San Clemente Island Nalf Airport (KNUC), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC) is a towered military airfield on San Clemente Island, California, operating under Navy control with a single long concrete runway and a restricted, prior-permission access regime for all civil and much military traffic. FAA TFMSC data lists 3,214 total annual operations for 2025, of which 1,121 are business aviation movements, reflecting a facility built around Navy and Marine Corps training rather than general or business aviation flow. The nearest customs airport is KSNA, roughly 53 nautical miles away, since KNUC has no onsite customs processing.
Runways
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport has one paved runway, 06/24, 9,301 ft long and 200 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Helipads and surfaces under 500 ft are excluded.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
The airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is John Wayne / Orange County (KSNA), 53 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport recorded 1,121 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May. Business aviation traffic at KNUC is noticeably lighter in July and August compared to the rest of the year, with the strongest months falling in spring and December.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 126 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport averages 4.5 days above 90°F in September. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 79.0°F, and February the coldest, at 60.2°F.
Weather station is 24.5 NM from the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport has published operating constraints in three categories: access, runway notes and other notes.
Traffic pattern reduced runway separation standards are in effect for USN/USMC aircraft, allowed only during carrier-controlled approach operations.
Restricted: prior permission required for civilian aircraft at all times, and for military aircraft outside routine operations. Aircraft required to use NUC as a bingo field for carrier operations need seven days prior notice. Special air operations after normal operating hours require seventy-two hours prior notice through San Clemente Island Air Ops.
Runway lighting is available only during hours of operation. After hours, HIRL on runway 06/24 (5-step) and REIL on runway 24 (1-step) can be activated for emergencies on frequency 119.55.
Caution: extensive missile and offshore bombardment activity occurs in the vicinity of San Clemente Island. The perimeter road runs in close proximity to the airfield; use extreme caution. Hold-short markings are less than 175 feet from the runway. Expect hold-short instructions from the tower.
JASU equipment available: one GTC-85 unit and one A-4 unit.
The parking ramp is designed for five Metroliner-sized aircraft (on the line adjacent to the terminal) and eight H-60-sized aircraft (on the two northern lines, four per line). When cargo aircraft occupy the center parking line near spot 5, nonstandard taxilane clearance may exist; use caution when taxiing around cargo aircraft.
When the control tower is closed, contact Los Angeles ARTCC for clearance delivery.
For calibration/airfield information, contact the airfield manager.
Simulated aircraft carrier deck lights are unserviceable.
Standard parking apron without a peripheral taxiway.
The airfield has nonstandard airfield signage.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
San Clemente Island Nalf Airport has three airfields within 49 NM. The closest is Catalina (KAVX), 24.54 NM north.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KNUC
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 KNUC.
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 KNUC open to civil aircraft?
San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC) is restricted to prior permission required (PPR) traffic. Civil aircraft need PPR at all times, and military aircraft outside routine operations need it as well. Aircraft using NUC as a bingo field for carrier operations must arrange seven days prior notice. Special air operations conducted after normal hours require seventy-two hours prior notice through San Clemente Island Air Ops. This is not a facility a crew can plan into without that coordination in place.
What are the operating hours at San Clemente Island NALF?
San Clemente Island NALF runs a variable weekday schedule and is closed on weekends and holidays. Monday coverage is 1500 to 0200Z+, Tuesday through Thursday is 1600 to 0200Z+, and Friday is 1600 to 0000Z+. Outside these hours, runway lighting is not automatically available. Pilots needing HIRL on runway 06/24 or REIL on runway 24 after hours can activate them on frequency 119.55. Flight planning around this schedule is necessary since KNUC does not operate continuously.
How long is the runway at KNUC?
Runway 06/24 at KNUC is a paved concrete surface measuring 9,301 feet long and 200 feet wide, which is also the airport's maximum paved runway length. This is the only conventional runway at the field; the other two listed surfaces, H1 and H2, are 70 by 70 foot concrete pads. The single long runway supports fixed-wing operations including carrier bingo field use. Given the field's restricted access, this length figure matters mainly for military and authorized special operations planning rather than general civil traffic.
Where is the nearest customs facility to KNUC?
The nearest customs-capable airport to San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC) is KSNA, located about 53.31 nautical miles away. KNUC itself has no listed onsite customs processing. Operators arriving from international origins or needing customs clearance should plan to route through KSNA rather than expecting any customs function at San Clemente Island. This distance is a straight-line figure and does not account for routing restrictions tied to the island's restricted military airspace and offshore bombardment activity noted for the area.
What safety cautions apply around the airfield at San Clemente Island NALF?
San Clemente Island NALF (KNUC) sits near extensive missile and offshore bombardment activity, and pilots are cautioned accordingly. A perimeter road runs in close proximity to the airfield, and hold-short markings are less than 175 feet from the runway, so crews should expect hold-short instructions from the tower. The airfield also has nonstandard signage. Reduced runway separation standards apply for USN / USMC aircraft, but only during carrier-controlled approach operations. These factors call for extra caution beyond what a typical airfield briefing would suggest.