Zamperini Field (KTOA), California
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Zamperini Field (KTOA) is a towered public airport in Torrance, California, serving the South Bay area roughly 15 nautical miles from downtown Los Angeles. The field handles a mix of business and general aviation traffic on two paved runways, with 100LL fuel available but no Jet A on the field. Its longer runway, 11L/29R, spans 5,001 feet, making it the primary strip for business aviation operations. Nearest customs clearance is available at Los Angeles International, about 9 nautical miles away.
Runways
Zamperini Field has two paved runways. The longest, 11L/29R, is 5,001 ft long and 150 ft wide, with an asphalt and concrete surface.
Runway geometry from published threshold coordinates. Not for navigation.
Runways are listed longest first. Helipads and surfaces under 500 ft are excluded.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Zamperini Field has 100LL available on the field. Fueling is available from 6am to 10pm, daily, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Zamperini Field does not clear customs. The nearest port of entry is Los Angeles International (KLAX), 9 NM away.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Zamperini Field recorded 1,520 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May and June. Business aviation traffic at KTOA peaks in May and June, both at 158 operations, with a secondary rise in November.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 158 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Zamperini Field averages 1.8 days above 90°F in October and 0.2 freeze days in January. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 78.1°F, and December the coldest, at 66.1°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Zamperini Field has published operating constraints in five categories: access, runway notes, noise procedures, environmental and other notes.
At taxiways Hotel and Charlie, observe taxiway hold lines. All aircraft must hold between the set of hold bars for the approach zone for runway 11R/29L.
For clearance delivery when the control tower is closed, contact SoCal Approach.
No touch-and-go or stop-and-go operations are permitted. No low approach or full-stop taxi-back is permitted between 1800 and 1000 Monday through Friday. No low approach or full-stop taxi-back is permitted Saturday and Sunday between Friday 1800 and Monday 1000, or on holidays. The airport is closed to departures from 2200 to 0700 on weekdays and from 2200 to 0800 on weekends and holidays.
When the control tower is closed, activate MALSR runway 29R lighting via CTAF. MIRL for runway 11L/29R operates sunset to sunrise. MIRL for runway 11R/29L operates 0600 to 2000. Helipad perimeter lights are activated via CTAF and operate 24 hours. VASI for runway 29L operates continuously.
A MALSR building 9 feet high is located 190 feet from the runway end, or 440 feet to the right.
Unusable beyond 2 degrees right and 9 degrees left of runway centerline.
Runway 11L approach ratio to the displaced threshold is 35:1.
Approach ratio to the displaced threshold is 46:1.
No multi-engine simulated engine-out procedures are authorized in the traffic pattern. Runway 11R/29L is closed from 2000 to 0700.
Be alert for personnel and equipment operating near all runways and taxiways.
This is a noise-sensitive area in all quadrants. For noise abatement procedure information, contact airport noise abatement staff. Certain turbojet aircraft are permanently excluded.
Numerous flocks of birds are present on and in the vicinity of the airport.
Fuel is available from 0700 to 2000.
Perimeter lights are yellow.
The FATO and TLOF are paved.
The landing facility is frequently used for medical ambulance purposes.
Transient parking is located at the base of the control tower. A green box with a white T marks parking for small aircraft; a blue box with a white T marks parking for jets.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Zamperini Field has five airfields within 15 NM. The closest is Jack Northrop Field / Hawthorne Municipal (KHHR), 7.18 NM north.
Part of the Los Angeles area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KTOA
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 KTOA.
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
What runways are available at KTOA?
Zamperini Field (KTOA) has two paved runways plus a paved helipad. Runway 11L/29R is the longer strip at 5,001 feet by 150 feet wide, surfaced in asphalt-concrete. Runway 11R/29L measures 3,000 feet by 75 feet, also asphalt-concrete, and is closed nightly between 2000 and 0700. A separate helipad, designated H1, is 110 feet by 110 feet with a paved FATO and TLOF. Dispatchers planning operations after dark should account for the shorter runway's closure window.
Is Jet A fuel available at Zamperini Field?
No, Zamperini Field (KTOA) does not stock Jet A fuel. The only fuel type available on the field is 100LL, limiting the airport's utility for jet traffic requiring on-field refueling. Fuel service hours are further restricted to 0700 through 2000. Operators flying turbine aircraft into KTOA should plan fuel stops elsewhere, since business aviation traffic here relies on nearby fields or tankered fuel. This is consistent with the field's general aviation and piston-heavy traffic profile.
Are there restrictions on touch-and-go operations at KTOA?
Yes, Zamperini Field prohibits touch-and-go and stop-and-go operations entirely. Low approaches and full-stop taxi-backs are also barred between 1800 and 1000 Monday through Friday. On weekends and holidays, the same restriction applies from Friday 1800 through Monday 1000. Additionally, the airport is closed to departures between 2200 and 0700 on weekdays and between 2200 and 0800 on weekends and holidays. These rules reflect the noise-sensitive residential areas surrounding the field in all quadrants.
Does KTOA have customs clearance on site?
Zamperini Field (KTOA) does not have customs facilities on site. The nearest customs clearance point is Los Angeles International, located approximately 9 nautical miles away. Operators requiring customs processing for international arrivals must route through that airport instead of clearing directly at Torrance. This is an important planning consideration for any inbound flight originating outside the United States. KTOA itself functions purely as a domestic general aviation and business aviation field in this respect.
What noise abatement procedures apply at Zamperini Field?
Zamperini Field (KTOA) sits within a noise-sensitive area covering all quadrants surrounding the airport. Certain turbojet aircraft types are permanently excluded from operating at the field due to noise concerns. Pilots and dispatchers seeking specific abatement procedure details are directed to contact airport noise abatement staff directly. The field is also frequently used for medical ambulance landings, adding another operational consideration alongside noise restrictions. These combined factors make KTOA a field where community noise sensitivity actively shapes daily flight operations.