Inyokern Airport

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Inyokern Airport
IATA: IYK – ICAO: KIYK – FAA LID: IYK
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Indian Wells Valley
Airport District
Serves Inyokern, California
Elevation AMSL 2,457 ft / 749 m
Coordinates 35°39′31″N 117°49′46″W / 35.65861°N 117.82944°W / 35.65861; -117.82944Coordinates: 35°39′31″N 117°49′46″W / 35.65861°N 117.82944°W / 35.65861; -117.82944
Website InyokernAirport.com
Map
IYK
Location of airport in California
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15/33 7,100 2,164 Asphalt
2/20 6,275 1,913 Asphalt
10/28 4,150 1,265 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Aircraft operations 28,573
Based aircraft 117
Sources: airport web site[1] and FAA[2]

Inyokern Airport (IATA: IYK, ICAO: KIYK, FAA LID: IYK) is a public airport a mile northwest of Inyokern, in Kern County, California.[2] It is owned by the Indian Wells Valley Airport District[2] and serves the Indian Wells Valley area.

Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 11,149 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008,[3] 11,081 in 2009 and 11,109 in 2010.[4] The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 categorized it as a primary commercial service airport (more than 10,000 enplanements per year).[5]

History

Drag racing

The Inyokern Airport Dragstrip opened in 1954, and was the second oldest continuously operating dragstrip in the United States, behind Thornhill Dragstrip in Kenton, KY which opened in 1953.[6] The drag strip closed during the 2005 season due to new Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Soaring

Beginning in the 1950s, regular glider records were set out of Inyokern in various sources of lift. Due to its location on the lee side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, it is an excellent location for altitude records in wave conditions or distance and speed records in thermal lift. It is a challenging location, as the winds change frequently, but with three long runways pilots generally have a variety of options for launch and landing. Many well known pilots have flown gliders out of Inyokern, including Neal Armstrong, Paul Bikle, and Steve Fossett.

Inyokern Airport is home to Sierra Soaring Club, which operates a Cessna 182 for towing gliders, a Blanik L-23 for rides and instruction, and a Schweizer 1-35 and Standard Cirrus for wave flights and cross country soaring.

Film history

In the wake of the drag strip's closing, the airport has been promoting its use for film shoots,[7] with the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission marketing it (Runway 28) as "the region's #1 filming location".[8] A notable example of this new use is a television advertisement titled "Gravity", for the Lexus IS.[9] The airdrop "target" featured in the commercial, where the falling automobile hits the ground, was painted on the old drag strip; however, many of the vehicle shots preceding the car drop actually feature the Lexus rolling down runway 20. Other notable automotive television ads shot here include most spots from Saab's "Born from Jets" campaign, as well as spots for Volkswagen, Volvo, Cadillac, Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet, just to name a few.

Facilities

Inyokern Airport covers 1,640 acres (664 ha) at an elevation of 2,457 feet (749 m). It has three asphalt runways: 15/33 is 7,100 by 75 feet (2,164 x 23 m), 2/20 is 6,275 by 75 feet (1,913 x 23 m), and 10/28 is 4,150 by 75 feet (1,265 x 23 m).[2]

In 2010 the airport had 28,573 aircraft operations, average 78 per day: 80% general aviation, 10% military, 6% air taxi, and 5% airline. 117 aircraft were then based at the airport: 84% single-engine, 9% multi-engine, 5% glider, and 3% ultralight.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Indian Wells Valley Airport District - Inyokern Airport
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 FAA Airport Master Record for IYK (Form 5010 PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2008" (PDF, 1.0 MB). CY 2008 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. December 18, 2009. 
  4. ↑ "Enplanements for CY 2010" (PDF, 189 KB). CY 2010 Passenger Boarding and All-Cargo Data. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2011. 
  5. ↑ "2011–2015 NPIAS Report, Appendix A" (PDF, 2.03 MB). National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. October 4, 2010. 
  6. ↑ Inyokern Dragstrip at North American Motorsports Pages
  7. ↑ Filming at Inyokern Airport
  8. ↑ RACVB - Local Film commissions Host Location Pros (10/25/01)
  9. ↑ Video: Lexus IS "Gravity" commercial

External links

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