Fly to Bishop – Flights Now Available

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MAMMOTH TAXI

Get to and from the Bishop Airport to Mammoth Lakes with Mammoth Taxi. Reservations are required for long trips – call Mammoth Taxi 760-924-8294.

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Fly to Bishop – Explore Bishop By Air

US Highway 395 is the route that most visitors drive to reach Bishop, but “the infinite highway of the air” is another, more spectacular and almost limitless, approach to Bishop. Flying above the Owens Valley is an experience that leaves an indelible impression on everyone who takes to the skies here. The magnificent topographic features that make Bishop so incredibly photogenic, also make Bishop a unique flying destination.

In addition to this great little airport facility and the near perfect flying conditions for aircraft of all sizes the town has more excellent services for visiting pilots and their family and friends.

The regional bus service, Eastern Sierra Transit Authority (ESTA), is based at Bishop Airport and the dial-a-ride program offers residents and visitors inexpensive and convenient transportation in and around town. ESTA also provides regional town-to-town shuttle routes with regular trips between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes. Bishop boasts 21 great lodging facilities and a host of camping options from full service campgrounds to off-the-grid backcountry locations. And there’s a world of good food in Bishop.

Contact us at the Bishop Visitor Center on (760) 873-8405 or send us an email and let us help you plan your fly-in and flying experience. Reach out to the friendly folks at Bishop Airport on (760) 872-2971 (8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) and (760) 937-4017 (after hours) for current conditions and more details on airport specifics. For all the technical pilot info visit KBIH page on AirNav.com.

Read about Bishop by Air, Bishop by Land and Bishop by the Water too.

Flying the Owens Valley Today

Bishop Airport Today

Today Bishop Airport (KBIH) is owned by the city of Los Angeles and is leased and maintained by Inyo County as a public airport for the region. The airport sees activity from a wide range of aviators and organizations. In addition to serving the local community of private pilots, the airport attracts business from visiting pilots and air charter companies. When needed it is a base for Inyo County Search & Rescue operations and firefighting tanker planes. Fire repellent is stored on site during fire season. A commercial medical evacuation service is based permanently at the airport and is ‘on-call’ 24/7/365. Local, regional and national agencies such as the US Military, US Forest Service, CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, and utility companies use the airport as a base for refuel and aircraft storage.

Local aviation enthusiasts will often head out to the airport when unusual or interesting aircraft are seen overhead approaching the airport to land. (I do and I’ve seen a DC9, military and coast guard C130 aircraft, USAF Apache, Blackhawk, and Chinook Helicopters, the Sikorski Skycrane, and, one of my favorite sights, the V-22 Osprey.) The airport is located just 2-miles east of the town and it’s a quick drive to visit and make use of the services offered at the Bishop Airport.

It is optimally situated with three long runways offering six directions for safe take-off and landing. One runway is newly refurbished with all new, state-of-the-art, pilot activated, LED lights for night flight. There is no control tower and while the “open airspace” is generally uncrowded, pilot navigational aids are always fully operational for safe flying.

On the ground, the tie-downs are almost unlimited and fuel is very reasonably priced. The small airport building has all the necessary amenities, including a good Thai food restaurant that is well regarded by Bishop locals, and the staff are known to be helpful and friendly.

“We’re a small-town airport, with small-town attitude,” says Ken Babione, the Airport Operations Supervisor, “We take care of the people who come here.”

Bishop as Base

Bishop provides a unique opportunity from which to explore this region by air. A flight of about 1-hour in a light aircraft out of Bishop Airport will present an unforgettable experience and open up a window of wonder over some of the most beautiful sights that this region has to offer.

There is an aviation slang term, “The $100 hamburger,” that refers to a pilot’s excuse for a fun flight of about an hour or more to a destination to eat a burger and then fly home.

Local resident and private pilot, Wayne Sayer, says, “Bishop is a straight shot from the Los Angeles area.” And he adds humorously that, “This makes it the perfect place for the $100 Pad Thai.”

Flying into Bishop can be so much more than just a quick jaunt. It can be the base from which to explore the vast and magnificent Eastern Sierra. Besides services offered for plane owners, Bishop Airport also has charter aircraft and sightseeing flights available. Within one hour, a flying tour can take you past Mt. Whitney, or through Mammoth Pass, or high above the alpine lakes of the Sierra Nevada, or up and down canyons awash with fall colors, or out over the twists and turns of the Owens River, or into Death Valley for lunch at The Oasis. There are also numerous other small airports at which to land and, with the proper planning, pilots and friends can spend a few hours exploring the nearby territory at these lovely Eastern Sierra locations.

Both Babione and Sayer mention the near perfect weather year-round and the magnificent views at every turn and from every angle from the window of an airplane.

“We have 330 days of sunshine a year,” says Babione.

Sayer says, “Early mornings are best and, if you pick your days, the flying is beautiful, smooth and mellow.”