Gallery: An Airfield Tour Of California's Top GA Airport

Located in the San Fernando Valley, VNY reports handling 328,000 takeoffs and landings annually, mainly by propeller-driven aircraft, making it one of the nation’s busiest GA airports for operations. Its FAA tower operates from 6 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. daily.
 

A 6,000-nm-range Bombardier Global 6000 takes off from the main runway at VNY, at 8,000 ft., the longest of its two parallel runways. Twenty-two percent of total operations at the airport involve jets, a share that has grown from 10-12% over the past decade.
 

Castle & Cooke Aviation is among four fixed-base operators with facilities at Van Nuys Airport, with Clay Lacy Aviation, Jet Aviation, and Signature Aviation. Castle & Cooke founded its first FBO at VNY.
 

Aircraft management and charter provider Sun Air Jets doubled its footprint at VNY in 2021 with the addition of more than 60,000 sq. ft. of hangar space for its managed aircraft clients and Part 145 repair station. Aviation real estate firm Aeroplex Group Partners oversaw the project.

Gulfstream Aerospace announced in 2020 that it would close its maintenance and modification facility at Long Beach Airport and shift 700 jobs to Van Nuys, Savannah and Appleton, Wisconsin. The manufacturer operates alongside sister company Jet Aviation at VNY.
 

A Signature Renew Jet A refueler loads sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at one of VNY's seven primary fuel farms. Signature Aviation announced in February 2022 that it would permanently supply SAF at Van Nuys Airport, then its 10th location to make available sustainably-sourced Jet A.
 

A Clay Lacy Aviation truck refuels a Gulfstream G500 with sustainable aviation fuel. The company announced in March 2021 that it would offer SAF in collaboration with World Fuel Services at its VNY and John Wayne Orange County Airport FBOs.
 

Clay Lacy’s restored Douglas DC-3 “Mainliner,” parked outside of Clay Lacy Aviation’s facilities at Van Nuys Airport, recalls his career as a United Airlines pilot. The business aviation pioneer founded the company bearing his name at VNY in 1968.

GA pilots pull up to a self-serve pump at the airport for 100 Low Lead avgas. The station also supplies Swift UL94 unleaded avgas, but the pump was inoperative during BCA’s visit due to a permitting issue. Signature Aviation also supplies UL94 at Van Nuys Airport.

Coulson Aviation operates this modified Boeing CH-47 Chinook for aerial firefighing under contract with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Los Angeles Fire Department maintains a separate fleet of five Leonardo AW139 and two Bell 206 helicopters, based at VNY.

North American AT-6 Texans operated by the nonprofit Condor Squadron Officers’ and Airmen’s Association are based at VNY. Tragically, Chris Rushing, the organization’s president, was one of two pilots killed in a midair collision at the final Reno Air Races in 2023.

A Gulfstream G550 lifts off from the airport, flying past Signature Aviation’s facilities.