Flight Simulator Flights at O24 Lee Vining

Lee Vining Airport (O24) is a small public-use airstrip on the shore of Mono Lake in California's Eastern Sierra, serving the gateway town to Yosemite's Tioga Pass entrance. Sitting at 6,781 feet, it is one of the higher general aviation fields in the state, with a single hard-surfaced runway aligned 15/33. The setting, hemmed by the Sierra Nevada to the west and the Mono Basin to the east, makes it a striking but demanding destination for visiting pilots.

Overview

Lee Vining Airport is a modest general aviation field serving the small community of Lee Vining, California, on the southwest shore of Mono Lake. It lies at high elevation in the Eastern Sierra and is best known among pilots as a scenic mountain strip close to the eastern approaches to Yosemite National Park via Tioga Pass, making it an appealing but performance-challenging stop for cross-country and backcountry flying.

Airspace & Location

The airfield sits on the southwest shore of Mono Lake in western Mono County, California, close to the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. It lies along U.S. Route 395, roughly 25 miles south-southeast of Bridgeport, and near the junction with State Route 120, which climbs west from the town to Tioga Pass and the eastern entrance of Yosemite National Park some 12 miles away. The surrounding terrain rises quickly to the west into the high Sierra, while the Mono Basin and Great Basin desert extend to the east, so pilots should expect significant terrain and density-altitude considerations in the vicinity.

Runways

The airfield has a single physical runway, 15/33, surfaced in hard material and 3,918 feet long. Both runway ends are lit.

Visual Reference Points

Mono Lake itself, immediately adjacent to the field, is the dominant visual reference, along with the town of Lee Vining on its southwest shore. U.S. Route 395 running north-south and State Route 120 climbing west through Lee Vining Canyon toward Tioga Pass are prominent linear landmarks for orientation, and aerial views of the area show the town, the highway junction, the canyon, and the airfield all in close proximity to the lake shore.