Bay Tour Advice

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RhinoDrvr

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RhinoDrvr
All,

I'm looking at doing the SFO Bay Tour tomorrow in a T-34, just wondering if it's an established route I request from SFO Approach, or if there are any procedures with 'the bay tour'.

I suspect it's just VFR around the bay, but wanted to see if there's any info out there before I head up.

Thanks!
 
RhinoDrvr said:
All,

I'm looking at doing the SFO Bay Tour tomorrow in a T-34, just wondering if it's an established route I request from SFO Approach, or if there are any procedures with 'the bay tour'.

I suspect it's just VFR around the bay, but wanted to see if there's any info out there before I head up.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Just ask. Typically it means up/down the 101, staying to the west of the 101 at all times, and then north of the bay bridge.
 
Awesome. Anything worth looking at over on the eastern side of the bay, or is up and down 101 the thing most folks do?
 
RhinoDrvr said:
Awesome. Anything worth looking at over on the eastern side of the bay, or is up and down 101 the thing most folks do?
Click to expand...
Not really much on the east unless u like Oakland. Is it your first time flying in the Bay? The bay tour is especially nice for flying right by SFO, especially at night all illuminated. During the day, a jaunt up/down the coast side can be really nice as well.
 
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It'll be my first time up that area. Looking at the chart, I was thinking of coming up from NLC to HAF, then up the western side of the bay, over Alcatraz, then back over the Bay Bridge, and RTB the way I came. That should hit the highlights it seems.
 
RhinoDrvr said:
It'll be my first time up that area. Looking at the chart, I was thinking of coming up from NLC to HAF, then up the western side of the bay, over Alcatraz, then back over the Bay Bridge, and RTB the way I came. That should hit the highlights it seems.
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Yep, that would be good. Keep in mind though that HAF is frequently overcast / fogged in, so unless you have an IFR ticket and are IFR equipped (GPS approaches), your chances of landing aren't great.
 
Good to know. I'm instrument rated and current, but the T-34 is not instrument equipped, so I'll plan on making the trip nonstop.
 
Watch for Giants games. The damn stadium TFR really gets in the way.

Aside from that, a nice route is Crystal Springs to Lake Merced at 3500 or 1500. Then fly up the beach to Golden Gate Bridge and over downtown if you can
 
MAKG1 said:
Watch for Giants games. The damn stadium TFR really gets in the way.

Aside from that, a nice route is Crystal Springs to Lake Merced at 3500 or 1500. Then fly up the beach to Golden Gate Bridge and over downtown if you can
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I'm pretty sure he'll be talking to ATC during the Bay Tour. I was under the impression that, if one is talking with ATC, they can route a plane through one of these TFRs, true?

Here in Lincoln NE, it seems like ATC has us fly close to the stadium during football games sometimes.
 
Hello. The "bay tour" may have referred to a specific route once upon a time, but it only means different things to different people (depending where they launch from). Folks taking off from the west side of the bay tend to believe it means going NWB along 101 because that's what they do. On the east side, those may believe it means going through Oakland.

Regardless, pilots want to TOUR the area north of the bay bridge and TRANSITION TO it along 101 (the bayshore) or through Oakland. Common requests are to transition along 101 or transition through Oakland FOR a bay tour. Once there, you can wander around randomly. Just make sure you don't blunder into B or C without a clearance.

Enroute, I would advise contacting norcal. For example, you can tell them you want to transition along the pacific shoreline to the golden gate and then a bay tour (the term "bay tour" is pretty arbitrary unless you are over the bay north of the bay bridge). This will tell the controller your general idea and you can tweak it from there.

One option to get there is to fly right up the middle of the bay. Expect to stay low (below 1500), go through Hayward and Oakland, and thread between SFO bravo and no closer than 1/2 mile from OAK 30. (We do this quite a bit from HWD - we call this a shoreline departure). But, if it's your first time, it may be a bit much, but just want to toss it out.

Have fun.
 
The term "Bay Tour" today simply means "Hey, I am gonna fly all around for some sight seeing with no specific destination in the direction I am headed"

But those two words provide a LOT of information as to what ATC should expect from ya.
 
noahfong said:
Once there, you can wander around randomly. Just make sure you don't blunder into B or C without a clearance.
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B for sure. But if you're talkin' and squawkin' then don't worry about C unless they tell you something otherwise (e.g. "stay north of the Bay Bridge").
 
ollopa said:
Hmm best of luck to you and hope it's not completely mired in clouds and fog. I think it has been especially bad lately along the coast in that region.

It's often helpful to view webcams in the area:
http://www.rntl.net/tiburoncam.htm

http://rntl.net/sausalitocam.htm

http://goldengatebridge75.org/news/webcam.html
Click to expand...

Nice additions to my collection of Web cam links, thanks.

Here are a couple of cameras that show the final approach course for HAF's Rwy 30. The 30 threshold is just out of the frame to the right of the lower picture:

http://www.samschowderhouse.com/about-sams/samcam.html

Woodside (I can't tell which direction it's facing right now):

http://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/w/s/wstefanc/1/current.jpg

The general vicinity of San Carlos Airport (SQL), including the San Mateo Bridge:

http://www.tcomeng.com/weather-cam/

Sunol (Welch Creek Road - looking west-ish, I think):

http://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/r/a/randykoch/1/current.jpg

This is the San Jose / Santa Clara Valley area (nicknamed "Silicon Valley") as seen from Mount Hamilton:

http://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/1/0/10368/1/current.jpg

Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in Jan Jose:

http://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/a/e/AerodynamicAviation/1/current.jpg

Morgan Hill (South of Santa Clara Valley):

http://www.morganhillwebcam.com/

South County Airport (E16):

http://www.southcountypilots.org/airport-camera-2.php

Ben Lomond (Santa Cruz Mountains):

http://icons.wunderground.com/webcamramdisk/m/i/mikkyo/1/current.jpg
 
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