Whiteman (KWHP) practice area

[e_schweezy]

Flying into KWHP this weekend from Montgomery and looking to do some maneuver training nearby. Anyone have gouge on a decent place to practice some low level commercial stuff ? The chart has some verbiage about areas up by Santa Clarita but I'd really appreciate some experienced insight.
Thanks!

 

[G-force]

Over SCV is where students practice, but there is not a whole lot of open space where you would not spook people is you wanted to get really low. I would head west of the Magic Mountain amusement park (VPLMM) its all farm land to Santa Paula. Note That that area is a wavered acrobatic airspace, you occationally get guys from Van Nuys in the area. Between Santa Paula and Fillmore, the school out of Santa Paula is flying Decathalons and Citabrias daily doing acro. If you stayed ajacent Piru lake, I rarely see people maneuvering that far East. Some info from CP's website: https://www.cpaviation.com/resources/local-flying

 

[Vance Breese]

You can always pop over the hill to the high desert past Palmdale.
Fox field (WJF) and Sothern California Logistics (VCV) are both nice places to train.
There are a lot of unmanned aircraft out there.

 

[e_schweezy]

Between all of the acro and unmanned I'm inclined to stay in the pattern since it'll be my first time out there and solo. Thank you for the info though!

 

[Vance Breese]

The pattern at WHP may be a little congested and restrained by its proximity to VNY and BUR.

There are nearby mountains with lots of power lines.

The tower has always been very helpful and given me whatever I asked for.

The nearby Newhall pass can make for some interesting winds.

It is not a place I would do pattern work solo if unfamiliar with the area.

 

[SkyDog58]

Gouge?

 

[G-force]

Between all of the acro and unmanned I'm inclined to stay in the pattern since it'll be my first time out there and solo. Thank you for the info though!

FYI if you do stay in the pattern, they are one of those airports where the tower wants you to report down wind,mid field (ajacent to the tower) since there is a small hill in between those two points They will usually give you landing clearance at that point, or just acknowledge you if working other traffic.

re: unmanned aircraft: I've been flying this area for 3 years and have never seen an unmanned aircraft so I don't feel it common. If your going to be maneuvering in the same area for a while, it would be prudent to get local advisories (flight following) with So cal or Magu.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

re: unmanned aircraft: I've been flying this area for 3 years and have never seen an unmanned aircraft so I don't feel it common. If your going to be maneuvering in the same area for a while, it would be prudent to get local advisories (flight following) with So cal or Magu.

Likewise. I did 40 hours of Phase 1 flying near there (VCV, Apple Valley and environs) and never a sighting.

 

[mr_happyland]

Likewise. I did 40 hours of Phase 1 flying near there (VCV, Apple Valley and environs) and never a sighting.

I was flying westbound IFR from Vegas back to WHP about a month ago over Apple Valley at 8000 (VMC) and picked up traffic (ADSB) at exact same altitude opposite direction headed straight towards me on the airway. I asked ATC if they saw the same thing...ATC then made a call to the inbound traffic....it was a UAV with a chase plane behind it. He asked them to descend 500 and for me to turn left 10 degrees. Sure enough...minutes later the UAV passed about a mile off my wing. I have seen several others in the past but that one really got my attention.

As far as doing low-level near WHP...I would agree that flying out to desert around Lancaster would be the place to go...tons of places to put it down and not too much going on out there.

 

[N1120A]

From WHP, you are like 10-15 minutes from any of the 3 CMA/OXR practice areas. While the Mugu Approach controllers can sometimes be a bit curt, they are usually willing to provide local maneuvers separation and do it with an exceptional standard of professionalism. Just make sure to only cold call with your call sign and nothing else, and always respond to their radio calls. I did most of my training over the water near Ventura Harbor - usually between 3500 and 5500 feet. Usually smooth air and a decent place to do a power off emergency landing into OXR, if they aren't busy (they usually aren't, and are really great). The other areas are over the valley headed toward SZP, but not past SZP, and over the Santa Rosa Valley, just to the left of the CMA approach path. That valley headed toward SZP is pretty bumpy, so good training for dealing with that, and also has a bunch of farms and roads you can use for turns around a point.