Moving to Lancaster, CA, can anyone give me a PIREP on the area?

MarkH

MarkH

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MarkH
I just accepted a job on that side of the country and will be moving from Atlanta to Lancaster next month. I'm a little concerned about giving up the flying clubs and CFI access I have now, but I'm excited about the job, and the 350 VFR days per year.

I'll be getting rid of everything that doesn't fit in my car (which I will ship) or my Yankee (which I will be flying over, at least I will get my Commercial XC out of it).

Can anyone in the area give me the lay of the land (from a GA perspective) of Lancaster?
 
I'm not so sure you'll get to use the 350 VFR days a year. Lancaster is in the high desert of Southern California. So it gets really hot in the summer, and below freezing in the winter. It's just past Palmdale if coming from Los Angeles, and it's picked-up quite a lot in the last 15 years where it's less of a sleepy town and blossomed into a city.

You'll most definitely get to practice your rudder skills as the winds can pick up out there (as with most SouthWest deserts, fly early in the day. You'll get thermals and some pretty good crosswinds later in the day and evening.)

You're out of the Mode C veil and will generally have good airspace to fly around in (just watch out for restricted airspace over Edwards and other areas) and you'll be setup to have a straight shot up the California Central Valley. About 140 nm north west is Harris Ranch (3O8) where if you can hold your breath (cow field), you can land in their airstrip and have some pretty tasty steak, and fly back after.

https://www.harrisranch.com/

Hope that helps!
 
Well, your close to Mojave Spaceport.....

Also, you'll get really good at flying in windy conditions.

Your reasonable flying distance from LA, Vegas, Palm Springs.

Are they paying you well???

Sorry for the smart a** comments. Hopefully someone will be along to say something positive!
 
MarkH said:
I just accepted a job on that side of the country and will be moving from Atlanta to Lancaster next month. I'm a little concerned about giving up the flying clubs and CFI access I have now, but I'm excited about the job, and the 350 VFR days per year.

I'll be getting rid of everything that doesn't fit in my car (which I will ship) or my Yankee (which I will be flying over, at least I will get my Commercial XC out of it).

Can anyone in the area give me the lay of the land (from a GA perspective) of Lancaster?
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Lotsa VFR days but like said above, the winds can get breezy enough many of those days to make you think twice about flying. Google Santa Ana Winds. But still lots of good flying days. I lived there for 20 years. Your within a day trip of a lot of interesting flying. Wanna go play in a Bravo? The Los Angeles is one you can fly through a lot without having to go around, over or under. Lots of destinations close by with aviation ‘soul.’ Your a couple hours away from both the highest place in the lower 48 and the lowest. Lots of interesting ‘geology’ to look at.
You’re going to get some ‘culture shock’ moving there from Atlanta. Don’t lock yourself into a long term lease before you get the lay of the land.
 
Pilawt said:
Fox Field is a fine airport with a good café on field. There are plenty of interesting places to fly and some amazing scenery within an hour or two of WJF.
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General Fox Field (KWJF) is my go-to airport for refueling when I'm flying from Northern California to Palm Springs or further east. I've lived in Barstow while working at NASA Goldstone and Ridgecrest while working at China Lake, and fell in love with the high desert. Lancaster is close to both Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley for a change of scenery on weekends, and Edwards AFB, Mojave (Burt Rutan's stomping grounds), and Palmdale are all close neighbors. Moving from Hotlanta will be a culture shock though.
 
I thought the SpaceX guys at Mojave had a big flying club? Look around - I’m pretty sure there’s something. There are also some big glider clubs and excellent glider flying conditions, both thermal in the desert and mountain wave in the Sierra. Glider flying is ridiculous fun if you’ve never done it.

Yeah, Lancaster is not my favorite place, but I’d keep a good attitude and poke around - if you’re creative you’ll realize it’s close to some amazing stuff (Sierra, Death Valley, glider flying, Alabama Hills, Joshua Tree, Mojave Desert, etc).

PS, it does get windy, but if you fly before noon you probably will, in fact, have good flying conditions almost every day of the year minus Santa Ana conditions. I wouldn’t be too discouraged by all the comments. You’ll become an expert in mountain wave and mountain turbulence and flying the Owens, which is a trip in and of itself.
 
When I was visiting Edwards AFB a lot back in the day, we used to call it Landscatter. Like everything else in CA, it has grown a lot. One thing that will be better is the humidity will be a great change from Atlanta.

Good luck

Cheers
 
There's a lot of interesting aviation history in the area, what with Edwards AFB and Mojave right there. Take advantage of it, I didn't appreciate all the history when I was there - but I was a young Lt then doing what young Lt's do...
 
Stan Cooper said:
General Fox Field (KWJF) is my go-to airport for refueling when I'm flying from Northern California to Palm Springs or further east. I've lived in Barstow while working at NASA Goldstone and Ridgecrest while working at China Lake, and fell in love with the high desert. Lancaster is close to both Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley for a change of scenery on weekends, and Edwards AFB, Mojave (Burt Rutan's stomping grounds), and Palmdale are all close neighbors. Moving from Hotlanta will be a culture shock though.
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I used to have plane hangared at Fox. Think of Tehachapi KTSP or Rosamond L00. If I needed more than about 25 gallons or so I was money ahead flying up to one of those to gas up.
 
Did you research Lancaster Before deciding to move there? It can get pretty sketchy. If you don’t mind driving, the Santa Clarita Area has a better quality of life and not too far away. Not flying related, but wanted to mention it.
 
X3 Skier said:
When I was visiting Edwards AFB a lot back in the day, we used to call it Landscatter. Like everything else in CA, it has grown a lot. One thing that will be better is the humidity will be a great change from Atlanta.

Good luck

Cheers
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Was back in the day the mid to late 80’s? My joke was they scattered house seeds then fertilized and watered. There must have been close to a thousand houses under construction.
 
SC777 said:
Did you research Lancaster Before deciding to move there? It can get pretty sketchy. If you don’t mind driving, the Santa Clarita Area has a better quality of life and not too far away. Not flying related, but wanted to mention it.
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Is that you at Willow Springs?
 
Saying you're moving from Atlanta to Los Angeles is kind of non-informative. Where in Atlanta were you? Plenty of people here know Los Angeles, and nobody with a clue includes Lancaster in their LA opinions. I'm sure Hotlanta has the same historical perspectives of various parts of the Peach State.
 
SC777 said:
Did you research Lancaster Before deciding to move there? It can get pretty sketchy. If you don’t mind driving, the Santa Clarita Area has a better quality of life and not too far away. Not flying related, but wanted to mention it.
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I've done a little research, but my initial move is going to be somewhere temporary while I get a feel for the area. I've never actually been to southern California, so I want to learn a bit more about the area before I sign a lease.
 
MarkH said:
I've done a little research, but my initial move is going to be somewhere temporary while I get a feel for the area. I've never actually been to southern California, so I want to learn a bit more about the area before I sign a lease.
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Lancaster is hotter than hell’s armpit in the summer. Snows in the winter. Check the crime stats before you sign a lease.... The Santa Clarita Valley Area is still hot and dry in the summer but a few degrees less than Lancaster but a much nicer area. About a 45min commute (which is good by SoCal standards). Plus you’re a short drive on the 126 Fwy to the beach, with Camarillo, Oxnard and Santa Paula airports in your backyard.
 
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Stan Cooper said:
General Fox Field (KWJF) is my go-to airport for refueling when I'm flying from Northern California to Palm Springs or further east. I've lived in Barstow while working at NASA Goldstone and Ridgecrest while working at China Lake, and fell in love with the high desert. Lancaster is close to both Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley for a change of scenery on weekends, and Edwards AFB, Mojave (Burt Rutan's stomping grounds), and Palmdale are all close neighbors. Moving from Hotlanta will be a culture shock though.
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I spent at day at Goldstone....that was enough. When I was at Ridgecrest (fortunately, only a couple days), going thru the phone book (remember those?) there were more bars and substance abuse offices than anything else.
 
Everything said so far seems about right. Flying should be mostly good if bumpy on hot or windy days. OTH that entire region is, in my opinion, very ugly. But that is a subjective issue.
 
luvflyin said:
Was back in the day the mid to late 80’s? My joke was they scattered house seeds then fertilized and watered. There must have been close to a thousand houses under construction.
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I spent a lot of time out at Eddie AFB in the late 80’s. Lancaster and Palmdale has changed a lot! One thing is the same, hotter than hell in August. My shoes used to stick to the tarmac while visiting South
Base!
 
Do you have a choice?

ETA: It's definitely better now than when it used to be just another wide spot on the Sierra Highway. EDW was one of the few dets where we actually wanted base housing.

Nauga,
and the desert yeti
 
murphey said:
I spent at day at Goldstone....that was enough. When I was at Ridgecrest (fortunately, only a couple days), going thru the phone book (remember those?) there were more bars and substance abuse offices than anything else.
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I was at China Lake in 1965 doing infrared countermeasures work and Goldstone in 1966-1968 working on Lunar Orbiter and Surveyor. This was probably when the substance abuse problem was still in the shadows. There was pot around, but I was unaware of any hard drug use among the people I knew either place.
 
WJF is a pretty good GA friendly airport. County hangars are completely unavailable (I've been on the wait list for 2 years). Tie down is $55/mo. There is a private outfit renting out some hangars here, but last I checked their prices were pretty high (can't seem to find their website now). Decent on-field MX availability, and affordable gas within close flying range. They're currently resurfacing their runway, doing half at a time, so we're down to ~3000' useable, definitely not an issue for you.

The winds can get pretty bad out here. I've had to scrub quite a few flights, but prevailing winds are usually within 30° of runway heading.

Palmdale/Lancaster is part of LA county, so we're under some more stringent lockdown rules right now, and they're talking about keeping them in place until July.

General rule of thumb for picking where to live....stay west of CA-14.
 
As you can infer from other's comments, Lancaster has a bit of a reputation... You are at least within easy flying distance to nicer places all through the SoCal area, including Santa Barbara, SLO, San Diego, Santa Monica, etc. Tehachapi has cheap gas right now and there seems to be a good glider community in that area with Tehachapi and Mountain Valley airports. Fox field has a diner as does Mojave I think. yeah it's terribly hot in the summer and it does get cold in the winter- it is the high desert. You are not that far from Mammoth (fly or drive) which is incredible. If you don't mind driving a little, Santa Clarita is a nicer place to live- probably more expensive but you're going opposite traffic to go to Lancaster.
 
Breaking Bad could have been filmed in Lancaster.

I dislike Atlanta intensely, but probably would not have made that trade without significant wampum and a firm exit date.
 
Walboy said:
After crossing the Tehachapi Pass from west to east one fine late May day and turning south toward Lancaster to avoid the restricted area to the east, I suffered through the worst turbulence I have ever experienced that lasted all the way to Apple Valley. So much so, I almost decided I was finished with flying...forever.
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This. I had the same experience. But I still go to and over that area. In fact i flew over that area yesterday and it was pleasant. Usually a lot of military traffic out there including reaper drones, from private airfields to the east. One thing I noticed is the countless dirt strips on people's property. If you want to buy a plot of land and build your strip, that area is to do it.
 
One thing not mentioned yet is the occasional sandstorm. The high winds will whip that up and kill visibility...and paint jobs. Any plane you move to the area, I'd think about having in a hangar or having a full aircraft cover. Hangar would help with the sun devastating your interior and avionics, too. At a minimum, never forget to cover up the canopy on the Yankee after flight. With all that greenhouse, you'll definitely thank yourself the next time you fly it.
 
How about Rosamond Airpark as a base? I’ve never flown there but met somebody who lives on the field and seems to like it.

When riding my motorcycle through that area, I take the road from Palmdale past Lake Hughes, which gets you up on elevation a bit.

Where to live depends of course on where you’ll be commuting. Years ago I helped a guy get a job in Adelanto and he ended up living up in the mountains in Wrightwood. As others had said, it may take some imagination to come up with the best place to live while working a job in the high desert.
 
Walboy said:
After crossing the Tehachapi Pass from west to east one fine late May day and turning south toward Lancaster to avoid the restricted area to the east, I suffered through the worst turbulence I have ever experienced that lasted all the way to Apple Valley. So much so, I almost decided I was finished with flying...forever.
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Mountain waves? There is a reason the hills near Tehachapi are covered with wind turbines. Just about everywhere in Southern CA experiences high winds at times - even where I live near the ocean. Here we have "Sundowners" -
sometimes up to hurricane-force offshore winds with a clear sky. OTOH they are pretty good at forecasting winds - so pay attention. In general, when flying over the mountains and desert, altitude is your friend. Fly high if you can.

Dave
 
Temperatures can get over 125 degrees but don’t worry, it’s a dry heat!
Used to go shooting and dirt bike riding in Palmdale/Lancaster in the 1980’s before the place got crowded. Check the crime rate if you’re really serious about moving there.
 
MarkH said:
I just accepted a job on that side of the country and will be moving from Atlanta to Lancaster next month. I'm a little concerned about giving up the flying clubs and CFI access I have now, but I'm excited about the job, and the 350 VFR days per year.

I'll be getting rid of everything that doesn't fit in my car (which I will ship) or my Yankee (which I will be flying over, at least I will get my Commercial XC out of it).

Can anyone in the area give me the lay of the land (from a GA perspective) of Lancaster?
Click to expand...
MarkH said:
I just accepted a job on that side of the country and will be moving from Atlanta to Lancaster next month. I'm a little concerned about giving up the flying clubs and CFI access I have now, but I'm excited about the job, and the 350 VFR days per year.

I'll be getting rid of everything that doesn't fit in my car (which I will ship) or my Yankee (which I will be flying over, at least I will get my Commercial XC out of it).

Can anyone in the area give me the lay of the land (from a GA perspective) of Lancaster?
Click to expand...
Just to tag on to some of the other answers, Palmdale and Lancaster is very spotty for decent places to live. Higher rate of crime than some of the other places mentioned. Another place to check out is Acton and Agua Dulce. Closer than Santa Clarita and more affordable. Lots of horse properties there and bigger lots for decent prices. Still in the high desert, but usually 10-15 degrees cooler in the summer.

In addition to Fox field, Whitman and Van Nuys are a comfortable drive non-rush hours.
 
Stan Cooper said:
I was at China Lake in 1965 doing infrared countermeasures work and Goldstone in 1966-1968 working on Lunar Orbiter and Surveyor. This was probably when the substance abuse problem was still in the shadows. There was pot around, but I was unaware of any hard drug use among the people I knew either place.
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Dang, Stan!! Didn't you have an interesting career!

Gary Welch here, from the Zenith crowd.
 
Lived in Rosamond, just north of Lancaster, from 2004-2010. Worked in Mojave, and it was a fun place to fly. Fox field is decent, and Mojave is fun with all the experimental stuff there. Very hot in summer, reasonable in winter, get used to wind. Lots of cool destinations within a reasonable flight. Rosamond is in Kern county, which was better than LA county for a gun guy like me, but if that's not you Lancaster and Palmdale both have nicer areas. I don't regret the time I was there, but am glad to not be there anymore.

Patrick
 
psween said:
I don't regret the time I was there, but am glad to not be there anymore.
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I hear ya. It's called economic nomadism, and it's quintessentially American. Ask me how I know. Get in, get out, move on. One day the wife and I will land somewhere we actually enjoy, and not merely tolerate for economic duress reasons. Snowbirding sounds like the ticket for us, but I digress. Back to the OP's thread.
 
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