Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Long Beach Airport, also known as Daugherty Field, sits in the city of Long Beach, California, some fifteen miles southeast of the far busier Los Angeles International Airport. With three paired runways, an ILS approach and a full suite of approach, tower and ground frequencies, it offers general aviation and airline traffic alike a well-equipped alternative to LAX airspace.
Long Beach Airport, identified as KLGB and also known as Daugherty Field, lies within the city of Long Beach, California. It functions as a large airport handling both airline and general aviation traffic, and is commonly used as a convenient alternative to the more congested Los Angeles International Airport, which lies about fifteen miles to the northwest. The field has customs and landing-rights facilities, and its layout of three runway pairs plus an ILS approach makes it a capable destination for the simulator pilot flying in the Los Angeles basin.
The airport is located at coordinates 33.8179 N, 118.152 W, at a field elevation of 43 feet. It sits about fifteen miles southeast of Los Angeles International Airport, and pilots are advised that there are at least five additional airports of varying sizes within a ten-mile radius of the field, so careful reference to a sectional chart and charted reporting points during pre-flight planning is recommended.
Long Beach has three physical runway pairs, all hard-surfaced and lit. Runway 12/30 is the longest, at 8649 feet on runway 12 and 7990 feet on runway 30, with the latter equipped with an ILS. Runway 08L/26R measures 6182 feet on 08L and 5651 feet on 26R. Runway 08R/26L is the shortest pair, at 3913 feet on 08R and 2405 feet on 26L.
Southern California Approach works LGB traffic on 124.65 MHz, with Southern California Departure on 127.2 MHz. The ATIS broadcasts on 127.75 MHz, and clearance delivery is available on 118.15 MHz. The control tower and common traffic advisory frequency both use 119.4 MHz, ground control operates on 133 MHz, and UNICOM is available on 122.95 MHz. An ILS approach is provided to runway 30.
Helicopters inbound to the field from the north or south join the traffic pattern between the parallel runways by crossing either runway 26L or 26R midfield at 500 feet to join a downwind leg. Helicopters may also enter a holding point east of the terminal building or west of runway 12/30 over the large hangar. Pilots should use caution for airships moored in the infield and operating in the vicinity of the airport. Intersection departures are common at LGB; while there is a general risk at any airport permitting such departures that a pilot may turn the wrong way onto the runway, this is described as rare at Long Beach.
The terminal building and the large hangar near runway 12/30 serve as useful visual references, particularly for helicopter traffic, which uses points east of the terminal and west of runway 12/30 over the hangar as holding points before joining the pattern.
Long Beach Airport continues to operate as a large airport with both airline and general aviation activity, and it is frequently used as a less congested alternative to Los Angeles International Airport for general aviation traffic. The field has customs and landing-rights capability. Pilots should note the presence of several other airports within a ten-mile radius and the mix of fixed-wing, helicopter and airship operations that require careful attention to local procedures.
