Best Places to Fly to in California

[kimberlyanne546]

Sooooooo BACK TO THE THREAD SUBJECT!

Has anyone been into Catalina lately? What was the condition of the runway?

I think a meetup group (free to join) goes there regularly. They changed their name recently, but used to be the $100 Hamburger California Group.

 

[Palmpilot]

Sooooooo BACK TO THE THREAD SUBJECT!

Has anyone been into Catalina lately? What was the condition of the runway?

A recent red board thread said it was getting rough, but that there are plans to resurface it in late Spring.

http://forums.aopa.org/showthread.php?t=79046

 

[Meliss]

Sooooooo BACK TO THE THREAD SUBJECT!

Has anyone been into Catalina lately? What was the condition of the runway?

I went there today! My God it's beautiful. Hiked the island and then flew around it at 1,000ft. The runway quality - NOT GOOD. But they are supposed to be closing it for about 7-10 days soon to fix it.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

I went there today! My God it's beautiful. Hiked the island and then flew around it at 1,000ft. The runway quality - NOT GOOD. But they are supposed to be closing it for about 7-10 days soon to fix it.

Thank you for the update. I haven't decided if I can afford it, but I'm flying on Saturday and I might do a cross country - the weather is supposed to be the hottest it has been since September - and I have a pilot passenger. If I don't go anywhere, I'll just do a Bay Tour.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

Here's my Best of CA Fly-In spots:
1. Best weekend: Columbia Airport -- Great campground on the field with showers next to grass strip (paved runway also).. 1 mile walk to Columbia state park, a restored gold town..

2. Best on Airport Restaurant(s) - Matthews at Paso Robles and/or Harris Ranch... and can't forget the Beach Cafe (a 1 mile walk thru the dunes at Santa Barbara airport)

3. Best Beach airport -- Oceano, cool 1950s diner with 10% off for pilots, walk to beach

4. Best camping Airport -- Kern Valley, in a valley with mountains on 3 sides... interesting approach/landing... very remote feel...

5. Best Out of the Way Airport -- Shelter Cove... flying north over the Pacific with 3000 foot mountains right down to the sea... no roads... no landing place, then all of a sudden, an airport on a flat piece of land jutting out into the Pacific... a couple of nice restaurants... oceanside hikes... very remote feel.. very pretty... wach for seafog.

6. Best Tourist Airport -- Santa Ynez airport in wine country just north of Santa Barbara (think the movie Sideways) near Solvang (a tourist destination with restaurants and nearby wineries)

OMG I just looked up Shelter Cove on a sectional, so many have been telling me to go there (it is a bit far for me for Saturday). Right next to it is a PVT airport called "Hell Or High Water". Awesome.

 

[Goofy]

OMG I just looked up Shelter Cove on a sectional, so many have been telling me to go there (it is a bit far for me for Saturday). Right next to it is a PVT airport called "Hell Or High Water". Awesome.

It is REALLY beautiful there. But watch the marine layer there. We were enjoying a leisurely lunch one day watching the ocean to the southwest and it was clear and lovely. Walked outside and the far end of the runway was almost hidden in the layer coming in. We ran like madmen to leave and just squeaked out of there before it came in and covered the strip......

 

[kimberlyanne546]

It is REALLY beautiful there. But watch the marine layer there. We were enjoying a leisurely lunch one day watching the ocean to the southwest and it was clear and lovely. Walked outside and the far end of the runway was almost hidden in the layer coming in. We ran like madmen to leave and just squeaked out of there before it came in and covered the strip......

OMG that is almost as awesome as Catalina. So on my bucket list now. I think I'll take him to Booneville, just 58 nm and we can go the long way up the coast and see the temple.

 

[onwards]

OMG I just looked up Shelter Cove on a sectional, so many have been telling me to go there (it is a bit far for me for Saturday). Right next to it is a PVT airport called "Hell Or High Water". Awesome.

It is REALLY beautiful there. But watch the marine layer there. We were enjoying a leisurely lunch one day watching the ocean to the southwest and it was clear and lovely. Walked outside and the far end of the runway was almost hidden in the layer coming in. We ran like madmen to leave and just squeaked out of there before it came in and covered the strip......

Yeah, that one truly is a wonder. I LOVE flying there (not to mention staying in for an overnight). Even when it gets covered, though, there often appears to be the ability to fly under a couple miles north and pop out there - something about the geography seems to make it so the marine layer isn't "to the coast" the whole way through (maybe the way it circles in and out with those taller hills to the north). Strike that if it gets foggy, of course.

 

[Henning]

Yeah, that one truly is a wonder. I LOVE flying there (not to mention staying in for an overnight). Even when it gets covered, though, there often appears to be the ability to fly under a couple miles north and pop out there - something about the geography seems to make it so the marine layer isn't "to the coast" the whole way through (maybe the way it circles in and out with those taller hills to the north). Strike that if it gets foggy, of course.

Exactly, if it's standard marine layer Shelter Cove from underneath is not a worry (unless you're SE and lose an engine so I suggest you not do it when there is a heavy sea running because you may not survive getting to shore). When it is fog though, it's a no go any way you slice it.

 

[danhagan]

Before my first lesson, I found Catalina on YouTube. Knew nothing about it. Said then and there it was my dream destination. Found out later how tough it is and thought "nevermind." Now I don't know. Would be cool one day to go and find out. A lot of people around here with "nicer planes" can make it down there and back in a day so perhaps one day I'll hitch a ride.

It's not tough in the slightest, over 3000' of runway. My second lesson we stayed in the pattern there because I had to go back to work that evening. First few lessons my CFI would pick me up. After that I'd get rides back and forth in Catalina Flying Services Beech 18s. Just look at the runway, not the cliff at the end, it's all the same. When you're on the runway it only looks like you have half the runway you really do because of the hump. Just avoid landing at sunset because it's right in your face. If you do, remember to land on the light shiny streak, not the dark next to it.

Second what Henning says. Home drome where I am at is on a mesa. Memorize the taxiways and be prepared for a go-around if not fully on the mains before midfield. I had heard about the runway condition(s) and just kept the nose up with areodynamic braking (field isn't that bad). T27 (Horizon TX) and the Lajitas (Big Bend TX) runways are FAR worse. Should be able to make the midfield exit pretty easily.

 

[Meliss]

The last few weeks I have done several flights to check out some neat airports and restaurants.

Yesterday I flew with a friend to Santa Monica, and ate at Typhoon. Good food - but interesting menu!! Insects, scorpions, and "amphibians" [frog's legs]. Not what I was expecting.

I finally flew to Santa Ynez a week ago and went into Solvang. We then came back to the airport and sat on the deck chairs they have and watched the airplanes for a couple hours. It was really neat. I went with two pilot friends of mine, so we all had a blast.

I am going to Catalina again tomorrow, hopefully the weather stays as nice as it has been the last few days here!

I am so excited for summer and all the flying I will be able to do! I am hoping to make a flight to Colorado or Nevada in the next few weeks. I also am supposed to "co-pilot" with a friend from Washington up to Alaska next month! And I think I will have my tailwheel endorsement in the next week, I am almost done. Then I am going to work on primary aerobatics.

 

[kimberlyanne546]

The last few weeks I have done several flights to check out some neat airports and restaurants.

Yesterday I flew with a friend to Santa Monica, and ate at Typhoon. Good food - but interesting menu!! Insects, scorpions, and "amphibians" [frog's legs]. Not what I was expecting.

I finally flew to Santa Ynez a week ago and went into Solvang. We then came back to the airport and sat on the deck chairs they have and watched the airplanes for a couple hours. It was really neat. I went with two pilot friends of mine, so we all had a blast.

I am going to Catalina again tomorrow, hopefully the weather stays as nice as it has been the last few days here!

I am so excited for summer and all the flying I will be able to do! I am hoping to make a flight to Colorado or Nevada in the next few weeks. I also am supposed to "co-pilot" with a friend from Washington up to Alaska next month! And I think I will have my tailwheel endorsement in the next week, I am almost done. Then I am going to work on primary aerobatics.

So did you have the scorpion? Or the frog? Oh and can you solo the tailwheel? Or have pax too? Can you do aerobatics solo or with pax or neither? The place I took a taildragger lesson at would teach aerobatics but not let me do them solo.

 

[Meliss]

So did you have the scorpion? Or the frog? Oh and can you solo the tailwheel? Or have pax too? Can you do aerobatics solo or with pax or neither? The place I took a taildragger lesson at would teach aerobatics but not let me do them solo.

I now have my tailwheel endorsement! So yes I can now solo a tailwheel. And have passengers.

As for the aerobatics, part of the program is to do aerobatic maneuvers solo. I don't know about once you get the certificate, if you can take passengers or not. Regardless, I wouldn't. I'm doing it for the experience and the fun!! I'd be happy to do it solo but I don't want the stress that having passengers bring.

 

[Henning]

I now have my tailwheel endorsement! So yes I can now solo a tailwheel. And have passengers.

As for the aerobatics, part of the program is to do aerobatic maneuvers solo. I don't know about once you get the certificate, if you can take passengers or not. Regardless, I wouldn't. I'm doing it for the experience and the fun!! I'd be happy to do it solo but I don't want the stress that having passengers bring.

Aerobatics require no special certificate, a PP is just fine to take passengers and put them through the wringer. Keep an eye on them though, they tend to throw-up lol. I had one buddy, non pilot but a lifelong seaman, iron stomach and would laugh and scream with joy as I'd flip him around, I could only barely G-loc him without going out, my vision would be narrowing when he'd nod and thought red eye whites from going outside were the coolest thing.