KSAN Pirep

[TheGolfPilot]

I had business yesterday in Downtown San Diego, meeting at 9am. San Diego International was the only airport that made any sense to use. I've flown into Class B airports in the past but in faster airplanes and there were longish taxi/wait times. I typically try to avoid that if I can especially in a non air conditioned plane and arriving and departing on a range stretching leg. And with only 1 runway I figured there was a good chance I would be sitting in sometime of hold. Man, was I wrong. I don't think I would have gotten to the runway faster if it was an uncontrolled airport with no traffic. asked to keep my speed up and asked me to make my base turn just as I reached the numbers. Touched down just as the Southwest jet in front of me left the runway. When I taxied off the runway the next plane was taking off. The controllers there are really good. Made a Piper Archer fit into their flow with no more than maybe 15 seconds of normal flow delay.
FBO was also fantastic, the added $40 you pay in added fuel cost or fee (waived with fuel) and $5 landing fee is well worth the time saved and cost of ubering from the next nearest field.
VFR clearance out took a moment to get, but total time to get off the ground was about the same as my local class D airport.
Anyway I was impressed enough by the efficiency and welcome feel that airport gave me to write a Pirep on here. If San Diego is your destination and the big airport is the closest airport, don't be afraid to use it.

 

[mtuomi]

I've had 100% same experience with KSAN. It's a great class B.

 

[asicer]

Touched down just as the Southwest jet in front of me left the runway.

No wake turbulence concerns?

 

[N1120A]

Another reason we need to keep our ATC system as it is.

FBO was also fantastic, the added $40 you pay in added fuel cost or fee (waived with fuel) and $5 landing fee is well worth the time saved and cost of ubering from the next nearest field.

Only $40 more in fuel? So, I'm assuming you only took on about 20 gallons? Also, Ubers/Lyfts to/from MYF *the next nearest field) are less than the difference you are saying, and you don't save a whole lot of time (I live in the Marina District and it isn't a big difference between getting to MYF and SAN, due to the traffic actually getting in and out of SAN). I totally appreciate that flying into big airports is a lot of fun and rewarding, but people shouldn't be mislead about the costs. Also, the difference in the Uber price is ~$6-8 between SAN and MYF for a ride downtown. The MYF FBOs have crew cars as well.

I've had 100% same experience with KSAN. It's a great class B.

The San Diego Class Bravo is such a pleasure to fly in. Tons of GA, great airports, ATC always willing to help. I've never had a situation where SoCal didn't immediately clear me through the Class Bravo VFR. They want you talking to them, as it adds to safety, and they provide you with near IFR levels of service. That is important in an area with such busy airspace, full of people doing flight training and old school pilots that hate talking to anyone.

No wake turbulence concerns?

Just land past the PAPIs and above glideslope and you should be fine.

 

[TheGolfPilot]

Another reason we need to keep our ATC system as it is.



Only $40 more in fuel? So, I'm assuming you only took on about 20 gallons? Also, Ubers/Lyfts to/from MYF *the next nearest field) are less than the difference you are saying, and you don't save a whole lot of time (I live in the Marina District and it isn't a big difference between getting to MYF and SAN, due to the traffic actually getting in and out of SAN). I totally appreciate that flying into big airports is a lot of fun and rewarding, but people shouldn't be mislead about the costs. Also, the difference in the Uber price is ~$6-8 between SAN and MYF for a ride downtown. The MYF FBOs have crew cars as well.



The San Diego Class Bravo is such a pleasure to fly in. Tons of GA, great airports, ATC always willing to help. I've never had a situation where SoCal didn't immediately clear me through the Class Bravo VFR. They want you talking to them, as it adds to safety, and they provide you with near IFR levels of service. That is important in an area with such busy airspace, full of people doing flight training and old school pilots that hate talking to anyone.



Just land past the PAPIs and above glideslope and you should be fine.

My Archer burned 28 gallons of gas to get there so yes, a little more than 20 gallons of fuel. Meeting was a 6 minute Lyft ride from signature. Google maps suggests 17 minutes right now from Montgomery, at 9am in the morning I’m sure that would push to 30. Being that I was only there for about 3 hours, 6 minutes vs 20-30 makes a difference.
I went to Scottsdale this weekend and I have a whole different opinion about that signature... I’ll save that for another day but let’s just say I’ll be using a different fbo next time.

 

[N1120A]

My Archer burned 28 gallons of gas to get there so yes, a little more than 20 gallons of fuel. Meeting was a 6 minute Lyft ride from signature. Google maps suggests 17 minutes right now from Montgomery, at 9am in the morning I’m sure that would push to 30. Being that I was only there for about 3 hours, 6 minutes vs 20-30 makes a difference.
I went to Scottsdale this weekend and I have a whole different opinion about that signature... I’ll save that for another day but let’s just say I’ll be using a different fbo next time.

Nice fuel flow from (CCR? LVK?). I'm impressed the time difference was that much - also, remember that San Diego traffic is pretty limited to narrow rush hours (not the LAX massive shoulder rushes) and primarily unidirectional. It is showing a 6 minute delta in favor of Signature compared to the location of transient parking at MYF (maybe 30 seconds closer to Gibbs) right now. Also, I was under the impression that the landing fee is more than $5.

Speaking of SDL, how is their transient parking situation? I'd like to head in there.

 

[TheGolfPilot]

Nice fuel flow from (CCR? LVK?). I'm impressed the time difference was that much - also, remember that San Diego traffic is pretty limited to narrow rush hours (not the LAX massive shoulder rushes) and primarily unidirectional. It is showing a 6 minute delta in favor of Signature compared to the location of transient parking at MYF (maybe 30 seconds closer to Gibbs) right now. Also, I was under the impression that the landing fee is more than $5.

Speaking of SDL, how is their transient parking situation? I'd like to head in there.

Went Cameron park to San Diego at 11500’ made ~150 knots GS the whole way there! Transponder was seconds over 3 hours landing at San In a piper Archer I think that was really good!

Last time I was there I used Montgomery but my destination was closer to there. Honestly, I’m using the plane for business stuff and the Archer is super economical so paying a few bucks more to save a few minutes lost by not having a faster plane works. Anyway, everything at San Diego’s signature was waived with my fuel purchase. It wasn’t an overnight so maybe that costs more.

Took a club 182RG to Scottsdale. Made 3 hours there and 3.5 back from Modesto. Got really lucky with winds on that journey... I needed a rental car for two days and signature made that easy. They charged astronomical prices though. I really should have asked pricing and shopped it but have never had problems with gouging at a Signature before... Maybe Ross Aviation is better, There might even be a free transient ramp, I don’t know. Whole airport kind of gave me the feeling that if you aren’t being propelled by jet engines you aren’t really welcome.

 

[N1120A]

... Maybe Ross Aviation is better, There might even be a free transient ramp, I don’t know. Whole airport kind of gave me the feeling that if you aren’t being propelled by jet engines you aren’t really welcome.

If it is the same Ross as LGB, and they treat people the same, you definitely should give them a try. Ross at LGB parked me between Roger Penske's Gulfstream and the Kaiserair 737 and laid out the red carpet (literally, probably recycled from when United did that ). Really great service.

Of course, Phoenix is infamous with their love/hate treatment of GA. I know it has gotten better since the Falcon Field Superstition Mountains debacle, but still you'd think that an area that has so much flight training would be a lot more accommodating.