Will Kumley
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Not moving until later this year, but can anyone give insight into Camarillo or Oxnard airports for rentals and maybe future IFR training? Or any other nearby airports.
Getting transferred to Point Mugu, Ca.
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Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
It definitely looks like a great place for my next duty station. I'll be back in squadron life and looking forward to it. however, I don't thin my PPL cert will qualify me to fly what the squadron has.
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
Are ya takin that scooter with you? You are going to Socal, Mecca for ridin n flyin, year around. I’ve been away for years so no up to date info on plane rentals and schools but I’m sure you’ll find something. Along with googling KCMA and KOXR, do KSZP, an airport with aviation ‘soul’ and close by.
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The only thing I know is that Camarillo has a CAF squadron with a bunch of WW2 era planes.
https://www.cafsocal.com/our-aircrafts/
https://www.cafsocal.com/our-aircrafts/
Camarillo (KCMA) is a great airport. There are several flight schools there; the only one I've had any dealings with is Channel Islands Aviation and they've been professional and have a nice fleet of 172's. Besides the CAF squadron and museum, there is the Waypoint Cafe restaurant, great food, awesome milkshakes, inside/outside seating, and a neat little play runway with a tower and speaker, as well as memorial bricks and benches (my FIL and MIL have a memorial plaque on one of the benches by the side entrance). You'll become very familiar with the restaurant. Lots of fancy airplanes operating there, and helicopter training.
Santa Paula airport (KSZP) has CP Aviation. They have private pilot training, tailwheel endorsements, and upset training based on Rich Stowell's curriculum. Their instructors are top notch and they have a sweet airport dog. Also, on the first Sunday of each month the airport has a big open house and you can see some of the awesome aircraft based there (Aviation Museum of Santa Paula).
I don't know much about Oxnard or its airport...there used be a great Mexican restaurant nearby called Sal's. You can discover and report on new ones for us.
You'll love the towns/area too as you discover great restaurants (Mexican and others), hiking in the hills overlooking the Pacific, getting fresh produce, day/camping trips out to the Channel Islands, visiting the SeaBee museum and tons of other attractions.
Santa Paula airport (KSZP) has CP Aviation. They have private pilot training, tailwheel endorsements, and upset training based on Rich Stowell's curriculum. Their instructors are top notch and they have a sweet airport dog. Also, on the first Sunday of each month the airport has a big open house and you can see some of the awesome aircraft based there (Aviation Museum of Santa Paula).
I don't know much about Oxnard or its airport...there used be a great Mexican restaurant nearby called Sal's. You can discover and report on new ones for us.
You'll love the towns/area too as you discover great restaurants (Mexican and others), hiking in the hills overlooking the Pacific, getting fresh produce, day/camping trips out to the Channel Islands, visiting the SeaBee museum and tons of other attractions.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
Heck yeah the scooter is going. Looking forward to getting back to my old norm which was putting more miles on the bike in a month than I put on my truck in a year.
Will Kumley
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That’s awesome. I have many expensive hobbies, aviation photography is one of them and these warbirds would be awesome to shoot- with the camera. Looks like base housing is less than 5 minutes away which is a win if I get that can get in.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
This sounds like it’s going to be the best duty station location I’ve had in a long time. Definitely going to be doing some research on all of this.
luvflyin
Touchdown! Greaser!
Something to consider about how close to the beach you want to live.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Gloom
Cogito
Pre-takeoff checklist
Think of it as a feature. Did my IFR at Camarillo, nice to have some actual in training.
Everything McDewey wrote is accurate, I'd add that the best restaurant a short flight (and a walk) away is SY Kitchen at Santa Ynez (IZA.)
Stevel
Pre-takeoff checklist
Almost everything that I would have said has already been said, but I will point out the significance of combining a couple of things that have already been said. Oxnard is a couple miles closer to the coast, so the morning marine layer takes longer to burn off. Some days the difference between the two airports is less than an hour, but it often is significantly longer. The winds at Santa Paula can get a bit squirrely too, but there is plenty of good flying there too. My observation comes from flying ultralights there. I was not bothered much in the 172.
Bender Aviation
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Bender Aviation
Agreed with all points, but just want to add be prepared to wait to takeoff at Camarillo. One runway and a busy one at that.
cessna182b
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I was in Camarillo (city) this afternoon. Somebody was flying a WWII Spitfire around the pattern while I was waiting for my takeout order at Cracker Barrel.
Dave
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
Ah, another thing I'm looking forward to. More restaurants. Haven't seen a Cracker Barrel in at least 2 1/2 years. Closest Chic Fil-A is an hour away.
There are many great Mexican and seafood restaurants in that area. Also, there are a lot of big ag operations up there, lots of road side fresh fruit and vegie stands. If you like strawberries, that is one of the best places in the country.
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I was at Pt. Mugu with the Marine Aviation Unit 1958-61. Home base was Pt. Mugu and we went to the field at China Lake.
3 years where I didn't go to work. I went to fun instead. I hated weekends and looked forward to Monday.
3 years where I didn't go to work. I went to fun instead. I hated weekends and looked forward to Monday.
SoCal RV Flyer
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Yes, wonderful restaurants. In-n-Out burgers...mmm!
And for airport eateries, Bambi's Hangar One Cafe (Hemet-Ryan) is a fantastic breakfast spot. Best bacon west of the Rockies, and a very friendly atmosphere w/ wonderful service. El Monte has a very good Mexican place with a large patio.
If we're talking airport eateries, the Waypoint Cafe at Camarillo is probably one of the best in the country.
A note of caution about operating at CMA. As mentioned above, it gets very busy. The controllers there are not always the friendliest around. They have a very particular way of doing things, and if you aren't familiar with local ops they can get a bit snappy. It is particularly notable because, in general, controllers in SoCal are extremely friendly and patient.
Santa Paula is a must-visit, and if you have an interest in tailwheel, aerobatics and/or unusual attitude training, CP Aviation is great. Shameless plug as my sister is a CFI at CP Aviation. First-Sundays at SZP are basically an open-house, and at least before COVID it was great fun to wander the hangar rows drooling at all kinds of cool planes. Cheap fuel too.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
Definitely have an interest in tailwheel or aerobatic style training in addition to adding the IFR rating at some point.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
I saw that they had a club rate and a on club rate. Didn't look like a huge difference in price per hour but I do see it covers any potential insurance requirement. I currently fly with a "club" at the flight school I learned to fly with. Very similar setup, being a member waives the requirement for me to have renters insurance, gives me a reduced per hour rate and actually reduces the number of hours flown for overnight rentals. I rented the plane overnight yet though as Covid has been a thing since I got my PPL and traveling has been on the backburner.
Ventucky Red
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Jon
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Camarillo goes VFR well before Oxnard does and stays VFR longer during marine layer season. Lots of rentals available, more than out of Oxnard. Great area to get your IFR and both airports have good approaches.
Will Kumley
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That'll be a nice change from my current situation. I rent from and fly out of Bremerton (KPWT) here in Washington and its usually the last place for any marine layers/ mountain convection to lift from. There have been a couple rare occasions when it was the only VFR strip in the area but those are few and far between. Also kinda sucks when you think you can finally get some xc time in only to get in the air and see low lying fog in every direction for 30 miles. One time another pilot commented that it was great on the coast and I should have gone for the full flight. I wasn't comfortable flying over 30 miles of low lying fog where I couldn't see the ground in case I had a problem.
35 AoA
Pattern Altitude
Don't blame you. The weather up here is weird. Up on whidbey, people pride it on being in the "rain shadow", which I am coming to believe is a real thing to some extent. But the micro climates are just wild. It can be sunny and kinda sorta VFR up here, and on the south end of the island it is hard IMC. Every time I launch out of here on a marginal day, it is always way worse in your neck of the woods even further south. Or even across the water from you or me in Seattle. Even the difference between here and Paine can be astounding, and that flight from here to there for me is basically a burp and a sh*tstain.....barely enough time to even break out an approach plate from the helmet bag.
Will Kumley
Line Up and Wait
Don't get me wrong. It's beautiful to fly here. But the constant change does make it less enjoyable when I'm trying to get some xc time vfr.