Overview & History
Cable Airport opened in 1945 and remains family-owned, operated by the Cable family for generations. It is frequently cited as the largest privately owned, public-use airport in the world, home to roughly 450 based aircraft and a thriving community of flight schools, maintenance shops, and warbird operators. The field handles tens of thousands of general aviation operations annually, the overwhelming majority of them piston and training flights.
Runway Capability
The single asphalt runway, 06/24, is 3,863 feet long at 1,444 ft MSL. This length comfortably serves piston aircraft and light turboprops but is below the practical threshold for business jets. There is no jet-capable margin once weight, temperature, and obstacle clearance are factored in, so charter jet operators do not base or routinely operate aircraft here.
Charter Considerations
Because Cable is a light-GA field, it is not a realistic departure point for jet charter. Travelers in the Upland and Inland Empire area seeking private jet service are better served by Ontario International (ONT), about 5 nautical miles away with full FBO and runway capability, or Chino (CNO). The Jet Finder can arrange charter from these nearby jet-capable fields and coordinate short ground transfers.
Safety & Planning
As an uncontrolled field, all traffic self-announces on CTAF 122.9, and pilots should expect heavy training-pattern activity. The RNAV (GPS) RWY 06 and VOR-A approaches provide instrument options, but rising terrain to the north toward the San Gabriel Mountains demands attention to departure and missed-approach paths. Self-serve fuel is available 24 hours; staffed services follow daytime hours.
Seasonal & Operational Factors
Southern California's climate keeps Cable VFR for most of the year. The main operational concerns are summer afternoon heat, which raises density altitude on an already short runway, and Santa Ana wind events that can bring strong, gusty conditions and reduced visibility from blowing dust. Morning departures generally offer the calmest, coolest, and most performance-friendly conditions.
Regional Context
Cable sits in the densely served Los Angeles Basin, ringed by jet-capable airports. Ontario International (ONT) and Chino (CNO) are both within about 5 to 9 nautical miles, Brackett Field (POC) is roughly 5 nautical miles away, and Van Nuys, the busiest GA airport in the world, lies to the west. For private-jet travel to the Upland area, these neighbors, not Cable itself, are the operative options.