# California's Least-Known Airport Gets a Homegrown Makeover > U.S. Marines are rebuilding the runway on Catalina Island. Here's why the state's least-known airport is being reconstructed. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/sami-maloyzvestni-aroport-kalyfornyy-vozvrashchaetsia-na-rodynu/ - Language: en - Published: 2025-11-16 - Categories: Historic Sites, Leisure, Tours, USA, Animal Rides, Seas & Oceans --- When pilots touch down safely on a California resort island next year, they'll have a Marine Corps "invasion" to thank for it. A detachment of more than 100 U.S. Marines is set to land on Catalina Island, 20 miles off the U.S. mainland, in early 2019 to rebuild the main runway at the Airport in the Sky, a 3,000-foot asphalt strip laid down nearly eight decades ago. According to the Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC), the land trust that runs the airport and looks after most of the 21-square-mile island, which has been named one of America's best islands, a private contractor will start tearing up the runway in December. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-177-1-2025.jpg) In January, the Marines will come ashore on Catalina by boat and helicopter from mainland bases. They'll set up camp at the airport, just as they would in the field, with 500 tons of equipment at their disposal, the Conservancy says. The result will be a sturdier concrete runway on the island. "With this runway repair project, I'm forecasting more than 75 years of runway service in our future," says Tony Budrovich, president and CEO of the CIC. The runway sits at an elevation of 1,600 feet and was carved out of two mountain peaks with the valley between them filled in. The end result left it slightly higher in the middle than at the edges. That means that as they roll along it, pilots can have trouble seeing where the runway ends. The CIC says the runway gives the pilots who use it the feel of landing on an aircraft carrier. But the Marines aren't taking part so that military aviators can practice carrier landings. They're coming for two other reasons: building the runway on Catalina is excellent training for constructing or repairing a similar strip on some battle-scarred island in the future, and they can help the nonprofit conservation group save a whole lot of money. The Conservancy puts the cost of the project at $5 million. It will be covered by private donations. The labor of the U.S. Marines has saved another $1 million, says Conservancy spokesperson Laura Mecoy. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-177-2-2025.jpg) The runway work is being carried out under the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training program, whose mission is "to train ready forces through military training opportunities that provide key services to American communities," according to the program's website. "This challenging project allows the Marines to gain valuable experience repairing damaged runways and enhances our capability and readiness to handle a range of military operations around the world," says Marine Lt. Col. Duncan Buchanan in a statement. He added: "It also ensures the community benefits from a fully functioning airport for daily deliveries as well as for aid in any potential recovery efforts after natural disasters." As if on cue, last week Marines stationed 6,000 miles away across the Pacific had a real-world example of exactly what the colonel was describing. "Taking advantage of training opportunities at home, such as the \[Catalina Island Conservancy's\] Airport in the Sky project, is vitally important and prepares us for events like this," reads a Facebook post from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, referring to reports out of Tinian, where Marines took the lead on cleanup and repairs after Super Typhoon Yutu devastated the U.S. island territory of 3,000 people. The Airport in the Sky is a vital lifeline for Catalina's 4,000 residents, as well as for the 1 million people who visit the island each year, with more than 2 million pounds of cargo passing through it annually, Budrovich said. Still, most of those Catalina visitors arrive by boat. Only 13,000 passengers came through the Airport in the Sky in the first nine months of 2018, according to the island's Chamber of Commerce. Even so, the runway sees 14,000 takeoffs and landings a year. ![](https://test.langandtrip.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/de_import_uploads/june-article-image-177-3-2025.jpg) Jeff Rusack, a pilot and Santa Barbara resident who looks after a ranch on the island, says he uses the runway about 50 times a year and has been doing so for 35 years. "I've heard that some other pilots avoid it because of rumors about the condition of the runway," he says. "Aircraft landings create potholes, and chunks of loose asphalt can end up on the runway surface," explains Rusack, who is also a member of the Conservancy's board. The Marines' work should put an end to that, and while landing on the runway can be a tricky task, it's well worth the trip, he said. "When they choose Catalina, \[pilots\] and their passengers get a special treat, not just from the journey but from the beautiful views on the approach, the thrill of landing in this special place... and the experience they get while on the island," Rusack said. The idea of teaming up with the military first came up two years ago, the Conservancy said. "The Conservancy team and our wonderful military partners have worked very hard behind the scenes to make this project a reality," says Kelly Johnson, chair of the Catalina Island Conservancy's board. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we're truly excited to better serve Catalina's communities and to draw aviation enthusiasts from across the country." An earlier version of this story reported 2 million tons instead of 2 million pounds. It has been updated with the correct figure.