Last day to fly the old SFO Bravo

NordicDave

NordicDave

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NordicDave
New SFO Bravo airspace starts tomorrow 8/16/2018. Enjoy the last day of the ole wedding cake Bravo, because the new one looks like it was run over by a truck.

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All the pre-solo written PPL tests at flights schools in the Bay Area have a question "describe SFO Bravo airspace". No longer a simple answer of an upside down wedding cake 30 miles across, requiring instructor endorsement for entry in accordance with FAR/AIM rules. :7)
 
There is actually a lot of good stuff for Bay Area VFR pilots in the revision; the VFR transition routes and flyways are going to make getting around much easier.

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This is what it looks like on my Aera 660.
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So glad I didn't start my flight training when I lived in San Jose, and instead waited until I moved back to Denver.

Drinking from the fire hose is quite enough when learning to fly. I don't also need to be whipped, tied up, and strangled by the hose also.
 
Yet another good reason to file IFR! :)
 
Agree with Stan, it will make life easier for VFR in several places. However it's really challenging to see through the clutter. I liked the old Brave boundaries in heavier blue lines rather than the new thinner Blue.

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New SFO Bravo Flyways. These are now formalized from prior informal VFR airway. Flight following is not required, but altitude assignment from NorCal is required before entering.

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How easy is this....? Flight schools around here will be dishing out solo Bravo endorsements like Halloween candy.:)

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I noticed that ForeFlight intermittently displays the VFR airways on the peninsula side of the new SFO Bravo airspace. Waiting to hear back from ForeFlight from pics I sent them around lunch.
 
NordicDave said:
Flight following is not required, but altitude assignment from NorCal is required before entering.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, when can you be in class Charlie, talking to ATC (since you have to get an altitude assignment and because it's a Charlie requirement), in radar coverage (from the looks of your chart) and not be on flight following?
 
The ATC rep who spoke to our group said "We really prefer all traffic in our coverage area to be talking to us and on flight following".

There are the VFR Airways noted by the magenta arrows, that must receive clearance and remain in communication with ATC.

The VFR Flyways on the coast and east-west in the South Bay are outside Bravo and communication with ATC is not required. Radar coverage is spotty below 3500' along the coast, and ATC would rather see the traffic on radar and be on flight following.

VFR Flyways over the Bay, transition mid-span of the Dumbarton Bridge and have 2 branches to the north and 2 to the south. There's a requirement to be in contact with KOAK tower for Charlie clearance, and to expect mid-field transitions at 2000'. ATC said they prefer this traffic is on flight following for automatic data hand-off to KOAK tower, especially if transitioning through the area over Oakland.

He said outside (including under) Bravo, pilots can follow FAR's for contacting the authority governing the airspace, but they would rather be involve and help with the transitions.
 
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FWIW, of the five VFR routes through LAX Bravo near the airport, four (Coliseum Route, Hollywood Park Route, Mini Route, and Coastal Route) require ATC clearance. The "Los Angeles Special Flight Rules Area" is the only one that doesn't require ATC clearance, but does require squawking 1201 and monitoring/position reporting on 128.55 air-to-air to other pilots is recommended.
 
I noticed there are now VFR Transition routes along the coast which require ATC clearance. Is flying these routes mandatory when I want to fly up the coast, or can I fly under them and thus not have to talk with ATC?
 
Robbie said:
I noticed there are now VFR Transition routes along the coast which require ATC clearance. Is flying these routes mandatory when I want to fly up the coast, or can I fly under them and thus not have to talk with ATC?
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I believe the Coastline and Pacifica VFR Transition Routes (magenta outline arrows with arrowheads on both ends) require ATC clearance because the altitudes assigned to maintain radar coverage are inside SFO Bravo. The VFR Flyway along the coast (broad light blue line) shows altitudes to be flown to stay under SFO Bravo (Below 2000, Below 3000, Below 1600) and therefore does not require ATC clearance.
 
NordicDave said:
VFR Flyways over the Bay, transition mid-span of the Dumbarton Bridge and have 2 branches to the north and 2 to the south.
Click to expand...
That's the mid-span of the San Mateo Bridge, not the Dumbarton.

There's a requirement to be in contact with KOAK tower for Charlie clearance, and to expect mid-field transitions at 2000'.
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While it's true that you have to be in ATC contact to be in charlie airspace, there's no such thing as a charlie clearance. Along those routes, they give you instructions, not clearances.
 
It will take some getting used to, that's for sure! And until then, careful planning.
 
Robbie said:
I noticed there are now VFR Transition routes along the coast which require ATC clearance. Is flying these routes mandatory when I want to fly up the coast, or can I fly under them and thus not have to talk with ATC?
Click to expand...

Stan Cooper said:
I believe the Coastline and Pacifica VFR Transition Routes (magenta outline arrows with arrowheads on both ends) require ATC clearance because the altitudes assigned to maintain radar coverage are inside SFO Bravo. The VFR Flyway along the coast (broad light blue line) shows altitudes to be flown to stay under SFO Bravo (Below 2000, Below 3000, Below 1600) and therefore does not require ATC clearance.
Click to expand...

Stan is correct.
 
TRocket said:
Wow that looks like a mess....
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It's actually 90% the same as current practice. Those transitions and the flyway are actually just formal names for stuff we fly here all the time. If you've done a tower Bay Tour, you've done the Bayshore Transition. If you've done a Bravo transition with NorCal, you've probably done something like the Pacifica. If you've done the Oakland transition, it's exactly the same as the Bayview Flyway.

Locals already know these routes. Now, thankfully, they're charted, so even non-locals have a chance. Each of these transitions used to be very challenging if you weren't local. Do you know where the Bayshore Freeway is and what it looks like from the air? How about 280? 680? Toll Plaza? Millbrae BART station? Candlestick point? Oakland Colosseum? (At least the mid-span of the San Mateo Bridge is VPMID. And if you can't stay north of the Bay Bridge, you should probably not be flying.)

I've been hoping for named transitions for a long time. I'm very, very happy they now exist. The Bravo is also now significantly smaller, another good thing.
 
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