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Trip around Southern California in a Skyhawk

This year we planned on staying at home during the summer and enjoy our time here. I planned a couple of trips to the Frisian Sea after I had been checked out in the club´s Cirrus SR20. However, the weather was not on our side this year and all our flying trips had to be cancelled. So after a particularly rainy day in August we decided to spend our October vacation in California, one of our favorite places to visit. My girls would depart a few days ahead of me to visit friends in the SFO bay area, and after that we´d head south towards San Diego by car.
Since I completed my FAA certificate last year in Florida I was also looking to do my first trip around the US using this certificate. I would have five days available for flying, after the girls had gone back to Germany to go back to school and work. Looking after a good FBO, flight school or club to rent from I found a couple of good reports regarding Plus One Flyers, one of the country´s largest flying clubs located in San Diego. I set everything up via email and it worked out really fine, I can highly recommend those guys. Since I don´t have a high performance endorsement and wanted to keep the checkout process as simple as possible this time I decided to choose from one of the thirty or so C172s instead of a 182.
My tourist goal for this trip was to get from San Diego to Oakland to watch an NFL game, see the Castle Air Museum and the Sequoia National Park. Regarding the flying part I wanted to do some night flying for currency and cross the LAX airspace via the Mini route.


The trip to SFO began with a nice connecting flight in the jump seat of an A320. Thanks again to the crew who let me take this seat!


The northernmost point on the flight across the Atlantic was 75°N, Greenland was beautiful!


Alcatraz…and it was a perfect day for this!



It was the weekend of San Francisco Fleet week and on Alcatraz we were right in the middle of the TFR set up for the Naval Air Show! Sean Tucker flew circles around the parachute jumper opening the show with the American Flag.



Unfortunately there is no food on Alcatraz and my little girls were still jetlagged and not in the right mood to stay hungry for hours, getting burnt by the sun and among jets that were flying circles around them in afterburner. That´s why we changed location to Fisherman´s Wharf, at least there was food for them and still quite a good view. We got to see a Back to the future-DeLorian on the wate and the Canadian Snowbirds and the US Navy Blue Angels were great!


On the way to San Diego we spent a day at Knott´s Berry Farm, the oldest theme park in the US. We had a very nice day, but also got aware of the fire threat all over California. These fumes were created by a fire that had just started about one hour earlier. The fires also gave me headaches regarding my flight towards Oakland at the weekend since north of the Bay Area the worst wildfires in Californian history raged across the area west of Sacramento.

On Thursday I went to Montgomery Field, just north of downtown San Diego, to complete a Club briefing and do a checkout flight. Since for insurance reasons the club requires a BFR which is less than a year old I did this all in one flight. Jason, my instructor, was a very nice guy and he checked me out thoroughly. After a 1h+ session on the ground we set off for almost two hours in the Skyhawk, transiting the Class B airspace of Miramar Marine Corps Air Station (the former location of TOP GUN) and landing at Palomar and Ramona. After the return to Montgomery I was good to go by myself.


On Saturday morning I started to plan my flight early in the morning before dropping off the rest of the family at the SAN airport. The weather looked really nice for the almost 400 miles towards Concord, CA, which was my destination of this day.





For this flight, my first solo in the US, I planned to transit the LAX class B airspace via the Mini route. This is a published procedure that gets you across the airport at 2500ft, after obtaining the clearance by LAX tower. I had watched videos on Youtube to prepare for this, and this actually helped!


My ride for the trip would be this C172SP, N499DR.


This is how I did my flights. The Foreflight app on the Ipad proved to be invaluable, it´s really cool! Although I use SkyDemon back here I did not bother using it in the US. Foreflight can be linked up with DUATS, which enables you to get a legal briefing by packing it electronically for your flight. Also it shows the exact sectional chart you will also see on paper (mandatory for the LAX transitions) or skyvector.com (which is great to plan your flights).


So off I went to my first stop Los Banos, some 320NM away. Approaching the Pacific coastline at La Jolla, after departure from 28L at MYF.


Huntington Beach


The Queen Mary, a VFR reporting point


Approaching VPLSR, the junction between Hawthorne Blvd and the 405 Freeway, located just behind that prop blade. I had been in contact with SoCal approach to cross their class C airspace around John Wayne airport and there they already asked how I would like to get through the B at LAX. They coordinated ahead and I was subsequently sent to Hawthorne TWR, LAX TWR and after the crossing via Santa Monica TWR back to SoCal. With my professional background I have to say these guys are really good! One has to consider though that they have different rules than controllers in Europe do, but anyway, they do a great job and provide an awesome service!


On the 328 radial SMO AT! 2500ft.



LAX airport


Coming off the Mini Route this is Santa Monica Beach.


SMO, Santa Monica Airport


Heading northwest out of the LA basin towards the Gorman VOR I crossed the coastal ranges that reach an astonishing elevation. Approach reminded me of that high terrain, but it was in plain view. This would certainly not have been a routing to get night proficiency! On this part of route ATC got me confused with “9DR, say equipment”. I´ve never heard or done it myself in Europe (for a VFR flight), but for whatever reason he wanted to know what kind of nav equipment I had. Since the GPS didn´t have the current database I was VOR only, and I had actually planned this flight accordingly.


I crossed via the Tejon Pass, Interstate 5, at 6500ft. It shouldn´t have been much lower for my comfort level, but I didn´t want to go higher since we were at about ISA +20.


Panoche Hills Wilderness Area


And right on the other side the view towards the plains of the San Joaquin Valley


Some very nice groundspeed for a C172


On final approach for Los Banos


Self-service fuel station with pretty cheap avgas. Other than one gentleman flying with his Grumman Yankee the airport was deserted.
I went over to the Shell station with its associated food market to grab a little bite.


Tie-down fee at this place is 5$ per night, 34$ per month and it´s collected in this box. Fuel….self-serve, pay with credit card. Lights….key the mike seven times. Weather….Automated Weather Observation. What again do we need the “Flugleiter” for??


Tracy airport. I did a couple of landings there….because I felt like it!


Some more landings at Byron.


Passing overhead Buchanan Field, Concord, my destination for the day.


I used the opportunity for a sunset Bay tour with no low cloud cover. I had done this the previous year from Palo Alto, but then we had low clouds across the bay, obscuring the bridge.



Alcatraz



The Golden Gate Bridge with the San Francisco skyline in the background. It was beautiful! NorCal approach provided me with flight following, but there was virtually nobody around flying VFR over the Bay. Strange, given the beautiful Saturday evening.


I flew back to Concord, arriving shortly after sunset and did ten more patterns, going into the night for currency…and the beauty of it! There were still numerous other aircraft arriving with me hanging in the pattern and being cleared for the option every time. I finally landed and taxied to Pacific Aviation, my FBO for the weekend. The hotel was just on the other side of the fence, really convenient!

To be continued…

Last Edited by Caba at 20 Oct 23:32
EDFE, EDFZ, KMYF, Germany

What a great trip and thanks a lot for sharing it!

Caba wrote:

being cleared for the option every time

I have never heard of this back home but when I flew in Switzerland a couple of weeks ago I heard that they also use it. What exactly does it mean?
Does it mean that you are cleared what ever you intention was? Fullstop, touch and go, missed app?

Last Edited by Fly310 at 21 Oct 05:33
ESSZ, Sweden

Fly310 wrote:

Does it mean that you are cleared what ever you intention was? Fullstop, touch and go, missed app?

I also thought it was a US thing, but it is used in France as well. Means go-around or touch&go.

@Caba, your post reminds me happy times…

Last Edited by Aviathor at 21 Oct 08:39
LFPT, LFPN

Very nice! And thanks for the bridge pics, we waited for a week for the fog to clear on our US trip three years ago before we gave up

EDFM (Mannheim), Germany


Some uncommon planes could be seen at CCR. This Epic LT is now available as a certified airplane as I understand it. 320kts, 1600nm range, and looking good!


This HH46E is privately operated as part of the Vietnam Helicopter Museum.


On Sunday morning I departed for the short 20nm flight to Oakland International Airport. This is the Chabot Space and Science Center, a nice place to visit with your kids.


The Oakland Coliseum where I would watch the Raiders vs. Chargers game, the Oracle Arena in the background


Right base for 28R OAK. It was no big deal getting into this large airport, it was all very relaxed.


Signature was my FBO for the day, purchasing 7gal of fuel waived the 25$ ramp fee.


A number of crew cars are available, but I chose to walk the short way.


It was quite an experience seeing how those Raiders fans set up camp just next to the stadium with their big pickup trucks and large Weber grills. An NFL game seems to be an all-day family and friends affair.


The Coliseum has a capacity of about 55.000 seats.


And it was loud! Until the Raiders lost by a last second field goal!


Returning to the airport I had an hour to kill, but the Signature lounge was a good place for that. With that Gulfstream in the background I felt a little out of place, but everybody was very nice! Today I wanted to get my three landings 1hr after sunset which are required by the FAA in the previous 90 days when you want to carry passengers.


A nice sunset on the airport



After departing straight out from runway 28R you will pass overhead the former Alameda Naval Air Station and see the Oakland bridge and Treasure island on the left side.


San Francisco Bay with Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in the background


Night landing at Concord´s runway 19R


This is how it worked on all airports I visited. They are fenced, but pilots have access any time. You will find the code inside the gate or get it from somebody at the FBO. In my case I even got it from the receptionist at the hotel.


Before leaving Concord I had the airplane topped off and also added some oil, again waiving any ramp fee that otherwise would have been charged.


Departing to the southeast I passed Mount Diablo, 3800ft high. The smoke from the nearby fires could clearly be seen….and smelled!


The plains of the St. Joaquin Valley. 100 years ago, before the large irrigation systems were installed, this was a semi-desert area.


Castle Air Museum from the air


It has a collection of about 60 airplanes, ranging from WWII to the fighters of the 1980s and includes one of the remaining SR71 Blackbirds.


This was the most impressive one for me, a B36 Peacemaker with a 21-ton H-Bomb


It was powered by six 28-cylinder engines producing 22.800hp of power when they were all working. Which they were frequently not.


The former Castle Air Force Base has an 11.800ft runway and was one of the prime B52 air bases during the Cold War.


On my way to Harris Ranch I did a practice diversion to Firebaugh.


And some more landings at Johnston.


On final for Harris Ranch´s RWY32, just off the Interstate 5. One of the tips I got on this forum.


I was the only one visiting by plane at this time.


I found that one funny! All these empty Tesla charging stations and the Ford F150, representing the many, many big pickup trucks and SUVs you will see across the US, even in pioneering California. Makes me wonder what all the fuss regarding European car emissions is all about.


Of course I had forgotten this by the time I got my check. But the food was worth the normal price as well!


Since it was still early I decided to go to Visalia, about 70nm east, to see the General Sherman Tree in the Sequoia National Park on this day instead of Tuesday, as originally planned. These are large solar panel fields that I found on the way, just south of Lemoore.


There is an Enterprise rental car station on the Visalia airport and I was on my way for the 1.5hr-trip shortly after arrival. However, when entering the Sequoia Park I was told to expect a 2hr delay enroute due to construction work. I was not in the mood for that and instead returned to the airport to do some more night flying.


Both Mefford and Handford airports were just 10nm away from Visalia. They had pilot controlled lighting and working PAPIs, which was important to me having never been there before. Visalia´s PAPI was U/S, but since I knew this airport it was ok for me.


During my morning run the next morning I decided on the plan for the day. I would conclude my flying trip today going for Camarillo in the morning and ending the day at San Diego, via a night flight over Los Angeles.


I had to cross the coastal mountain ranges again, this time higher than on the way out at 8500ft. I cruise climbed all the way to keep temperatures within limits.


Once I passed the inversion the haze was past me and I enjoyed unlimited visibility. The air was also very smooth.


Large irrigation systems provide the water for agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley. In dollar terms, California is the largest agricultural state in the country.


Oil fields near Ford City. I was a bit surprised to see them here, but they actually produce almost 500.000 barrels a day in California.



Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge



Los Padres National Forest, also a Condor sanctuary. I cleared the 8800ft peaks comfortably but had to slam dunk down into Camarillo once clear of the mountains. For the first time a called an FSS on this flight, Hawthorne Radio, inquiring about the activity of military airspace and giving a PIREP.


On final for Camarillo´s RWY26. It´s a very busy GA airport, I had L39s flying around me, a bunch of Cessnas, some business jets and I even saw a DC3. I wanted to visit this airport for sentimental reasons. A friend departed for his last flight from here a few years ago. The Waypoint Cafe is the place to go at Camarillo. It´s a great restaurant just next to the transient parking area. I had a great lunch and enjoyed the great view there. The only downside was when I later found out the place had closed for the day at 1500, leaving me somewhat hungry before my flight back to Montgomery.


I spent the afternoon here. If you want to come here with your wife, be sure to bring along a C210 or similar, you might need it. This place is HUGE, even by American standards.


Since this would be a night flight along the Pacific coast I figured it was a good idea to have somebody looking for me in case I did not show up at Montgomery in time. I therefore called 1-800-WX-BRIEF for the first time, getting a briefing and filing a flight plan. I could have done it with Foreflight, but it probably have taken the same amount of time. I also wanted to know how the personal briefing works in the US. It was a good experience!


I departed Camarillo shortly after sunset to have enough light left to clear the Santa Monica mountains without hitting them. I planned to cross the LAX class B airspace via the Special Flight Rules Area. This basically is a route on the Santa Monica VOR 132 radial that you can fly without calling ATC at 3500ft or 4500ft, depending on direction. You will give position reports on CTAF instead. Incredible for someone accustomed to European style ATC, but it actually seems to work very well. I opened the flightplan via FSS and learnt another lesson…calling on 122.1 you will have to listen on the appropriate NAVAID to hear them! Only on 122.2 will you have 2-way communication. I learnt that from the books of course, but experiencing it is a different thing!


Approaching Santa Monica at 3500ft.


Marina del Rey / Venice Beach


LAX airport by night from 3500ft


Coming off the SFRA over the 405 freeway I started my climb towards 5500ft and got clearance for the B airspace by SoCal. They provided flight following for the rest of the flight.


John Wayne Airport


Oceanside, with the Maxwell airport visible in the center of the picture


And then the adventure was over, after touching down on Montgomery´s RWY28R, the last landing of the trip. I closed my flightplan via radio and this was it.


I spent Wednesday at Coronado Beach and also visited the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier set up as a museum, anchoring at its pier near downtown San Diego. It´s definitely worth the visit. Plan four hours or more if you´re into this stuff!


I ended the vacation having dinner at the Kansas City BBQ, a little sportsbar that in 1986 was the location of a couple of scenes in the movie TOP GUN. The bar is still very original, they even retained the piano “Goose” played on. A cool place to visit and the food was decent too.

This trip left me speechless many times, it was just awesome. GA flying in the US is how it is supposed to be and I enjoyed every minute of it. Can´t wait to get back! In total I flew 16hrs and did 49 landings, 20 of them at night, I gained a ton of experience and had loads of fun! Luckily, the weather I had during those four, five days made up nicely for our summer. You can´t rely on this though, even in California, as I saw on my United flight to Seattle. Yeah, that IFR rating would be handy at times!
Although it was certainly demanding navigating through the LAX airspace flying solo and dealing with ATC, it was a lot less intimidating than you might think. Preparation was the key, and Youtube is really a great resource for this!

I also had a lot of inspiration from friends and trip reports on this forum. Thank you!

Last Edited by Caba at 21 Oct 11:26
EDFE, EDFZ, KMYF, Germany

Brilliant report Caba; thank you for posting and and for the super photos.

European pilots generally find flying in the USA a really amazing experience, compared to Europe.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Caba,

Great trip report and photos. I recognized most of the the pictures as I learned to fly in California, many many years ago.

Next time you visit the US, you should try filing and briefing your flightplan thru ForeFlight. As long as you have a cellular capability, you can activate your flightplan thru the app when you are on the ground just before you depart and close it after you land.

The controller was asking for your equipment to determine if you had a GPS or needed to use ground based Navaids. With VFR, a current database is not required.

For those who are not familiar, the terminology of cleared for the option, here is the term as defined in the Pilot Controller Glossary:

CLEARED FOR THE OPTION− ATC authorization for an aircraft to make a touch-and-go, low approach, missed approach, stop and go, or full stop landing at the discretion of the pilot. It is normally used in training so that an instructor can evaluate a student’s performance under changing situations. Pilots should advise ATC if they decide to remain on the runway, of any delay in their stop and go, delay clearing the runway, or are unable to comply with the instruction(s).

KUZA, United States

I continue to be impressed by the ambition of US flying trips posted here… on this one you did a lot and it looks like you did it well.

That area north of LA (Cerro Noroeste, the bird sanctuary area) is more remote than many think.

Come back soon

Silvaire wrote:

I continue to be impressed by the ambition of US flying trips posted here… on this one you did a lot and it looks like you did it well.

Me too. He saw more airfields in California in a week than I did in 3 years living there.

LFPT, LFPN

One of the nicest reports I’ve read on here. Thanks!

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