onwards
Pattern Altitude
All,
While I've been flying in the bay area for my entire flying career, there are a couple of things I have never actually done:
(1) fly the bay tour; and
(2) fly above the bay between SFO and OAK.
I donated a flight to charity and will be taking a couple of folks up in the next few weeks for sightseeing, and I think it's time to tackle some of these. I want to do it first on my own, but I have some questions.
I would love feedback from those of you that have done either or both of these two things.
Flying between SOF and OAK
This seems simple enough. Coming from the north and already established with Norcal on comm, looks like I can take a route at 2000 ft, keeping me under the Bravo shelf on the west and to the west of OAK itself. The route would be entering above the bay bridge, then fly hugging the outer limit of the SFO Bravo core while staying such that OAK's runways are to my left, cross over the San Mateo bridge and down over the Dumbarton.
I'll be in OAK's Charlie, clearly, but that doesn't require clearance.
Right? is there something I should know about this that I am missing? I found some comments online alluding to "the core of OAK" being a "no-fly zone" in the context of requiring clearance that's never given, but I can't find anything to back that up.
Flying the Bay Tour from the South
That's pretty much what all the information online talks about. If I decide to go the above route and then swing around the go up through the tour, when would it be suggested I ask for the Bravo clearance? when I get over the Dumbarton? before? after?
Flying the Bay Tour from the NORTH
I cannot find any information online for doing it the other way around - that is, entering from the North. Is there a reason for this? is it not allowed? if it is allowed, when would one typically ask about Bravo clearance to do the tour? what sort of altitude to they assign for this version if they do allow it? is it more or less the same corridor (between 110 and 280)?
Appreciate input from those experienced in these routes.
Thanks in advance, all.
While I've been flying in the bay area for my entire flying career, there are a couple of things I have never actually done:
(1) fly the bay tour; and
(2) fly above the bay between SFO and OAK.
I donated a flight to charity and will be taking a couple of folks up in the next few weeks for sightseeing, and I think it's time to tackle some of these. I want to do it first on my own, but I have some questions.
I would love feedback from those of you that have done either or both of these two things.
Flying between SOF and OAK
This seems simple enough. Coming from the north and already established with Norcal on comm, looks like I can take a route at 2000 ft, keeping me under the Bravo shelf on the west and to the west of OAK itself. The route would be entering above the bay bridge, then fly hugging the outer limit of the SFO Bravo core while staying such that OAK's runways are to my left, cross over the San Mateo bridge and down over the Dumbarton.
I'll be in OAK's Charlie, clearly, but that doesn't require clearance.
Right? is there something I should know about this that I am missing? I found some comments online alluding to "the core of OAK" being a "no-fly zone" in the context of requiring clearance that's never given, but I can't find anything to back that up.
Flying the Bay Tour from the South
That's pretty much what all the information online talks about. If I decide to go the above route and then swing around the go up through the tour, when would it be suggested I ask for the Bravo clearance? when I get over the Dumbarton? before? after?
Flying the Bay Tour from the NORTH
I cannot find any information online for doing it the other way around - that is, entering from the North. Is there a reason for this? is it not allowed? if it is allowed, when would one typically ask about Bravo clearance to do the tour? what sort of altitude to they assign for this version if they do allow it? is it more or less the same corridor (between 110 and 280)?
Appreciate input from those experienced in these routes.
Thanks in advance, all.