300 NM Trip

[E-Flyer]

Hey ladies and gents. Well the trip I've been looking forward to for some odd years is finally coming to reality.

I am planning a trip down to Van Nuys, California which is north of L.A. I'd like to get some suggestions on what enroute airports you would suggest for me to visit while I m down there


Thanks !

[MichaelP]

There's lots of good places to visit enroute.
Scapoose has a nice little restaurant with good Japanese and Western food, easy fueling and some nice people.
Cottage Grove has a few classic aeroplanes and a convenient hotel.
Roseburg is alright, but Grants Pass is friendly with a good 'club house' and interesting people as well.
Medford has a couple of FBO's, I tried one and was treated to excellent service. After being there nearly three days they charged me $3 a night parking I'd bought fuel at Grants Pass and didn't need any at Medford! They lent me the car one night and the second night drove me to the hotel. I ate a load of their doughnuts, drank their tea, ate their bananas, watched their television and used their internet. I was embarrassed

Entering North California, (the state of Jefferson I believe), David will give you personal service with a good sense of humour and wit. He is a retired school teacher and with his wife Christine runs the FBO at Montague-Yreka, the little field near to the huge Siskyou airport. There's a couple of cars to drive into town where you can eat at Grandmas Place, and it's safe from any wolves. There's a bunk room at the airport where you can sleep for about $15 a night.

Redding is fun, a big airport with jets you can hire.
At Red Bluff you might be lonely as you fuel the aeroplane yourself.
Fresno's smaller field (Mc Laughlan???) has ARCAL, the ATC controller at the big Fresno Airport was disappointed when I went to the little place rather than his big place... One day perhaps!
The small Fresno Airport was the original airport, it's terminal is similar to Shoreham's terminal in England: Art Deco, and you can imagine the days of the old mailplanes, DC2s, and Curtis Condors... Reasonable greasy spoon food there...

Just a few ideas.

Don't be afraid of the big fields, they have excellent FBOs who give you an embarrassing amount of service at times, "but I'm only flying a little aeroplane"
At some of the smaller fields you'll get personal service and meet some of the nicest people you can anywhere.
It's a great experience, so try to take your time doing it...

[E-Flyer]

oh ok cool !

Thanks !

[SkyWolfe]

Everyone there is great. If you need fuel there is an FBO in Olympia... I think it's called glacier? Really good guys.

The other is Santa Maria (charlz shults), awesome city, but also, awesome service... I can't remember which FBO I went to.

When do you plan to go? Be aware of the fog at certain times in the summer. I did one massive diversion through the desert to get there. (this brings us back to the whole navigation without a GPS debate really doesn't it?)


Bring all your maps, plan an alternate, get all your weather, use the flight following when you can... Hey actually, I got some US stuff if you wanna borrow it. I need it back so when I send others then can borrow it

Feel free to PM me if you have an questions!

Cheers,

Wolfie

[E-Flyer]

Hey Wolfe !

Thanks for your offer. I already went and bought all the stuff for my flight to the states.

I am going to San Jose. I'm planning on following Interstate 5 down but it does look a bit crazy and one could easily get confused and take the wrong road. Any help and suggestions will be appreciated. I'm leaving June 14th. My plane does about 105 TAS at altitude and burns 5hrs20min of fuel.

[200hr Wonder]

If you want pretty take the coast! Way way nicer than being inland. Just becarful as coast fog is fairly common. I ened up having a fog back literaly on the coast, 2 miles in land and it was CAVOK. Tillamook as a great mesum. Montaray is really nice. Olympia the folks where great.

FYI get a Flight Guide West in the little brown binder, way better than the FAA docs.

[E-Flyer]

yea it's the flight guide that i have

[Mik]

Shelter Cove in Northern California is beautiful. Small and usually a cross wind, but there’s a small restaurant for lunch off the end of the runway.

[tnano]

I did a similar flight last June down to San Diego and Vegas including VNY, it was incredible fun!

You must stop at Santa Barbara, and if you're over 21, go to State st. Everything in SBA is pricey but it's way better than any LA suburb. As mentioned, fog is a big concern, and I remember Santa Monica was fogged in for a few days, so if you have a schedule to follow, keep inland. (I think it's called June gloom)

And if it's on your route of flight, Portland PDX is a really fun airport to fly into because you really mix in with some larger aircraft but they are accommodating to GA traffic. Flightcraft and many of the other larger FBO's will give you a free crew car for a few hours, be sure to ask if they have it.


PM with any questions if you want

[E-Flyer]

Ok well the route I've got in mind is:

CZBB - KBLI - KPAE - KOLM - KEUG (Full stop for fuel) - 3S8 (Grants Pass) - Interstate 5 - KRBL (Full stop for fuel) - KCCR - KSJC (Full Stop) and the same route back.

If somebody could just answer my question when you look at the chart http://skyvector.com/#35-9-3-1841-404

After Grants Pass we follow Interstate 5, and it goes through elevations of 4 and 5000 feet. Are these areas genuenly safe to fly through or will clouds normally cap at low altitude within this area. The rest looks like smooth sailing but it's only that segment from Grants Pass - Interstate 5 - River - KRBL that sort of raises what if questions. Lol

[200hr Wonder]

Don't take the same route back! That is just silly! Choose a different route. With so many options in that part of the world, try something new on the way back.

[E-Flyer]

oh ok sure, but is the route there ok? did you view that part from Grants Pass to Red Bluff... I'm just wondering regarding the elevation that Interstate 5 takes and if weather normally becomes an issue there.

[200hr Wonder]

Dunno I took the coast As with all things depends on the day so get regular weather reports and if it does not feel right it probably is not.

[MichaelP]

The coast route is often foggy...

Depending upon the time of year the Shasta route is better, and some people prefer to go down the Klamath Falls route.

I flew into Grants Pass when there was fog 2/3 of the runway length it was a bad time, March.
A Cessna twin came in reporting that at 1,000 feet AGL I could get through to Medford, I did and was stuck two days.
I managed to get through to the Siskyou valley and was stuck for three days at Montague-Yreka, but as I said earlier, Dave and Christine are very sociable people and my stay was fun... You never have to get anywhere in little aeroplanes so the breaks are what you make them.
I've had many an expresso and pain au chocolat while I admire les belles femmes qui promenade in little French villages I never expected to be!
I make a point of stopping at Montague-Yreka when I go down there...
Escaping the Siskyou I was recommended to go to Willow, but there I found fog just to the south... No way! So I headed to the ridge and flew down to Columbia (O22) which was clear of fog at 2118 feet if my memory serves...
A week or more later I flew a Warrior the other way from Florida and the Sacramento valley was still fogged in!

I'll be going to Columbia again in June, there's the Bellanca-Champion Fly-In to go to.

[E-Flyer]

Dunno I took the coast As with all things depends on the day so get regular weather reports and if it does not feel right it probably is not.

Just south of tatoosh there's a military airspace, you flew around it right?

[200hr Wonder]

The MOAB? Can't recall if it was active I sure did. In the use you must always call FSS and get TFRs and active airspace less you want an up close and personal with an F18

[E-Flyer]

The MOAB? Can't recall if it was active I sure did. In the use you must always call FSS and get TFRs and active airspace less you want an up close and personal with an F18

now that would be the high-light of the trip ! lol