Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) is the primary gateway to Southern California, sited in the Westchester district on the coast some 16 nautical miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It is one of the busiest airports in the world, with four parallel runway pairs and a control tower working within the Los Angeles Class B airspace, making it a demanding but iconic destination for any simulator pilot flying heavy metal into the West Coast.
Los Angeles International Airport, universally known as LAX, is the largest airport serving the Greater Los Angeles area and is operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the aviation branch of the city government. It sits in the Westchester neighbourhood of the City of Los Angeles, with El Segundo to the south and Inglewood to the east, and covers some 3,500 acres of land. For the simulator pilot, LAX offers the chance to fly heavy jet operations into one of the world's busiest and most recognisable airports, with four parallel runways and constant traffic flow typical of a major US Class B hub.
LAX lies within the Los Angeles Class B airspace, one of the busiest and most tightly controlled terminal areas in the United States. The airport is in Westchester, Los Angeles, about 18 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, close to the coastline, with the residential area of Westchester immediately to the north, El Segundo to the south, and Inglewood to the east. Approach and departure control in the surrounding airspace is provided by Southern California TRACON (SoCal Approach/Departure).
LAX has four parallel physical runways, all hard-surfaced and lit, each equipped with an ILS. Runway 07L/25R is the longest, at 12,071 ft on 07L and 11,944 ft on 25R. Runway 07R/25L measures 11,080 ft in both directions. Runway 06R/24L is 10,321 ft on 06R and 10,064 ft on 24L, and the shortest pair, 06L/24R, measures 8,901 ft in both directions. Field elevation is 108 ft.
LAX Tower operates on 119.8 MHz, with Ground Control on 121.65 MHz and Clearance Delivery on 121.4 MHz. The ATIS broadcasts on 133.8 MHz. Approach and departure control is provided by Southern California Approach/Departure (SoCal APP/DEP) on 124.3 MHz. UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz. All four runways are equipped with ILS for instrument approaches.
LAX traces its origins to 1928, when a 640-acre site in southern Westchester, known as Mines Field after the real estate agent who promoted it, was chosen by the Los Angeles City Council and Chamber of Commerce as the city's own airport. The land had previously been farmed for wheat, barley and lima beans, and Mines Field had already been selected to host the 1928 National Air Races. The city leased the land in August 1928, and the Department of Airports began laying out dirt landing strips; the field opened on 1 October 1928. Hangar No. 1, the airport's first structure, was built in 1929 and still stands today in active use, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On 7 June 1930 the airport was dedicated and renamed Los Angeles Municipal Airport, with an all-weather runway surface, additional hangars, a restaurant and a control tower added over the following year. In its early years the field was used by private pilots and flying schools, though the city's ambition to make it the region's main passenger hub was frustrated by the established airports at Burbank and Grand Central in Glendale. The Second World War brought military control of the airfield from January 1942, with fighter aircraft stationed there and naval gun batteries built in the dunes to the west, while nearby aviation manufacturers supplied aircraft to the Allied war effort.
LAX today is operated by Los Angeles World Airports and functions as a major hub, focus city or operating base for numerous airlines, handling tens of millions of passengers annually across its four parallel runways and nine passenger terminals. It ranks among the world's busiest airports for both passenger and cargo traffic and serves as a principal international gateway for the western United States.
