Airport Overview & History
Compton/Woodley Airport (KCPM/CPM) sits in the City of Compton, about 2 miles southwest of downtown Compton in southern Los Angeles County. It has served general aviation since 1924 and is recognized as one of the oldest continuously operating airports in the Los Angeles basin. Los Angeles County has owned and operated the field since 1966. The airport handles roughly 60,000 takeoffs and landings a year, the vast majority light piston and training flights.
Runway Capability
The field has two parallel asphalt runways, 7L/25R and 7R/25L, each approximately 3,322 feet long. That length comfortably supports piston aircraft, light sport aircraft, and flight-training operations, but it is well short of what business jets need. Even the most short-field-capable light jets and most turboprops are impractical here once weight, temperature, and safety margins are accounted for. KCPM should be treated as a piston and trainer field, not a turbine destination.
Charter Considerations
Compton/Woodley is not a viable origin or destination for private jet charter. There is no jet-capable runway, no full-service jet FBO, and no Jet-A truck operation aimed at business aircraft. Charter travelers in the South Bay and Gateway Cities area should instead use Hawthorne Municipal (KHHR, about 5 NM away), Long Beach (KLGB, about 6 NM), or Van Nuys (KVNY), all of which have longer runways and established jet FBOs. The Jet Finder can position the right aircraft at one of these fields.
Safety & Planning
KCPM is non-towered; pilots self-announce on CTAF/UNICOM 123.05 and operations are conducted under visual flight rules. There are no precision instrument approaches, so low-ceiling or low-visibility conditions can close the field to arrivals. The 99-foot field elevation keeps density-altitude effects modest. Parallel runways give crosswind flexibility, but the short length leaves little margin and demands accurate short-field technique.
Operational Factors
Self-serve 100LL avgas is available, suited to the piston fleet that bases and trains here. There is no on-field U.S. Customs, so the airport cannot be used as an international port of entry. Operating hours and ramp access are oriented toward general aviation; there are no scheduled airline services. The airport's location near the 91, 105, 110, and 710 freeways makes ground connections to greater Los Angeles straightforward.
Regional Context
Compton/Woodley is one of several Los Angeles County general aviation fields and sits within a dense cluster of Southern California airports. Within roughly 10 nautical miles are Hawthorne (KHHR), Long Beach (KLGB), Torrance/Zamperini (KTOA), and Los Angeles International (KLAX). For business-jet travel, Van Nuys, Long Beach, and Hawthorne are the practical reliever options; KCPM's role is local light-GA flying, training, and aircraft basing.