Trans Catalina Airlines

♦ Trans Catalina Airlines was a short-lived regional amphibious airline that operated scheduled passenger flights between the Southern California mainland and Santa Catalina Island in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was founded by Dan Hill and managed by Frank Strobel to fill the gap in amphibious sea-to-land transport to Santa Catalina Island in 1978. In 1981, facing high operating costs, limited airframe capacity, and insurance pressures following the 1979 hull loss, Trans Catalina Airlines officially shut down operations. ♦