Bonanza Hills Airport in Gardena, California

Bonanza Hills Airport — Gardena, California

Bonanza Hills Airport (ID: 27454) is a private-use general aviation facility serving the Gardena area of Los Angeles County, California. Situated in the South Bay region of greater Los Angeles, this airport occupies a strategic position within one of the most aviation-dense corridors in the United States. Gardena itself sits approximately 12 miles south of downtown Los Angeles and roughly 7 miles east of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX/KLAX), placing Bonanza Hills Airport within a network of general aviation resources that supports a wide variety of private, corporate, and recreational flying activities.

The South Bay aviation ecosystem surrounding Gardena is anchored by several well-established public-use airports. Hawthorne Municipal Airport (Jack Northrop Field, KHHR), located approximately 2.8 miles northwest of central Gardena, offers a single 4,884-foot concrete runway at 65 feet MSL elevation and operates 24 hours daily. Built in 1939 as a private airstrip for aviation pioneer Jack Northrop to support the newly founded Northrop Aircraft, Inc., Hawthorne Municipal has grown into a key general aviation reliever airport for the LAX terminal area. The airport accommodates aircraft up to 60,000 pounds dual-wheel weight and maintains traffic pattern altitudes of 1,600 feet for turbine and high-performance aircraft, 1,100 feet for light aircraft, and 700 feet for helicopters.

Torrance Municipal Airport (Zamperini Field, KTOA) lies to the southwest and is one of the busiest general aviation airports in Los Angeles County, with approximately 543 based aircraft. It features two runways — the primary Runway 11L/29R at 5,000 feet by 150 feet (asphalt/concrete) and a secondary Runway 11R/29L at 3,000 feet by 75 feet — enabling simultaneous operations and increased capacity. Zamperini Field was completed by the U.S. Army Air Forces on March 31, 1943, as the Lomita Flight Strip emergency landing field and was renamed on December 7, 1946, in honor of Torrance native Louis Zamperini, an Olympic distance runner and World War II prisoner-of-war survivor. The airport is also home to the Western Museum of Flight.

Compton/Woodley Airport (KCPM, IATA: CPM), operated by Los Angeles County since 1966, holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating airport in the Los Angeles Basin, with active use dating back to 1924. Located 2 miles southwest of downtown Compton, it spans 77 acres, supports approximately 200 based aircraft, and records more than 60,000 general aviation operations annually across its two parallel runways (Runway 7L/25R and 7R/25L, each 3,322 feet by 60 feet). The airport supports fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and includes an on-site aviation museum.

For pilots and passengers using Bonanza Hills Airport in Gardena, the broader South Bay airspace provides exceptional connectivity. Los Angeles International Airport (KLAX) lies approximately 10 miles to the northwest, Long Beach Airport (LGB/KLGB) is roughly 13 miles to the east, and Bob Hope Airport in Burbank (BUR/KBUR) is about 31 miles to the north. This density of aviation infrastructure means that Gardena-area flyers benefit from a well-resourced environment with multiple FBO options, maintenance facilities, flight training schools, and charter services all within a compact geographic area.

Whether you are a local aircraft owner based near Gardena, a corporate flight department operating in the South Bay, or a pilot transiting the greater Los Angeles area, Bonanza Hills Airport (ID: 27454) and its surrounding network of aviation facilities offer practical options for private and general aviation operations. The region's 24-hour airport availability, established aerospace heritage, and proximity to major commercial airports make it one of California's most capable general aviation environments.

Frequently Asked Questions — Bonanza Hills Airport, Gardena, CA