KCAI? What KCAI?

[sd_flyer 6,100]

LOL I have just discovered that KCAI is non existing SoCal airport in RL but goes by the name Camarillo Airport which in real world is KCMA. Good job Nav Blue! I hope RW airbuses will never program it in MCDU LOL

[UAL4life 243]

Meteoblue and NavBlue make me blue. 

[AlbacoreTunaMan 16]

Actually airstrip KCAI is there in Google Maps at 34.17724631674626, -119.03455224606414.

Very little info on this airport though.  I will swing by to investigate the next time I'm in Camarillo. 

[sd_flyer 6,100]

Wow this thread restricted  after almost 2 years! we have some private airstrip than no longer exist anymore, so I wonder if that the case as well. Meanwhile https://www.airnav.com/airports/ doesn't know KCAI

[PleinCrazy 0]

Looking on the Google Earth satellite shot from 2019, there is clearly an airstrip there (KCAI) that is closed (X on both runways). Channel Islands Condors RC club posted in 2006 that it operates there, and in 2013 they held an RC competition there that was in th Ventura County Star newspaper. In the 2019 image, you can see several cars and a couple RC airplanes parked there. Interesting that MSFS would include it on the world map, although they have many other closed airports I believe.  Anyway, just my take on this mystery. :)

[PleinCrazy 0]

On 8/15/2022 at 6:53 AM, AlbacoreTunaMan said:

Actually airstrip KCAI is there in Google Maps at 34.17724631674626, -119.03455224606414.

Very little info on this airport though.  I will swing by to investigate the next time I'm in Camarillo. 

Will be interested to see what you find.

[Tuskin38 6,667]

On 8/15/2022 at 10:53 AM, AlbacoreTunaMan said:

Actually airstrip KCAI is there in Google Maps at 34.17724631674626, -119.03455224606414.

Very little info on this airport though.  I will swing by to investigate the next time I'm in Camarillo. 

This thread was over 1.5 years old...

Edited August 19, 2022 by Tuskin38

[OrionMckrackin 1]

So I know that this thread is pretty old. But I do have an answer. Tiny bit of back history first.

The Camarillo State Mental Hospital was built in 1934 with the New Deal, and it operated between 1936 to about 60's, when Former President Regan was governor at the time and cut spending to all state owned hospitals. After 1997, the hospital was converted to a college, now California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI). One of the features of the Mental Hospital was that it had an Airstrip built just to the north of it for deliveries and passenger flights, but after KCMA was built and Oxnard AFB was closed down and made public, it wasn't used as much anymore.

There was a rumor that the Camarillo State Mental Hospital was inspiration for The Eagles' song "Hotel California", but I think that was debunked by the group.