AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2020 - 31

East

Central

West

For beach lovers, Katama in the summertime is heaven. Land on this
beautiful grass strip and walk to the
ocean. There's an acclaimed restaurant
serving lobster rolls, brioche French
toast, and ice cream; the longest turf runway is more than 3,000 feet; and flying
around the island of Martha's Vineyard
is spectacular.

There are no cars on Mackinac Island, so
getting here is an adventure and one perfectly suited to a general aviation aircraft.
After landing on the waterfront 3,500-foot
runway, you can walk (or take a horsedrawn carriage) to this magical island town
on the Great Lakes.

This little big airport is in the coastal
town of Santa Barbara, and the Spanish
mission style is remarkable in the small
terminal. The beach, the mountains,
wine country, and spectacular views
are accessible from this three-runway
airport situated on the Pacific Ocean.
Be aware, though, AOPA members have
warned us about steep fees at the airport. Report your experience about the
FBOs and the airport in AOPA's Airport
Directory online.

KATAMA AIRPARK (1B2), EDGARTOWN,
MASSACHUSETTS

"

" Katama (1B2) is a beautiful airport on Martha's Vineyard with
multiple turf runways. It hosts
a restaurant on the field (the
Right Fork Diner) and is a short
walk to the beach. It has a
rustic feel with gorgeous ocean
views on arrival and departure.
Our family loves packing up the
Cherokee Six and heading to
Katama for a day at the beach. "

MACKINAC ISLAND AIRPORT (MCD),
MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN

"

"

ABOVE LEFT: SUMMER PRAMER

Ed Gormley
Brookline, New Hampshire

Also worth it:
Portsmouth International
at Pease Airport (PSM),
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF),
Tampa, Florida
Martha's Vineyard Airport (MVY),
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
Greenville Downtown Airport
(GMU), Greenville, South Carolina
George T. Lewis Airport (CDK),
Cedar Key, Florida
Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport
(FHB), Fernandina Beach, Florida

" This is a very historic and popular island where no cars are
allowed-just horse and carriage
and bikes-but they have an airport! They send a horse carriage to
the airport to pick you up. I have
landed there in the summer for
trips three times (including proposing to my wife 11 years ago). The
Grand Hotel has hosted U.S. presidents. Also, the runway spans the
width of the island, so approach
and departure are very scenic with
water on either side. The flight
always includes a great view of the
Mackinac Bridge (the longest
suspension bridge in the Western
Hemisphere). Such a cool spot! "
		
Runners-up:

SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
(SBA), SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

"

"

Stockton Schultz
Niles, Michigan

Major Gilbert Field (4R5),
Madeline Island, Wisconsin
Schaumburg Regional Airport (06C),
Chicago/Schaumburg, Illinois
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
(MKC), Kansas City, Missouri
Telluride Regional Airport (TEX),
Telluride, Colorado
Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF),
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Jackson Hole Airport (JAC),
Jackson, Wyoming

" There's a reason Santa Barbara
is known as the American
Riviera. The airport is sandwiched between the Pacific
Ocean and the mountains. On
takeoff you get a free tour of the
Central Coast. It doesn't get any
prettier than that! "

"

Richie Diesterheft
Goleta, California

More to see:
Lake Tahoe Airport (TVL),
South Lake Tahoe, California
Catalina Airport (AVX),
Santa Catalina Island, California
(see p. 68)
Boeing Field/King County
International Airport (BFI), Seattle,
Washington
Fresno Yosemite International
Airport (FAT), Fresno, California
John Wayne Airport (SNA),
Orange County, California
North Las Vegas Airport (VGT),
Las Vegas, Nevada

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2020

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