind direction. The Avalon town is beautiful and yes the shuttle is still running today. I just published a 2-minute drone video on the town if you wonder how it looks today.

[@andrewalcala3720]

this is dope i live on catalina island too

[@VincentAir]

Fantastic place to live on! Lucky you :)

[@peterking1376]

sh*t .. this little vid takes me back 40+yrs .... great effort !

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Peter! Time to go back again after 40 years. :)

[@Dogsnark]

Catalina is so interesting. I took the little shuttle vehicle from Avalon up the airport once, years ago. It’s amazing the temperature difference as you go up into the hills. It’s interesting to hear the radio exchanges as you fly. For non-pilots it’s hard to understand a lot of that. I’d love to be aboard on such a trip, but I’m happy to leave the flying to you! (Doesn’t look like your wife shares your interest in flying!)

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Agreed Catalina is an interesting island t explore. My kiddos loved the bumpy airport shuttle while honestly my wife was pretty busy with her business on the plane. 😂

[@brianchisnell1548]

Did that once. Montgomery to airport in the sky. Right seat. Piper Archer. Awesome!!

[@VincentAir]

Yep it’s an epic route! Beautiful scenery and challenging landing.

[@Cwra1smith]

Flew to Catalina in an old seaplane back in 1962. Quite a ride.

[@VincentAir]

Wow! I wish the seaplanes were still there.

[@briane173]

Always up for a vicarious GA flight to Catalina. When I was a kid we always took our boat there, either in a sailboat race or just cruisin'. I never got to fly there, and this was back when the old Grumman Goose seaplanes were flying to Avalon from Long Beach. I would've given anything to land at Avalon in a seaplane. KAVX is no joke; better know what you're doing. But if you're lucky enough to take RW22 it's the best approach. When you're on final the runway LOOKS like it's 1,000 ft and nothing but cliff ahead of you, because of that slight uphill slope before it levels off; but you just have to trust that there's 3,000 ft of runway in front of you, and plenty of length for a full stop in a GA airframe.

[@VincentAir]

Yes! I wish those seaplanes were still there. That would be a fascinating view I could imagine. AVX is pretty scary in the first place.

[@cshughes77]

Really cool to see/hear everything that goes into a trip like this - and GREAT job on the landing

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Cory!

[@curtc4918]

You know you're doing a good job when the Mrs is sleeping!

[@VincentAir]

Very true! :)

[@jasonkendy556]

Excellent video. I really enjoyed. I’m not a pilot, but I “fly” this airport all the time in sim. Glad you filmed this.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Jason! Sim is a great way to explorer the world and I love doing that as well, especially during pandemic!

[@randysmitchell4810]

Nice touch - pointing out 'item/places of interest' - really adds to the flight.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Hope it adds more fun 🤩. I like to nerd out geographic stuff

[@byronpirolo]

started flying there at 17 years old in 1978 with a fresh ppl at 40hours total time. never a problem. go enjoy

[@VincentAir]

That’s impressive!

[@giulianna301]

Dope video! Thank youu for visiting our beautiful home💚🤟🏽

[@VincentAir]

Thank you and you are so lucky to live on this beautiful island! :)

[@stealhty1]

Wow,,Catalina Island like never seen before,,,such of great footage ,crystal water by the harbor,Great ATC /Comms, my passengers also fall asleep,Aviation is for those of us who are really interested,,,Good choice landing Head wind ,,,Thx for share Captain Vincent 👨‍✈

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for the kind words! Hope you can visit it one day if you haven’t done so. Lifetime experience.

[@beansmama3170]

Catalina Island.Beautiful yacht harbor,buffaloes of ranch,silent campsite,small electric vehicles and friendly residents.I went to airport in the sky by lent-a-bike from Avalon two times.It is a little bit hard time but beautiful memory.Your movie make me remember them by me. Next time maybe Vincent air? Thanks

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for sharing your memories. Definitely look forward to a second time.

[@Sluggo01]

Back n the eighties I just took my 41 foot Scarob twin 500 engine cigarette craft at a good clip over to the island from Long Beach…took the same time as flying, LOL. Ps..there were times when the engine limiters kicked in…when the craft left the water surface…fun stuff

[@VincentAir]

Wow! I want to experience the floatplane too. Sounds like fun.

[@jayalaska4806]

Nice. Awesome that you fly with the family, that's the goal I am working towards

[@VincentAir]

Appreciate it. Flying with families is fun and fulfilling. Best of luck in pursuing that!

[@thenomadicham5329]

My friend and I flew there several times in the early 1980s. It brought back memories to watch this. We made a training tape back then and wish we had the equipment like you used. This was a fun video to watch, thanks. My pilot friend went on to be a captain with a major airline and had to retire early due to health reasons.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for sharing your stories. Yes nowadays everyone can shoot a video as the devices are so affordable. The island is still very beautiful and you might want to revisit when getting a chance.

[@brado12]

Nice job, thanks for sharing. Cute family. I'm a Dana Point Boater, so it's nice to see the view from 'up there' sometimes.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for watching!

[@travisp224]

Very cool channel My step dad flew privately for 40 years and he was an faa instructor also He recently passed at 80 years old from cancer sadly after an amazing great life as a banker and private pilot We would fly to Catalina in the 90s in our place cliv that had a 172 and 182 Very fun cool times! And a great flight you just did to Catalina! Enjoy and stay safe!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Travis for sharing your life memories with your step dad.

[@travisp224]

@@VincentAir thanks so much, and ill look forward to seeig more of your great videos!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! More adventures coming up.

[@robertbowman448]

I did that flight a few times, before they redid the runway when it was a just a series of potholes! The upslope landing always got me. You alternate between believing you're too high, too low, and just right.

[@VincentAir]

Agreed! Not for novices

[@jimcambron1328]

I sailed from San Diego to Avalon and back with the Kansas University Sailing Club in a pair of 36' sloops (I was "captain" of one) back in the early 70s. It looks like not much has changed in Avalon since then. Oh the adventures we had...

[@VincentAir]

Yeah it looks the old charm stayed. Only if all the seaplanes were still there!

[@gbaker9295]

We were there in Dec/Jan. Good memories even in the rain storm. Thanks for posting this

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! The island is beautiful and probably winter proof as well. Glad you had fun!

[@unclelar53]

Brings back fond memories. I flew my Cessna 172 into Catalina many times back in the 1980s and 1990s. I quit flying in the early 2000s due to the cost, I could no longer afford it. A very sad day for me.

[@VincentAir]

Sad to hear that. Agreed nowadays the flying cost is just crazily expensive. Some people try gyros as an alternative

[@briane173]

@@VincentAir I don't know how anybody can afford to do _anything_ in SoCal anymore, let alone general aviation. It's a shame, and it's maddening at the same time. I was born and raised in L.A., I've always loved CA and what it has to offer; but politics has ruined it for almost everybody but the top 2%. I could never afford to move back there, and it breaks my heart.

[@VincentAir]

Yeah it’s sad that the government made everything unaffordable there. Definitely see lots of people move out in the last few years

[@mrwest5552]

Beautiful Family.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! :)

[@jayroy6048]

Awesome flight! Nice job sticking that landing!!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Jay! Yeah I am happy with that landing, although a few inches off centerline. 😂

[@rhetoricru]

Great video. Your kids are adorable. My son-in-law will fly us to Catalina airport tomorrow. I'm looking forward to the trip.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Patrick! Sorry to reply late but I hope you had a great time flying there. :)

[@santajeffclaus]

I like that you identify sites on the ground

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Santa! Making it more fun

[@chuckkirkpatrick6712]

When I lived in LA, I flew into Catalina a couple of times. It's a tricky approach because of the runway slope which gives you the visual impression of being higher than you are. I thought it was closed...

[@VincentAir]

It was closed for renovation for a while. The new runway looks great :)

[@LightQuarterly]

Fun! I've flown into Airport in the Sky in X-Plane and Microsoft Flight Simulator, and as challenging as I find landing (well) I'd imagine having a hard time IRL of keeping track of all the other aircraft in the area! That's one part of your video that I found impressive is working with ATC. Nice flight, I enjoyed it 😎 Happy Flying 🛩

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Thomas! Yep it’s challenging but very fulfilling after successfully landed there. ;)

[@Realroyrogers]

Awesome!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Roy

[@nctile1]

that place looks beautiful, excellent job you performed amazing 👍🏽 (and with precious cargo) 🙂

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Happy to share more of these beautiful memories with you guys

[@langstonwilliams8979]

Awesome video!!! Videos like this help me wind down/ relax at the end of the day😌🛫✈️🛬

[@VincentAir]

Glad to hear that Langston! That makes my efforts worth it. Thank you!

[@clfhnt]

love the kids!!!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! They are awesome

[@brucebissell7626]

THANKS FOR THE INFO.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks!

[@fchow8652]

Cool place, any more video of Avalon?

[@VincentAir]

Literally working on that at this moment. Stay tuned! :)

[@vg5157]

Wonderful video, wonderful island !!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! It’s an beautiful island indeed

[@jayzeagerauctioneer]

Great video! Never been to Catalina Island but it's def on my list to be able to experience it the way you did. Thank you!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Jay! It will be fun and enjoy!

[@Comrade_Kamala]

Nice. 👍

[@VincentAir]

Thank you President!

[@travisraybos]

My favorite place to fly into. I initially use to fly that LA route from Palomar (shortest distance across). I quickly realized it’s much safer taking on the extra ocean flying time then it was dealing with all the LA traffic, re-routing by ATC and the LB practice area.

[@VincentAir]

Good point. A 20-30 minutes flight over water is not big deal, especially if you have floatation device on board to offset that risk.

[@travisraybos]

@@VincentAir tell you what though, if you can fly and land into there, you can fly anywhere. Big Bear and Mammoth are 2 great places on the other end of the spectrum. Leave early morning though to and from, daytime turbulence.

[@VincentAir]

I was actually planning for Mammoth as the second stop but it’s too cold in March and we didn’t take our winter clothes. Next time!

[@kristen0420]

Wow!!!! Your wife needs to put her cell phone down and wake up. Her job in the right seat is to help clear traffic. (I am a retired Air Force F-4 pilot).

[@VincentAir]

I know! 😂

[@DonAv8s]

Great video Vincent! I was looking forward to watching this video when I saw it on your channel page…. I love flying around So Cal but never tried landing at Catalina. I also like flying around the Pam Spring/Thermal area as well. I really enjoyed the camera work and editing. It was a great idea to practice landing at Catalina with a CFI.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Don! Yes it’s more prudent to practice landing with an instructor first, given the runway is a little steep and short. It’s more challenging for a much faster plane like SF50 to land there but I am sure you can with some practice and caution. Catalina is a beautiful and unique island that worth many visits. I love south California too. Hope to fly there again!

[@Odonanmarg]

Cool.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks!

[@fangyu2451]

You are the best pilot among all the actuaries! And probably the only chief actuary among all pilots!

[@VincentAir]

haha, thank you!

[@mikekai8386]

Excellent edit! Thx for sharing

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Mike!

[@markgoodley2450]

Love all the cameras! Great VIEWS and editing...Good job. Ive flown to Catalina many dozens of times (boats made me sick) from Torrance and Palomar... btw: she was probably just very nervous... her (good/creative/positive) way of dealing with stress... You're a lucky guy👍

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Mark! Glad that you love the views the cameras captured. It’s truly stunning. You are the first person to compliment my wife and thank you for that! She was a bit stressed because of the kids and her business which was her main reason of being on the phone a lot.

[@gary6463]

Neat video..Awesome flying 👍🏻

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Gary!

[@FernandoGomez-hh9jm]

¡ like your VÍDEO !🐳🐳🐳

[@VincentAir]

Thank you!

[@NECAXA81]

Nice video!!!!

[@VincentAir]

Thanks!

[@outabeat]

The best hidden secret about Catalina Island is Two Harbors on the West End. As they say, the West End is the BEST END! But don't tell anyone.

[@VincentAir]

Will save it for the next time! 😂

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Looking very nice..

[@VincentAir]

Hidden gem for sure!

[@larryrich327]

Very cool 😎 awesome landing

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Larry

[@steveandbeth]

Love your videos! Nice intro and drone work! Do you mount the tail-view camera to the tail tie-down ring?

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Steve! Yes you got it. The tie down ring is a good fit.

[@PG-ku9qd]

So impressive! Nicely done!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you!

[@VicAmor1944]

It was 1959, if I remember correctly, my friend (John Graves) and I flew into the Airport in the Sky on a DC-3, United Airlines out of Los Angeles Airport, we spent the day in Avalon and then flew home. How did they land such a large plane on that runway?

[@VincentAir]

Must be a combination of genius pilots and cool passengers!

[@byronpirolo]

Dc3 does not use a lot of runway. Also they land it on the turf on the north side of runway due to weight.

[@VincentAir]

The tailwheel structure helps reducing the ground roll for sure. Maybe that’s what the restaurant is named after?

[@BCBlue]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. Your daughters appear to be having alot of fun! Have you taken a trip up the coast to Monterey yet?

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Yes the next video I made a stop at San Luis Obispo and then flew up to Napa Valley. I did pass Monterey on the way back to San Diego. It is beautiful along the way!

[@caseyjames6306]

Great video!

[@VincentAir]

Thank you!

[@timbacchus]

I have been flying since 74 and bought my Cessna 150 always wanted to go there but now that I am 72 and still flying I just can't make myself to fly slowly over that much water. Also can't swim sink like a rock..... Thank you for filming your trip. Do you need floatation equipment like you need when flying from Florida to the islands?

[@VincentAir]

Legally you need to have flotation device if overwater for more than 50 nautical miles. Since it’s only 20-30 miles from LA, it’s not required. However, if I go there often, it’s definitely recommended to put those under the seats.

[@Issachar-northern-kingdom]

If grapevine california was an island it would look like this

[@VincentAir]

Good to know!

[@pontificusvascillious5287]

so you landed on runway FOUR ... (very nicely done by the way) maybe i missed something ... but it looked like there was ONLY one runway ... what's the story?

[@VincentAir]

One runway has two directions. Runway 4 is a downslope therefore takes longer to stop. Runway 22 is the same pavement but in opposite direction and thus has a upslope hence easier to stop. 4 means 40 degree from north, 22 means 220 degree from the north. It’s 180 degree apart therefore opposite direction. :)

[@pontificusvascillious5287]

@@VincentAir nice ... thanks for the explanation

[@VincentAir]

No problem 😉

[@bokharys]

Really enjoyed your flying experience as a San Diegan. Beautiful clear day and you nailed that landing perfectly. How long have you been flying?

[@VincentAir]

Thank you! Since 2016. :)

[@amiejimenez4414]

That’s were I love

[@VincentAir]

😊

[@Happ465]

You missed the most important part of landing there. The runway is upslope from either end with the highest point in the center. So when you land you think you are running out of runway before you reach the half way point.

[@deadstick8624]

The pilot that we hear on the radio sounds like Harrison Ford.

[@VincentAir]

😂 me or some random guy on the radio?

[@deadstick8624]

@@VincentAir Not you, the other guy flying out of Catalina using Runway 04

[@VincentAir]

I see. Let me listen again. You piques my interest. :)

[@jim69215]

Well done…

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Jim

[@driverbob]

The music pops in 3X louder than narrator.

[@VincentAir]

Sorry, will adjust in the next video. Thanks for pointing that out

[@justinrowe851]

She must of had the co pilot app on her phone.. haha

[@Tabfren]

great video, only suggestion would be to lower the music volume

[@VincentAir]

Thanks for the suggestion! Will do

[@jayski9410]

That was a nice touch how you labeled the landmarks on the ground. And I was surprised that you didn't just head straight out to Catalina from San Diego but followed the coast north then turned towards the island. Is that because you were in a single engine plane and didn't want to make a long water crossing for safety?

[@VincentAir]

Thanks Jay for noticing the little touch there. Hope that makes the video a bit more interesting. Yes single engine over water is something I want to shorten as much as I can. Also, the shoreline has beautiful scenery as well.

[@peteryee6909]

Hi, I’m just wondering how you know what to say when you are flying. Sorry for this newbie question. Thanks

[@VincentAir]

ATC radio communication is an important part of the pilot training.

[@stevevandermeer1958]

Why is the background music sooo loud. ???? No reason for it to be like this. Is the producer getting a kick back from the music company????

[@mac7Attack1]

That’s awesome, I currently attend Coast Academy in the airline program. Looking to do the same thing with my family when I graduate. Were you already proficient with a Cirus, or did you get additional training?

[@mac7Attack1]

Also would appreciate cost Info, How much was their fees at Catalina?

[@VincentAir]

I took a cirrus transition program with a local flight school. About 10 hours for IFR. Could be 8 hours for VFR.

[@VincentAir]

I rent at 340 per hour wet from Coast Air. Landing fee at Catalina is $35.

[@realmaxpower]

thanks for the video. imo. the music is way too loud.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! Yes, will adjust the music next time. :)

[@chashkalozhkasb3573]

Feel so sorry for that girl who’s constantly on the phone. Maybe she was born with the phone

[@honeyhusain7318]

Beautiful vlog, first time to your channel, love it, you have excellent flying skills and you made that very decisive landing, well done, I love the choice of filler music with that very catchy and striking tune at the start, what is the name of that tune … keep up the filming, thank you for sharing your journeys, stay safe.

[@VincentAir]

Thank you Husain for the encouraging words! The sound track "Changli" is from my favorite creator called "Ooyy". Hope you come back often for more videos like this.

[@honeyhusain7318]

@@VincentAir Aw thank you for letting me know, I so love that tune, will be watching your vlogs, love the content, best wishes from New Zealand, happy flying as always stay safe :)

[@VincentAir]

@@honeyhusain7318 Thank you! Wish I can fly in New Zealand one day. Its such an amazing country. Say hi to JP as well

[@honeyhusain7318]

@@VincentAir You are very welcome here, hope you can make it one day… yes will do Vincent :)

[@user-sf9pq5ox7w]

Nice job! Wife looks bored to death.

[@TheOkellyc]

That looks absolutely incredible, how many flight hours and how much money does it take to be able to do this? So jealous, haha.

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! The flight from Montgomery to Catalina was only 1.5 hours or 500 dollars. Not cheap but still affordable if you don’t do it everyday 😂

[@TheOkellyc]

@@VincentAir Thanks for the quick response! It’s hard to believe it’s only $500, wouldn’t it cost upwards of $1,000 to fly your family there on a commercial airline? Also, curious how many hours you have to put in to become a pilot that can do that, did you used to fly in the military? Thanks!

[@VincentAir]

No problem! :) There is actually no commercial flight to the island. And yes sometimes flying private is cheaper than flying commercial given we have 4 family members. I didn’t go to military. :)

[@jlt5649]

I enjoyed that. Do people live on the island full time?

[@VincentAir]

Thanks! They do. Avalon and Two Harbors are the main towns there

[@Corgis175]

I'll take the boat out of San Pedro.

[@VincentAir]

Very 😎

[@Christopher-pe6zj]

Wife looks beyond miserable lmao - that's gotta be a great time ha

[@robertades22]

Am I right he’s crossing at 4,500? Seems rather low.

[@justlook.productions]

Non pilot here. I am not sure I understand what downwind means, does it mean the approach is toward the wind? I ask because planes crash here when there is a big down draft on the approach - the plane essentially loses altitude quickly and just crashes headlong into the cliff. I wonder what caveats there are for wind and what the thresholds are.

[@user-gw9hg6zm6g]

You try to land facing into the wind which allows the plane to fly at a slower ground speed. Your “downwind” leg is when you are flying parallel to the runway in the opposite direction. It’s the standard visual approach to an airport.

[@user-gw9hg6zm6g]

Yes, there have been many crashes into the cliffs at both ends of the runway. The “bump” in the middle of the runway gives a pilot the perception that the runway is shorter than it is as they can’t see the 2nd half of the runway on final. Some pilots aim for the beginning of the runway and then get caught in a downdraft on short final.. it’s best to aim a little past the numbers.

[@justlook.productions]

@@user-gw9hg6zm6g wow what a fantastic visual picture of the challenges there. I was an ocean lifeguard for LA for a time and worked with Coasties, National Weather Service etc on weather products to help you guys, remote sensing equipment. And my guys have responded to those crashes and it’s a question that’s been running around my head for a long while that I now have answered, thanks very much.

[@salamashka]

How much were the landing and overnight fees?

[@VincentAir]

Expensive but well worth it. Landing Fee: $35.00 and higher depending on aircraft · Overnight Fee: $20.00 per night for single engine, $25 for multi.

[@robertreiner3691]

4.500' is extremely low for crossing that amount of water. You would not be able to glide to land if you lost the engine. Taking your entire family and crossing that low seems very risky.

[@VincentAir]

Yep there was some risk to take. There always will be situation where you won't have a gliding distance from the shore. It is a short flight so climbing high and descending shortly after doesn't make much sense, even for time.

[@pyramidnaturalgoods5537]

How high are you flying ?

[@VincentAir]

Usually at 7000 or 8000 ft

[@dusty_five_2]

I can't help but noticed too many "ahh" in the comms man

[@Patito0501]

Mekas me wana buy a plane honestly

[@VincentAir]

Me too! You can also just rent like I did.

[@davidmoser3535]

Wife looked bored AF

[@VincentAir]

😂

[@paulbonelli2416]

Seems the wife is more interested in her phone than she is in flying.

[@stevevandermeer1958]

Could of left the wife at home with her phone, kinda of rude don't you think? I never will understand the amount of attention that is given to a electronic device. Sad, when you really think about it. I have also flown there, great experience. Is the restaurant still there, great steaks. Mind you, I did this in the early 1970''s. The Monte Carlo Casino was still open and the beach's were almost empty.

[@pedrothemexican3360]

This wife, "I hate my life."