MC Clellan-Palomar Airport
CRQ · KCRQ · Carlsbad, California · San Diego County · map
MC Clellan-Palomar Airport is a public-use airport owned by the County of San Diego, 3 miles southeast of Carlsbad, California, 330 feet above sea level. It has 2 runways; the longest, 06/24, is 4,897 feet of asphalt. It has a control tower, fuel (100LL avgas, Jet A) and about 279 based aircraft. The FAA counts about 171,039 takeoffs and landings a year. About 14,761 passengers boarded flights here in the FAA's fiscal year 2024.
Weather right now KCRQ · observed 11:53 am PDT (18:53 UTC), 46 minutes ago
VFR good flying weather
- Wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 12 knots
- Visibility 10 miles or more
- Sky: scattered clouds at 2,400 feet, a broken layer at 3,100 feet, overcast at 4,700 feet
- Temperature 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter 29.76 inHg
The forecast issued Sun 10:35 am PDT (17:35 UTC), good until Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC)
- From Sun 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, a few clouds at 3,000 feet, scattered clouds at 8,000 feet and more above VFR
- From Sun 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet VFR
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet VFR
The codes as issued (METAR and TAF)
METAR KCRQ 111853Z 21012KT 10SM SCT024 BKN031 OVC047 20/14 A2976 RMK AO2 RAB28E37 SLP076 P0000 T02000139
TAF KCRQ 111735Z 1118/1218 23008KT P6SM VCSH FEW030 SCT080 BKN100 FM120200 33007KT P6SM SCT100 FM120600 20006KT P6SM SCT025
From the National Weather Service's aviation weather service, refreshed every few minutes; times are local to the airport with UTC in brackets. For a flight, get your briefing from Flight Service or an approved provider.
Flight planning warnings, pilot reports, winds aloft, restrictions · for planning, not a briefing
1 warning in force over this field:
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist).
12 pilot reports within 100 nautical miles in the last three hours, the nearest three:
- urgent B737 at 1,000 ft, 60 nm northwest, 11:56 am PDT (18:56 UTC): a routine report.
- GLF4 descending, 0 nm north, 10:22 am PDT (17:22 UTC): light turbulence.
- LJ40 at 6,000 ft, 4 nm southwest, 12:10 pm PDT (19:10 UTC): a broken layer.
Winds aloft at the nearest forecast point (SAN, 24 nm south), for use 14:00–21:00 UTC: 3,000 ft: 220° at 18 kt; 6,000 ft: 210° at 31 kt, 9 °C; 9,000 ft: 220° at 30 kt, 5 °C; 12,000 ft: 220° at 28 kt, 0 °C; 18,000 ft: 220° at 21 kt, -12 °C.
1 temporary flight restriction within 50 nautical miles:
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 49 nm northwest · security
The full picture: all warnings and reports, winds to 39,000 ft, radar and forecast charts
From the government's aviation weather service and the FAA's restriction list, refreshed every few minutes. This is for planning; the legal briefing comes from Flight Service or the FAA's own tools. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Activity now checking the volunteer receiver network…
Within ten miles
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Arrivals and departures, last hour
- Looking…
From the volunteer receiver network, a few minutes behind at most; aircraft whose owners asked the FAA not to be displayed are left out; no person is named. Open the live map here.
The airport
- Codes
- FAA CRQ · ICAO KCRQ
- Kind
- Airport · open to the public · publicly owned
- Owner
- County of San Diego
- Elevation
- 330 feet above sea level
- Control tower
- A control tower · 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
- Attended
- every day, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm
- Lights
- runway lights see the remarks below; beacon sunset to sunrise
- Fuel and services
- 100LL avgas, Jet A; the services card below
- Notes
- landing fee · certified for airline service (Part 139)
- On the chart
- Los Angeles sectional
- Magnetic variation
- 14E
- In the FAA's files since
- May 1959
Runways 2
For understanding the field, not for navigation.
| Runway | Length × width | Surface | Lights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/24 | 4,897 × 150 ft | Asphalt, good | High-intensity lights |
| H1 | 40 × 50 ft | Concrete, good | High-intensity lights |
- Runway 06: PAPI, four lights on the left, threshold displaced 297 ft, 4,600 ft available for landing
- Runway 24: ILS with DME, PAPI, four lights on the left, medium-intensity approach lights with runway alignment lights (MALSR), right-hand traffic pattern
Radio frequencies
| Common traffic advisory (CTAF) · Tower | 118.6 | Palomar |
| ATIS (recorded airport information) | 120.15 | Palomar |
| Clearance delivery | 134.85 | Palomar |
| Ground | 121.8 | Palomar |
| Approach and departure · Class B airspace 294-332 San below 7,000 feet | 127.3 | Palomar |
| Departure procedure (CWARD) · Departure procedure (PADRZ) | 119.6 | Palomar |
| Legoz and star | 127.4 | Palomar |
Automated weather (ASOS), by phone 760-795-2628.
Based aircraft as counted for the FAA, fiscal year 2024
Based aircraft, as a table
| aircraft | |
|---|---|
| single-engine | 173 |
| multi-engine | 24 |
| jets | 75 |
| helicopters | 6 |
| other | 1 |
Takeoffs and landings a year about 171,039, the FAA's fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024)
Takeoffs and landings, as a table
| a year | |
|---|---|
| airline | 3 |
| air taxi and commuter | 20,177 |
| general aviation, travelling | 85,317 |
| general aviation, local | 65,021 |
| military | 521 |
Local flights stay in the traffic pattern or nearby, often practice; travelling flights arrive from or leave for somewhere else. Counts at airports without a tower are the FAA's estimates. How this compares nationally: Airports by the numbers.
Wind map live wind over the area, from Windy.com
Colours show wind speed, the moving lines its direction; drag the time bar for the coming days. Map and forecast by Windy.com.
Aircraft registered in Carlsbad from the FAA register
140 aircraft are registered to owners in Carlsbad, California: 113 piston singles, 13 business jets, 5 turboprops, 4 piston twins, 2 helicopters. Not every one of them is based at this airport; the based-aircraft count above is the FAA's figure for this airport alone.
Companies and organisations in town with two or more aircraft:
Individuals are counted, not named (the site's policy at this time). All aircraft registered in California.
Fuel and services as reported to the FAA
- Fuel
- 100LL avgas, Jet A
- Repairs
- airframe and engine: major repairs
- Parking
- tie-downs
- Oxygen
- bottled oxygen (high- and low-pressure)
- Also here
- air freight, air ambulance, avionics, charter flights, flight instruction, aircraft rental, aircraft sales
- Notes
- landing fee charged
Other fields with jet fuel nearby: Bob Maxwell Memorial Airfield (6 nm northwest), Ramona Airport (19 nm east), Montgomery-Gibbs Executive (20 nm south).
The FAA's file records what is sold and done at the field, as the airport manager reports it, not who sells it or the price; fuel sellers (FBOs) are not named in any public file. Airports selling jet fuel in California · avgas.
Who works here from the FAA's certificate lists and the register
Fuel and service companies in Carlsbad, by their names on the register (a start, not a directory):
- Anderson Aviation Services INC
- Hangar One Avionics INC Hangar One is an FAA Part 145 certified avionics and maintenance service center based in Carlsbad, California, serving fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
Flight schools, flying clubs and college flight programmes in Carlsbad, by their names on the register:
- North County Flight Training INC 4 aircraft North County Flight Training provides flight instruction at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California.
- Stem Aviation Academy 2 aircraft STEM Aviation Academy is a non-profit public benefit corporation that provides aviation education and safety training to middle and high school students, with a focus on inspiring youth from underrepresented communities to pursue careers in
Charter operators and airlines based in Carlsbad:
- Aerial Solutions II LLC 2 aircraft on the certificate Aerial Solutions is a helicopter operator based in Tabor City, North Carolina, specializing in aerial vegetation management and utility support services.
Repair stations in Carlsbad:
- Civic Helicopters INC
- Hangar One Avionics INC Hangar One is an FAA Part 145 certified avionics and maintenance service center based in Carlsbad, California, serving fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft.
- Hangar One of California INC
- Latitude 33 Aviation LLC
- Lea INC
- Pacific Coast Enterprises INC San Diego Aircraft Interiors, Inc manufactures commercial aircraft interiors, military and industrial sewn goods, and leather airline seats.
- Viasat INC
- Walts Avionics INC
Companies in the same town as this airport; not every one of them works from this field. All operators · all repair stations · all flight schools · all FBOs.
Examiners and inspectors nearby designated by the FAA · within 50 nautical miles
29 pilot examiners (the FAA's designated pilot examiners, who give the practical tests for pilot certificates) are based within 50 nautical miles: 29 for private pilot, 28 for commercial and instrument, 11 for airline transport pilot, 21 for flight instructor, 5 for sport pilot, 2 for type ratings; 27 for airplanes, 17 for multi-engine airplanes, 2 for helicopters, 1 for gliders. Also nearby: 2 sport aviation examiners, 32 aviation medical examiners, 3 mechanic examiners, 2 airworthiness representatives (maintenance), 7 airworthiness representatives (manufacturing), 16 engineering representatives, 2 parachute rigger examiners, 10 training center evaluators, 2 training center examiners, 10 administrative pilot examiners.
- Jay Eugene Brentzel private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Carlsbad, CA (0 nm) · (619) 341-0320 · jaybrentzel@gmail.com
- Quinton James Smith private pilot, commercial and instrument; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Carlsbad, CA (0 nm) · (619) 916-7490 · qjsmitty@yahoo.com
- Russell Nmn Defrancesco private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Carlsbad, CA (0 nm) · (760) 492-3286 · raded@roadrunner.com
- Patrick Emory Hill private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · Oceanside, CA (6 nm) · (760) 473-9670 · patehill@gmail.com
- Julie Ann Keane private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor, sport pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes · Ramona, CA (19 nm) · (760) 703-1967 · jkaviation@gmail.com
- Kenneth Douglas Shepherd private pilot, commercial and instrument, flight instructor, instrument instructor, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes · Ramona, CA (19 nm) · (619) 890-0850 · flywithken@gmail.com
- David William Leonard private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, instrument instructor, sport pilot, instructor renewals, military competency, ground instructor, foreign pilot certificates; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (20 nm) · (619) 274-0804 · dleonard8765@gmail.com
- Gregory Michael Madariaga private pilot, commercial and instrument, airline transport pilot, flight instructor, sport pilot; airplanes, multi-engine airplanes · San Diego, CA (20 nm) · (818) 402-4860 · global9065@yahoo.com
All 115 nearby, by kind, with contact details
What each kind does
- DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner: gives the practical tests (checkrides) for pilot certificates and ratings.
- SAE: Sport Aviation Examiner: gives the tests for sport pilot certificates and light-sport aircraft.
- AME: Aviation Medical Examiner: a doctor who issues the medical certificates pilots must hold.
- DME: Designated Mechanic Examiner: tests candidates for the mechanic certificate (airframe and powerplant).
- DAR-T: Designated Airworthiness Representative, maintenance: issues airworthiness certificates and approvals for aircraft in service.
- DAR-F: Designated Airworthiness Representative, manufacturing: issues airworthiness certificates for newly built aircraft and parts.
- DER-T: Designated Engineering Representative: approves engineering data for repairs and alterations on the FAA's behalf.
- DPRE: Designated Parachute Rigger Examiner: tests candidates for the parachute rigger certificate.
- TCE: Training Center Evaluator: gives tests at a simulator training center.
- DCTO-E: Designee at a certificated training organisation.
- Admin-PE: Administrative Pilot Examiner: handles certificate paperwork rather than flight tests.
Designees are listed with the name and contact details the FAA publishes for them on its designee locator (read October 10, 2026): the FAA lists them so that pilots, mechanics and companies can find them. Private individuals are not named, the site's policy at this time. A designee who would rather not appear here can ask us through the contact address on the About page. Each designee is placed at the main public airport of the town the FAA lists (or the nearest one to its zip code), so "nearby" means the town, not an exact address. All examiners by state.
Accidents and incidents at or near this airport NTSB records · 45 since 1982, 8 fatal
Cases the NTSB recorded with this as the nearest airport, newest first. Each opens the full report in plain English. The country as a whole: Where accidents happen.
Nearby within 30 nautical miles
The FAA's remarks as written in the airport file, spelled out
- When the control tower closed activate high-intensity runway lights runway 06/24, PAPI runways 06 and 24, approach lights (MALSR) runway 24 - the common traffic frequency.
- Prior permission required only - no military training - contract military only.
- Pattern altitude 672 above ground level helicopters; 1172 above ground level small aircraft; 1672 above ground level large aircraft.
- Standard heliport markings.
- Multiple approaches by large aircraft (including large helicopter) not authorized.
- No jet aircraft training due to noise abatement and traffic congestion.
- Extensive bird activity in vicinity especially in spring.
- Runway 24 is calm wind runway.
- Power lines 2 miles west and southwest.
- Voluntary curfew: jets 10:00 pm to 7:00 am local, props 12:00 am to 6:00 am local, emergency, lifeguard, and law enforcement excepted.
- Request jets fly the ILS approach.
- Ltd transient tie down space on public ramp.
Connections how this airport links to the rest of the register
- Aircraft registered in Carlsbad 140 aircraft · 113 piston singles, 13 business jets, 5 turboprops
- Palomar Aviation LLC 5 aircraft in town
- Orion Aviation Aircraft LLC 4 aircraft in town
- North County Flight Training INC 4 aircraft in town
- Stem Aviation Academy 2 aircraft in town
- Anderson Aviation Services INC 1 aircraft · FBO or fuel seller
- Hangar One Avionics INC 1 aircraft · FBO or fuel seller
- Aerial Solutions II LLC 2 aircraft on the certificate · charter operator
- North County Flight Training INC 4 aircraft · flight school
- Stem Aviation Academy 2 aircraft · flight school
- Civic Helicopters INC · repair station
- Hangar One Avionics INC · repair station
- Hangar One of California INC · repair station
- Latitude 33 Aviation LLC · repair station
- NTSB accidents and incidents at or near this airport 45 since 1982 · 8 fatal
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,069 since 1982 · 1,094 in the last ten years
- Nearby landing places within 30 nautical miles 8 airports, heliports and seaplane bases
- Public-use airports in California 244 landing places
- California 27,552 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/airport/CRQ.json.
Facts from the FAA's airport file effective October 1, 2026, written out in plain English; weather from the National Weather Service's aviation weather service; registered aircraft from the FAA register as of October 9, 2026; accidents from the NTSB's public database. Owners are shown only when they are an organisation; no person is named. Check the official sources before a flight: this page is for understanding an airport, not for planning one.