Student pilot going to San Fran

C

Carlito

Filing Flight Plan
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Jun 13, 2018
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Carlo.No_s
Hi all-

Semi new around here. I started my PPL journey a couple months ago and am well on my way. I’m flying out of KHWO near Miami, FL and couldn’t be happier with the school and my instructor.

In a couple weeks I am heading to a wedding in San Francisco and thought I would take the opportunity to take a plane ride.

My question is, is there any benefit to being a student and letting a flight school know vs just taking a discovery flight?

Also, any recommendations for places near the city one could go for such a thing??

Thank you in advance!
Carlo


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Call Jeff at Advantage Aviation in Palo Alto. Do the Bay Tour! Great experience flying through complicated airspace and seeing some awesome sights.
 
Here, get the lyrics down before you go.

 
Yes!!
Do the Bay Tour.
Fun at 5 hours or 50000 hours.
 
If you are gonna pay for the time, get some instruction outta it. SFO is some busy airspace. I would hire a CFI and plane for a few hours to combine the Bay Tour with Dual to learn some ins and outs of complex airspace and navigation.

I do not have first hand recommendations but OAK, HWD, SQL, PAO all have flight schools.
 
Just tell them what you want to do. Most schools limit discovery flights to .5 Hobbs. Won’t really be able to enjoy it on a restricted timeframe.
 
If you’re staying in SF, the closest schools with plenty of CFIs are West Valley Flying Club and San Carlos Flight Center at KSQL. Just give them a call and ask them this very question. They will connect you with their CFIs.

I also recommend the Bay Tour but be aware that while your departure airport might have blue sky, downtown SF and the Golden Gate Bridge might be under the marine layer. I cut my last two Bay tours short because of this.


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TommyG said:
Just tell them what you want to do. Most schools limit discovery flights to .5 Hobbs. Won’t really be able to enjoy it on a restricted timeframe.
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Ours does Discovery flights for as long as one wants, starting at :30, which is a waste as you get airborne and a few miles away from the airport and have to head back.
 
If the flight is going to be on or soon after August 16th then I would screen the CFI very carefully
Everskyward said:
Easy site for determining the past and present location of fog. It obviously works better when higher clouds are scarce.

http://fog.today
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Whoa. Since when did 5 letter domain names become a thing?
 
I also vote for being up-front and just ask for an instructor to accompany you on a bay tour. That way, there will not be extra charges for passengers (if in a 4-seater), etc. Will also spare you the lesson on pre-flighting, etc. I don't think the cost will be any different and there will not be pressure to come back when you aren't ready. If your intent is to enjoy the scenery, don't ask for a lesson. Otherwise, you'll wind up at a practice area instead of being over the bay.

If you're staying in the East Bay, check out California Airways at the Hayward (KHWD) airport.

Enjoy!
 
DO NOT ask for a discovery flight.

You're not a prospective student for them, and you need no discovery.

Instead, tell them you're a student pilot with X hours, pre or post solo, etc. and ask for a plane and instructor to do what you'd like.

Honesty will cost you more, but it is the right thing to do.
 
Only advice I have is careful not to step in the poo ;)
 
Tell them you are a student, visiting and want to go on a flight with an instructor. I did this in Scottsdale, although I'm not a student, I didn't want to get checked out, so I asked for an instructor and an airplane. Flew from Scottsdale to Sedona, had lunch and flew back, she let me do all the flying, it was a blast.
 
“Bay Tour”, yes. This is the ATC terminology for flying scenic around SF and Oakland. A pacific coast flight is also scenic, and less pilot work, subject to the same constraints in next paragraph.

As already mentioned, consider the weather. If the summer fog doesn’t lift, your view doesn’t change. You’ll miss what’s worth seeing: SF, GG bridge, Alcatraz, Pacific coastline. Our visible moisture looks just like everybody else’s, but costs more.

The rules are a little confusing (what’s new?) about taking a lesson so that the flight doesn’t get classified by FAA as a charter. Flight clubs have the most planes+pilots at best prices, but aren’t charter ops. If you don’t join the club, you are limited to, like, one discovery flight. (Are they duration limited by FAA? IDK. Probably just to cap price. A discovery just shows you what flying is like and they’ll take you to a practice area and back.) Joining a club for the month might still be cheaper than paying for a legit charter flight. So, clarify all that with operator.

There was a sea plane charter tour operation in Sausalito. I don’t know more than what’s on their website (if it’s still there.) I can recommend Advantage Aviation at Palo Alto as one club option.

Any respectable instructor will accommodate your ability level and let you do as much as you are capable of. Why would you, as an aspiring pilot, want to watch someone else drive the plane? Doing so would not diminish your enjoyment of the view.

Expect to operate the controls, but likely turn over comms to instructor to get through SFO Bravo. I’ve got 170 Hrs and typically can’t keep pace with ATC when they’re busy - which they will be when it’s foggy. I did this Wednesday and listened to an airline pilot being given a number to call for busting a departure procedure. So, don’t feel ashamed if you can’t handle it yet either!
 
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Compared to Palo Alto Airport, San Carlos Airport is about 7nm closer to the Golden Gate Bridge (and driving-wise, also closer to SFO if that’s where you’re flying into). Depending on time of day, the extra drive time to Palo Alto is not insignificant.
 
delta727 said:
Compared to Palo Alto Airport, San Carlos Airport is about 7nm closer to the Golden Gate Bridge (and driving-wise, also closer to SFO if that’s where you’re flying into). Depending on time of day, the extra drive time to Palo Alto is not insignificant.
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If going to San Carlos I recommend getting the VFR clearance text beforehand, write it down so you have it. It’s so long my radio will cut off thinking I have a stuck mic if I don’t speak quickly enough.
 
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