advice on routes/places in usa??

[bellyfluffer]

hi
im flying over to sa diego in just over a week for 100 hours building time and due to exam revision i havnt managed to find time to do much research into the best places to visit, so im hoping the pprune-ites out there can supply me with as much help and suggestions as possible.... please?

cheers

p.s. i know there will be people out there saying that i should find out for myself but i have my last 5 ground school exams next week and other than the odd 15min break im in the books!

thanks in advance!
:ok:

[LAX]

Pheonix (Goodyear) AZ
Santa Monica (my favourite place)
Santa Barbara (my second favourite place)-Make your way to the resturant on the beach.
Apple Valley and Daggat - In the Desert to the North.
Mohave and So Cal Logistics Airports- Check out the moth balled aircraft.
Palm Springs and Thermal to the South - 100C, watch that Cessna climb.
San Luis Obispo - Great Resturant
Chino - Check out the Planes of Fame Museum, aircraft as used in the movie Pearl Harbour.
Laughlin - CA,AZ and Nevada Border. Loads of Casinos
Van Nuys - Busyest GA airport in North America.

And of course - LAS VEGAS.

If you call them up late enough at night you may get to practice and ILS ınto LAX..........and of course No Charges, No Landing fees.

Buy yourself a VFR map and ID these places. Dont forget your shades:ok:

[vapilot2004]

KMRY - Monterey - Home of world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and some awesome rocky pacific beaches. Short trip south (by car) to Big Sur - a town that the sixties are still alive and well in ! Even shorter trip to the Pacific Grove area - where the Monarch butterflies mate and winter. Also the 17 mile drive is here - gorgeous golf course/park/Pacific beauty - unmatched scenery.

KOAR - Marina - nice small town - they have some gnarly (and dangerous) surf.

Van Nuys (KVNY) to KLAS is a great trip - we've gone that route in less than an hour aboard a B200. 1/3 of the way in - look to your left at Edwards AFB. From Las Vegas it is just a short hop to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. Also if you have some money to burn (besides on the tables in Vegas) Lake Tahoe is beautiful. Another 220nm further SE is KPHX - Pheonix Sky Harbor - I have never been there but so many GA pilots rave about this place.

Just north of SFO is California wine country - excellent touring and once again great, great scenery. Just watch out for the big stuff coming in from places all over - busy ADIZ.

One thing you will notice are the people of California - they are without a doubt some of the happiest, hippest and kindest folks you'll ever meet (especially in the Central and Northern parts).

Mohave and So Cal Logistics Airports - Check out the moth balled aircraft.
I missed a chance to visit them. Good one !

Have Fun !

[bellyfluffer]

cheers fellas
really appreciate the help!
i will make sure i print this thread off and take it with me! who needs 'roughguides' or 'lonely planet' type books when you have fellow pilots eh!?! ha ha!
please keep the suggestions coming, i intend to see as much of the usa as possible so any state welcome!
also anybody who will be out there in feb/mar please feel free to add or pm,
mark
:ok:

[Aviator LGB]

But you have to go to Harris Ranch, if your flying something pretty small. I've been in with a Seneca II and it was worth it for the steak! Just be sure they cut the grass on the side of the runway. Its an awesome little stop about half way from LA to San Fran.

Good luck and have fun. :ok:

[Aviator LGB]

Kern Valley, also a fun airport with a wicked weather reporting station. Just be careful you don't let your wheels touch the rocks on the downwind and don't go in if its turbulent...ouch. Its just east of Bakersfield in the mountains. Yum...good food too. :cool:

[Chilli Monster]

All of the above (especially Harris Ranch, also done that in a Seneca and I can recommend the steaks :) ) plus Big Bear Mountain (6800ft amsl) . You might want to try and do that on your check out though, as it may not be allowed without a place specific check.

[Paris Dakar]

bellyfluffer,

I haven't done it by air (so therefore I can only assume it must be superb) but the Pacific Coastal Highway route up to San Fran is brilliant.

Mrs Dakar and I stopped at El Granada / Half Moon Bay and there was a cracking GA airport just across the road from our hotel - could be worth a visit?

Someone mentioned 'Thermal' earlier, I was in there a couple of months ago for some T&Gs and it looks like a nice place. I'd hired the aircraft from Bermuda Dunes Airport (next to Indio) and that's a nice airport too to get in your logbook.

I'm in the US in Feb/Mar but I'm on t'other side - you could always use your 100 hours up flying across to say 'hello' :D

Enjoy it :ok:

[LAX]

Yep, Ill go along with Harris Ranch, Just follow I5 North. I also forgot Catalina Island but watch out on the approach. Also if you just want to have some fun practicing take offs and landings go to San Bernadino. If your good you can get 3 take offs and landings in one length of the Runway!

There is a Jepsen Book which has all airports in for the US South West. It has all flt information inside (Rwy lenth, taxiway map, frequencies etc) and local attractions, hotels etc situated around the airport. Suggest you buy it. You can pick one up from Aircraft Spruce, Aviaiton Supplies, Great stuff at Great prices. Fly to Corona Municipal (wave as you pass over my Condo) and call them as they have a shuttle service from the Corona airport.

[n5296s]

Mrs Dakar and I stopped at El Granada / Half Moon Bay and there was a cracking GA airport just across the road from our hotel - could be worth a visit?

HMB (actually KHAF) is a long flight from San Diego but a great airport. If you taxi right to the southern end, there's a "secret" pathway that takes you through a gate to Princeton, an active fishing port, great fun to stroll round, several good (fish) restaurants, and a fantastic walk along the beach round the cliffs.

The flight along the Big Sur is also excellent, just check that the Hunter MOAs are cold (they generally are on the weekends).

n5296s

[Aviator LGB]

Yeah thats true with San Bernadino, you can get current again in one traffic pattern.

Catalina, yeah for a Buffalo Burger but be careful of the bumps on the runway better to stay right of centre line, and cool watching the DC3's coming in to land.

Also agree, Big Bear is a goody.

And also agree up the Big Sur to San Fran and past Hearst Castle at sunset, what a beautiful trip!

Can I come, hehe :ok:

[bellyfluffer]

:D
these are fantastic replies, welcome viewing after a day of atpl exams with more tomorrow!!

please keep them coming

also any suggestions on places to stay overnight near/on airfields would be great!

cheers all
:ok:

[slim_slag]

Head over to Borrega Valley airport in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and fly the 'Sky Trail'

http://www.avweb.com/news/places/182379-1.html

[Cusco]

Try the experience of flying up to Chiriaco Summit, where Cessna meets Harley Davidson!
If you do get up to Montery fly the coastal route up to SanFrancisco: you can drop in to Half Moon Bay for lunch,then on to Napa.
The SFO controllers positively urge you to do the Bay tour and flying alongside the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to Napa Ca. is something else.
We were rewarded with the view of a buzzard ripping the g**s out of a sizeable snake on the taxiway at Napa as we rolled by.
At Napa they'll fix you a hotel and/or Car or you can tour the wine country by air, before dropping down the central valley via Harris Ranch to Van Nuys.
Enjoy it!

Edited to add you don't say how long you're there:

I should imagine that if you're aiming for 100 hours you will be there for at least 2 weeks:

In which case Las Vegas is an option, but go to N Las Vegas Apt rather than McCarran.

From there you can do the Grand Canyon, or even land at Death Valley (Furnace Creek) but don't forget to take a photo of your altimeter reading minus 200ft on the ground.
Cusco

[172driver]

All of the above, plus
1) a night VFR over LA - the closest you'll ever get to feel like Capt'n Kirk :ok:

2) the VFR transit route over LAX (you can use this to get to Santa Monica from the south)

[slim_slag]

In which case Las Vegas is an option, but go to N Las Vegas Apt rather than McCarran.Oh I don't know, I think if I was only visiting the once I'd go the whole way and stop at McCarran instead of North Las Vegas. It might cost you a bit more for fuel but you can walk to the Strip and it's a decent airport to get in your logbook. If you arrive at night (which you always should the first time you arrive in Vegas however you travel) you get to fly the approach with the Strip off your right wing.

[bellyfluffer]

cheers fellas
sorry about the lack of replies from me but last exam tomorrow then i can have my life back!!!!
the suggestions really are appreciated and as im thinking i will be there for about 4 weeks i might even make it a challenge to fly all suggestions!!
:ok:

[Cusco]

In four weeks you could do all of the above:
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Twice.;)
Cusco

[bellyfluffer]

well folks
one last thanks to all who helped with suggestions and advice, leaving in 36 hours so just printing off the thread, anybody who has any further help 'keep it coming' as i will check in while im away!

:ok: cheers again everyone :ok:

[WrongWayCorrigan]

Amazing: all these enthusiasts extolling the virtues of California flying. Interesting places, challenging airfields, nasty weather, real busy airspace. Excellent flying. They're absolutely right.

And Miserable Mister BEagle, alleged UK Examiner and Standards Man, the nemesis of good-time US flying, hasn't uttered one single mean word in condemnation of these messages. Amazing.