Departure
92%
vs 95% ▼ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Gustavus Airport is a state-owned public-use airfield serving the small community of Gustavus in southeast Alaska, best known as the principal air gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. It is an uncontrolled field with two hard-surfaced runways, seasonal jet service from Alaska Airlines, and year-round Jet A fuel availability, making it a practical stop for both airline traffic and general aviation pilots exploring the Inside Passage.
Gustavus Airport serves the city of Gustavus, Alaska, and is widely known as the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. It is a state-owned, public-use aerodrome operated by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Southeastern Region, and handles a mix of subsidized commercial airline service, air taxi operations and general aviation traffic. For a simulator pilot, the field offers an interesting combination of a long hard-surfaced runway capable of handling jet equipment alongside a much shorter crosswind strip, set against the dramatic backdrop of southeast Alaska's coastal terrain.
Gustavus lies in the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area of southeast Alaska, close to the entrance of Glacier Bay National Park. The airport sits within Anchorage Center's area of responsibility, with Anchorage Center reachable on 133.2 MHz for en-route and IFR services. There is no dedicated control tower at the field, and traffic coordination relies on the common frequency and remote radio outlet described below.
The airport has two paved (hard-surface) physical runways. The main runway, 11/29, is 6,698 feet long and capable of accommodating scheduled jet service. The secondary, shorter crosswind runway, 02/20, is a hard-surfaced strip with slightly differing published lengths for each direction, at 3,309 feet (runway 02) and 2,998 feet (runway 20). Field elevation is 30 feet above mean sea level. There is no ILS approach available at Gustavus.
Pilots should use the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) of 122.5 MHz for self-announced arrivals and departures, as the airport is uncontrolled. An Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS-3) broadcasts on 125.9 MHz. A Remote Communications Outlet (RCO), Juneau Radio, is available on 122.65 MHz for flight service contact. For IFR operations and en-route work, Anchorage Center can be reached on 133.2 MHz.
As an uncontrolled airport, arriving and departing traffic is expected to self-announce intentions on the CTAF (122.5 MHz) and coordinate visually with other traffic in the pattern. No specific published circuit heights, noise abatement procedures or mandatory reporting points are noted for the field beyond standard uncontrolled-airport practice.
Gustavus Airport is situated near the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park, close to Icy Strait, and pilots approaching from Juneau or along the coast will find the park's distinctive glaciated terrain and the waters of the strait useful for orientation when inbound to the field.
Gustavus Airport has long served as a state-owned public-use facility supporting the community of Gustavus and the adjoining Glacier Bay National Park. Scheduled airline service to the field has historically been subsidized under the federal Essential Air Service program, with Alaska Airlines re-selected on several occasions between 2004 and 2015 to provide subsidized service linking Gustavus with other southeast Alaska communities such as Cordova, Petersburg, Wrangell and Yakutat. The airport has a documented accident history, including a fatal crash on 23 November 1957 in which an Alaska Air National Guard Douglas C-47 struck a tree and crashed while attempting a night landing in snowy conditions, killing four of the eleven occupants.
Gustavus continues to operate as a nonprimary commercial service airport, handling scheduled seasonal jet service from Alaska Airlines (using Boeing 737 aircraft) alongside year-round flights from Alaska Seaplanes, as well as air taxi and general aviation traffic. Around 13 aircraft are based at the field, comprising single-engine and multi-engine types along with one helicopter. Jet A fuel only (no avgas) is available 24 hours a day through the on-field FBO, Gustavus Dray, Inc., which also provides ramp escort and aircraft servicing; there are no landing or tie-down fees, and four concrete hard-stands are available for larger jet aircraft. No ATC tower is present, and pilots operate under uncontrolled-field procedures using the published CTAF.