Miramar Marines celebrated the completion of $5 million in repairs to the iconic Airport in the Sky on Catalina Island Friday with the landing of a historic DC-3 transport.
Marines and Navy Seabees replaced the deteriorated landing strip over a three-month period as a training exercise to prepare for missions on islands and other remote destinations.
Nearly 200 Marines and Seabees were deployed to the island from the Camp Pendleton-based I Marine Expeditionary Force and Miramar-based 3rd Marine Air Wing and Marine Wing Support Squadron 373.
“The project provided service members with valuable expeditionary runway construction and repair training while benefiting the community of Catalina by ensuring the Island’s only airport remains open to the public,” the Marine Corps said in a statement.
The repairs were made in cooperation with the Catalina Island Conservancy
