Airport Overview
Brackett Field (KPOC) is a public-use, Los Angeles County-owned general aviation airport in La Verne, at the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Valley about 27 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Named for early local aviator and namesake of the surrounding area, it has long served as a busy training, recreational, and light-business-aviation reliever for the congested Los Angeles basin, with a tower, instrument approaches, and two FBOs supporting a mix of piston, turboprop, and light-jet activity.
Runway Capability
The field has two parallel asphalt runways: 8R/26L at 4,840 feet (the primary) and 8L/26R at 3,661 feet. That length comfortably handles pistons, turboprops, and light jets such as the Citation CJ family, Phenom 100/300, and HondaJet, but it does not support midsize or heavy jets. Runway 26L carries an ILS plus RNAV (GPS) and localizer approaches, so the airport remains usable in lower weather despite its modest size.
Charter Considerations
For charter, Brackett is best matched to light jets and turboprops flying regional Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona legs. Operators must run weight-and-balance and runway performance for the specific tail, particularly on hot afternoons when density altitude rises. Travelers needing a midsize or larger cabin should plan to use Ontario International (KONT, 9 NM) or another long-runway field nearby, with a short ground transfer to La Verne.
Safety & Planning
Runway 26L's ILS and RNAV approaches allow reasonable IFR minimums for arrival, but the parallel-runway environment and busy training traffic call for careful pattern awareness. The control tower operates part-time (about 0700-2100 local); outside those hours the field reverts to CTAF procedures. Alternate planning typically points to Ontario (KONT) or Chino (KCNO), both within roughly 10 NM.
Seasonal & Operational Factors
At 1,011 feet MSL, Brackett's density altitude stays manageable, but summer heat in the inland valley can still erode light-jet takeoff performance, making early-morning departures preferable. Marine-layer fog and low stratus can affect morning visibility, while Santa Ana wind events bring gusty conditions in fall and winter. The two parallel runways provide limited crosswind flexibility since they share the same alignment.
Regional Context
Brackett sits among a dense cluster of Southern California GA airports: Cable (KCCB, ~5 NM), Ontario International (KONT, ~9 NM), and Chino (KCNO, ~10 NM). This gives operators flexible options — Brackett and Cable for light aircraft, Ontario for jets needing a long runway or commercial connections, and Chino for warbird and maintenance services. The choice often comes down to runway length and ground proximity to the final destination in the eastern Los Angeles basin.