Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport (KPMD), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Palmdale USAF Plant 42, KPMD, is a military-use airport in Palmdale, California, sitting at 2,542 feet elevation and supervised by an air traffic control tower. FAA TFMSC data for 2025 recorded 3,568 total operations, of which 2,696 were business aviation movements, and the field is classified as an ops tier 1 facility given its concrete runways exceeding 12,000 feet. Access is restricted to official business, and civil operators require USAF approval before any use of the field. The nearest customs facility is KVNY, approximately 32 nautical miles away, since customs services are not available on site at KPMD.
Runways
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport has three paved runways. The longest, 07/25, is 12,002 ft long and 200 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Van Nuys (KVNY), 32 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport recorded 2,696 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in March, April, July and October.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month March, 258 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport averages 29.3 days above 90°F in August and 17.5 freeze days in December. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 97.7°F, and December the coldest, at 57.7°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport has published operating constraints in four categories: access, runway notes, environmental and other notes.
Official business only. This is a military airport, and civil use requires USAF approval along with DD Form 2400/01/02.
Fuel: Jet A++ available. No transient aircraft fuel service available. Limited fueling is available for government aircraft only, from 1600 to 2300Z Monday through Friday. A 24-hour prior notice with the airfield manager is required; no same-day requests; gas-and-go is unavailable. Expect a delay of two or more hours for fuel.
Restricted: official business only. Military airport. Civil use requires USAF approval and DD Form 2400/01/02. PPR is required for full-stop landing only. Contact the airfield manager for prior permission.
Caution: runway 25 has nonstandard markings, including a spot landing zone marking located at the 6,000 feet remaining point. Runway 07-25 surface markings exceed standard dimensions by approximately 50 feet.
Caution: civil aircraft may not be granted access to KPMD Class D airspace for practice approaches or transition over airport boundaries.
PAPI for runways 04, 07, 22, and 25 operate continuously.
This runway is used as a military assault strip.
A 1,000-foot asphalt overrun exists at each runway end; the overrun is in poor condition and reserved for emergency use only.
The parking ramp located south of runway 22 and taxiway V is not visible from the air traffic control tower.
Unlighted obstructions surround the airfield.
Drainage ditches run parallel to runway 22 from taxiway S to taxiway U.
Military use: the assault landing zone is located in the first 6,000 feet at the east end of taxiway B. Runway 252 markings are for C-130 assault operations only, with one-way landing only.
Restricted: taxiway L between runway 04/22 and the passenger terminal is unlighted and usable for daylight VFR only.
Caution: contractor-leased sites are intended for aircraft based therein; entry gates and aprons may not meet Air Force obstruction standards.
Bird hazard potential exists. Migratory season phase II runs from October 1 through March 31. During a moderate bird watch condition, takeoff and landing are permitted. During a severe bird watch condition, takeoff and landing are prohibited.
This is an industrial installation. No transportation, lodging, or normal services are available on site.
Unusable beyond 5.0 nautical miles.
Unusable beyond 5.0 nautical miles due to terrain.
Winds are estimated due to FMQ-13 wind sensors being accurate only to within plus or minus 2 knots. ATC and weather services will not include or relay wind corrections into forecasts or phraseology. Aircrews will incorporate a plus or minus 2 knot accuracy allowance into their decision making for flight operations.
Transient alert, one of two: no fleet service available. No follow-me service available. Expect progressive taxi to parking. Aircrew is responsible for aircraft pinning and safing.
COMSEC storage is unavailable.
Caution: use extreme caution for unmanned aerial systems operations in the vicinity.
Transient alert, two of two: unable to service aircraft carrying ordnance. Limited ground support equipment available. No potable water service. No transient maintenance available. Ground services are unavailable when lightning is within 5 nautical miles.
Flight plans must be filed and activated with P42 airfield management. Use flight service when P42 airfield management is closed.
Caution: various aircraft test operations markings are painted in white on taxiway Uniform.
Restricted: overnight parking is not authorized on C-ramp.
All departing aircraft must file a flight plan with P42 airfield management operations.
Service JASU: power cars are unavailable.
Base operations operate from 1330 to 0600Z, closed on federal holidays.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Palmdale Usaf Plant 42 Airport has five airfields within 21 NM. The closest is General William J Fox Airfield (KWJF), 9.42 NM northwest.
Part of the Los Angeles area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KPMD
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KPMD.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
Is KPMD open to civilian traffic?
Palmdale USAF Plant 42, identified as KPMD, is restricted to official business only. This is a military airport, and civil use requires prior USAF approval along with DD Form 2400/01/02 paperwork. Full-stop landings additionally require PPR, arranged in advance with the airfield manager. There is no transient aircraft fuel service, no fleet or follow-me service, and no lodging or normal on-site amenities. Dispatchers should treat KPMD as an access-controlled military field rather than a standard public-use airport.
What fuel support can a transient crew expect at KPMD?
Fuel at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 is limited and reserved for government aircraft only, available between 1600 and 2300Z on weekdays. No transient aircraft fueling service exists, and gas-and-go service is unavailable. Aircrews must submit a 24-hour prior notice with the airfield manager, and same-day fuel requests are not accepted. Crews should expect a delay of two or more hours once fueling begins. Given these restrictions, KPMD is not a reliable fuel stop for civil operators.
What runways are available at KPMD?
Palmdale USAF Plant 42 offers two long paved runways: 07/25 at 12,002 feet by 200 feet, and 04/22 at 12,001 feet by 150 feet, both concrete surfaces. A third runway, designated 072/252, measures 6,000 feet by 75 feet, also concrete, and is marked exclusively for C-130 assault landing operations in a one-way configuration. Each end of the primary runways has a 1,000-foot asphalt overrun in poor condition, usable for emergencies only. Surface markings on runway 07/25 exceed standard dimensions by roughly 50 feet, and runway 25 carries a nonstandard spot landing zone marking at the 6,000-foot remaining point.
How does KPMD handle bird hazard risk?
Bird hazard potential exists at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 year-round, with a migratory season phase II running from October 1 through March 31. During a moderate bird watch condition, takeoffs and landings remain permitted. During a severe bird watch condition, takeoffs and landings are prohibited outright. Crews operating at KPMD during the fall and winter months should factor this seasonal wildlife risk into planning, particularly for the assault landing zone and low approach segments near the field boundary.
What ground handling limitations should crews expect at Plant 42?
Transient aircraft support at Palmdale USAF Plant 42 is notably limited. No fleet service, follow-me service, or transient maintenance is available, and aircrews are responsible for pinning and safing their own aircraft. Ground support equipment is limited, potable water service is not offered, and ground services stop entirely when lightning is within 5 nautical miles. Aircraft carrying ordnance cannot be serviced at all. Flight plans must be filed and activated directly with P42 airfield management, or through flight service when that office is closed.