Inyokern Airport
Coordinates: 35°39′32″N 117°49′46″W / 35.65889°N 117.82944°W
| Inyokern Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: IYK – ICAO: KIYK – FAA LID: IYK | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner | Indian Wells Valley Airport District |
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| Serves | Ridgecrest, California | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 2,455 ft / 748 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 2/20 | 6,275 | 1,913 | Asphalt |
| 10/28 | 4,150 | 1,265 | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 7,100 | 2,164 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2007) | |||
| Aircraft operations | 39,632 | ||
| Based aircraft | 120 | ||
| Sources: airport web site[1] and FAA[2] | |||
Inyokern Airport (IATA: IYK, ICAO: KIYK, FAA LID: IYK) is a public airport located in Inyokern, California, United States, serving the Indian Wells Valley area of Kern County. It is owned by the Indian Wells Valley Airport District.[2] The airport is mostly used for general aviation, but is served by one commercial airline.
Contents |
[edit] Drag Racing History
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.[3] The drag strip closed during the 2005 season due to new Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
[edit] Soaring History
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.
Presently Inyokern Airport is the 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.
[edit] Film history
In the wake of the drag strip's closing, the airport has been actively promoting its use for film shoots,[4] with the Ridgecrest Regional Film Commission marketing it (Runway 28) as "the region's #1 filming location".[5] A notable example of this new use is a television advertisement titled "Gravity", for the Lexus IS.[6] 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.
[edit] Facilities and aircraft
Inyokern Airport covers an area of 1,640 acres (660 ha) which contains three asphalt paved runways: 2/20 measuring 6,275 x 75 ft. (1,913 x 23 m), 10/28 at 4,150 x 75 ft. (1,265 x 23 m), and 15/33 at 7,100 x 75 ft. (2,164 x 23 m).[2]
For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2007, the airport had 39,632 aircraft operations, an average of 108 per day: 86% general aviation, 6% air taxi, 5% scheduled commercial and 3% military. At that time there were 120 aircraft based at this airport: 79% single-engine, 8% multi-engine, 5% jet, 5% glider and 3% ultralight.[2]
[edit] Airline and destination
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines | Los Angeles |
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- ^ Indian Wells Valley Airport District - Inyokern Airport
- ^ a b c d FAA Airport Master Record for IYK (Form 5010 PDF), effective 2007-12-20
- ^ Inyokern Dragstrip at North American Motorsports Pages
- ^ Filming at Inyokern Airport
- ^ RACVB - Local Film commissions Host Location Pros (10/25/01)
- ^ Video: Lexus IS "Gravity" commercial
[edit] External links
- Inyokern Airport - official site
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KIYK
- ASN accident history for IYK
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart, Terminal Procedures
