Hour Building San Diego

[AirScream]

Anyone got any advice for flying in California. I'm off to McClellan Palomar airport North of San Diego for 2 weeks at Easter.

Anyone recommend any good trips from there and is anyone else planning to be around??

[Flare_you_fool!]

I'm assuming you're going to be in a single and flight times are based on that.
Las Vegas- 2-2.5 hours
Catalina Island- Less than an hour(great airport location)
Big Bear- About an hour (6500' elevation)--great if you like skiing
Grand Canyon- 3-4 hours
San Francisco- 4-5 hours with a stop for lunch
Santa Barbara- 1-1.5 hours
Santa Monica airport about an hour(try the spitfire grill there or the Thai restaurant)
People at the school should have info on all of these places and what you need in the way of charts and radio procedures.
Happy trails :)
Oh don't forget palm springs
I did about 1500 hours of flying/flight instructing in the San Diego/LA area if you need any more info let me know
Regards
FYF


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Oh no,not again!

[AirScream]

Thanks FYF

All sounds great. I have got the charts and I hope to get to grips with them long before I get out there as they are a little more daunting than the Florida ones I learnt with. Lots of terrain and it all looks very congested.

I am trying to get to grips with the VFR flyway routes down through San Diego. The chart gives them their own frequency - how do they work in practice?

Cheers

AS

[Flare_you_fool!]

Airscream,
I don't have a SD VFR chart with me but from what i can remember stay within the boundaries on the chart and use the frequency much like a CTAF to "self" anounce your position within the corridor. Listen for others and you should all know where you are. There are different altitudes for different directions.
SD class B is designed to allow access to most SD airports without talking to ATC(except Lindbergh field)eg for Montgomery just head down the coast and hang a left at mount Soledad keep you altitude below or in between the class B limits and your clear.
Going north thru LA i believe there are now only 2 routes past LAX, the Hollywood park route and the special VFR corridor. The HPR needs an ATC clearance, the SVFR corridor does not, just follow the instructions on the back of your LA terminal chart.
Your instructor should be happy to point these out
It's busy pretty much all of the time so keep your eyes peeled
If you have any more questions feel free
Regards FYF

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Oh no,not again!

[This message has been edited by Flare_you_fool! (edited 22 January 2001).]

[AirScream]

Thanks again FYF, I need to go and study that chart. I hadn't noticed until you used mentioned "in between" that San Diego B class is like a swiss cheese! Tunnels right through - spooky!

Cheers

AirScream

[This message has been edited by AirScream (edited 23 January 2001).]

[G-LOC]

One thing that you must do;

Ask someone to give you a detailed description of "the bay transition".
This takes you under the SD class B, @ or below 500ft along the coast and directly through North Island's airspace over the Nimitz class aircraft carriers.
Have fun..

[Flare_you_fool!]

G-Loc,
It truly is a great sightseeing tour.
When did you do it and what airfield did you fly from?
Regards
FYF

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Oh no,not again!

[ZAZOO]

Did that one a couple of times FYF we called it the scenic route, really worth doing, try just before dusk.

Flew out of SEE and MYF, give the tower a call and they will gladly help you with info they are very nice folks up there.

Lots of terrain and traffic Airscream but very friendly airspace you will love it, great scenery and good for experience, have you got an IFR rating cause on the other hand you got the guys at Socal doing TEC or if you like just give them a call and request for flight following, they might just be what you need on your trips in the area, great bunch.

Have a nice time, wish I could be there.

Regards
Zazoo

MYF (Montgomery)
Tel:858-277-5601
Fax:858-292-5285

SEE (Gillespie)
Tel:619-448-1449

Cheers G-LOC you brought back memories!

[inverted flatspin]

Don't forget to drop in on Orange CO airport (SNA) also known as John Wayne Airport. Quite possibly the busiest general aviation airport anywhere 470,000 movements per year. It has a good mix of airline, biz jet and piston traffic.

[ZAZOO]

Airscream quick question before I retire please, Palomar airport is that the one with a slopping runway.

Seem to have done a ferry flight up there but can't seem to find it in my log book.

regards
Zazoo

[inverted flatspin]

ZAZOO, I can help you on that one Palomar is in fact the airport with the sloping runway.

[AirScream]

Thanks for all the info.. JUST the sort of thing I wanted to hear. The scenic tour sounds terrific. My flying will be strictly VFR (I hope!).

I am intrigued by the sloping runway. Is it sloping enough to give any problems???? Any advice on that too would be great.

I am all fired up and getting to know that chart now so if you have any more gems post em here.

Thanks again

AirScream

[ZAZOO]

Thanks IFS, found it last night I did go into
Palomar airport to pick up a Piper Lance for ferry back to MYF. And by the way did a few trips into your airport, had a few meals in the local Denny's just outside the airport :)

AirScream, sloping runways can cause illusions in altitude judgement when coming in to land. When the runway slopes away from the touchdown end of the runway, your visual cues tend to make you come in high and long. If the runway slopes towards the touchdown end of the runway, then your visual cues tend to make you come in lower than you should, with the chance of landing short of the runway.

Secondly if departing from the downslope end of the runway you will expect to do a longer run than normal!!!

Hope this helps, enjoy SUN ;) Diego.

Regards
Zazoo

[AirScream]

Thanks ZAZOO,
Nice to be aware of those effects.

Thanks for all the replies chaps

[AirScream]

Well, I just got back and got me a stack of hours flying from Palomar near San Diego.

Did indeed fly the bay transition below 500'
and see the aircraft carriers and downtown.
Great flying overall but the California coast in spring did have some weather!!

By the way Palomar runway is as flat as a billiard table not sloping as was suggested!

[Joaquín]

AirScreem

I flew all aver the area last Summer and my recommendation is for a visit to OCEANO airfield (just East of San Luis Obispo) with a campsite right next to the Tarmac and the beach literally 3 walking minutes away.

:) Enjoy it and let us know!!!! :)