Complicated! First Van Nuys to Palomar Trip

VWGhiaBob

VWGhiaBob

Line Up and Wait
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VWGhiaBob
Today's my first cross country with family from Van Nuys (KVNY) to Palomar (KCRQ). It's just over 30 minutes in a Cirrus SR22. :goofy:

Can I just say, it's complicated flying in LA!!!! :eek: There are about 15 frequencies, multiple towers, getting over LAX through Bravo, avoiding
Class D's and Class C's, and finally avoiding the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant.

It took me 3 times as long as the flight itself to plan it. Yes, I'm super careful, but I feel ready now.

The nice thing: the forecast...looks like a good day to fly. Wish me luck! LA flying is not for wimps! :yesnod:
 
Have fun! Pictures or it didn't happen! Some of us like to live vicariously through others. California is beautiful - was there in my 20's didn't appreciate it back then.
 
Lol, you can do it without talking to anyone but the two towers and stay between 2200 and 3000' the whole way and fly over downtown. Why did you have to avoid San Onofre?
 
Not sure about the whole "avoiding Class C/D" thing or avoiding the plant, but SoCal is definitely one of those places I wish for 3 or 4 COMs just to have all the frequencies plugged-in beforehand.
 
I was there having lunch from about 1245p til 2 ish - which ones were you?

I was with the two good-looking ladies in the middle of the restaurant . ..

My Comanche was in transient - it was bumpy today, wasn't it - dang.

Next time - it is alot simpler to fly east to DARTS - take V186 to ROBNN - and land at CRQ. Airspace is essentially .. . over fly BUR - then nothing till you skirt the ONT Class C. . .

Looking at it - going over LAX in the corridor - then exiting - keeping it under 140kts in the corridor - then direct to KCRQ and doing the right downwind arrival from over OCN - I'm seeing about 38 minutes in my Comanche.

Taking the route I recommend above - is 40 min. With basically zero hassle and no major airspace issues - there ARE alternatives that don't involve being a one armed paperhangar. . . . the direct way is not always a) the easiest or the b) most practical.
 
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Thanks for the ideas! Wow....what a wonderful flight! All my ATC practice paid off...I must have talked to at least 20 controllers today, maybe more. It feels so good to be mastering it.

I will look at the other routes, but I prefer the ATC contact, because I don't like flying so low in a single engine...plus it pays to have someone looking out for you helping you avoid traffic. Even with my TCAS, they pointed out traffic I didn't notice today.

I landed about 11am in 605CD...a gorgeous SR22 from Mach 1 aviation. We left right away, so I didn't see you Comanche...went to PF Changs with my Dad.

Actually, my flight was very smooth...one of those incredible So Cal. daze when you can see forever...the whole basin...incredible.

Pictures coming!
 
I'm jealous. I'm sitting in a hotel room in North Hollywood right now and I DROVE because I couldn't talk the wife into landing at BFL to wait out Saturday's nasty marine layer. Weather was worsening around the Bay, but it was flyable at 11AM. Weather was beautiful late afternoon around Burbank, and partly cloudy all the way down the valley.
 
MAKG1 said:
I'm jealous. I'm sitting in a hotel room in North Hollywood right now and I DROVE because I couldn't talk the wife into landing at BFL to wait out Saturday's nasty marine layer. Weather was worsening around the Bay, but it was flyable at 11AM. Weather was beautiful late afternoon around Burbank, and partly cloudy all the way down the valley.
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I know nothing of a marine layer as I'm from the South east, but I do hear you all talk about it a lot. Is it usually really low to where an ir wouldn't help much or is that the next plan to combat it?

I'm jealous too, it was beautiful yesterday but a front passed through and the winds were a little more than I cared since I haven't flown much lately. Sounds like you had a great trip!
 
I love VNY. I am flying the Lear there in a few hours. SoCal is very busy, just get flight following, make sure you stay clear of airspace you need a clearance to enter (or request a clearance) and you will be fine. Luckily you will have fantastic SA in the Cirrus so you won't be left using pilotage as much as some others.
 
simtech said:
I know nothing of a marine layer as I'm from the South east, but I do hear you all talk about it a lot. Is it usually really low to where an ir wouldn't help much or is that the next plan to combat it?

I'm jealous too, it was beautiful yesterday but a front passed through and the winds were a little more than I cared since I haven't flown much lately. Sounds like you had a great trip!
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No, the Marine Layer in SoCal will typically let you in on a non precision approach, and often let you sneak in underneath from the East or through a hole.
 
Simtech - 'Marine layer' is a layer of stratus clouds with bases usually anywhere from 800-1400 and usually with a top around 2500-3000. The clouds themselves have no vertical development and there is usually a little bit of turbulence right above them - there is an inversion present right at that point - the temps go up from the surface to the top of the layer - and by late morning just before they burn off can be as warm as 84-86F at the top - on day like that you climb fairly smartly through the 68F layer and then performance really falls off at the top as you enter a 6000-7000' density altitude all of a sudden . . .

But in terms of IFR - its really not technically IFR most of the time with 3 BR 1200-1400OVC. But given all the mountains and hills around here you cannot really navigate under the layer so it does require an IR to get anywhere - plus - as you get closer to the ocean viz usually drops under 3 which allows for special VFR for pattern work and stuff like that at the myriad of towered airports out here . ..
 
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