Aviation in the bay area

I originally lived in Davis (born in Woodland because that's where the hospital was in 1952). Moved to Sacramento and then to Pullman, WA as that was where dad's job took him. Left Pullman in 1975 when I graduated from WSU. Lived in Napa until 1979 when we moved to the Denver area. 4 years later we moved back to the south bay. Left there in 1995 and will NOT move back to my native state on a bet. Too crowded and the lunatics are running the asylum. It's bad enough on the west side of the state of Washington.

Why did I give the information (short) on my living history? I learned to fly after moving to the state of Washington after escaping from California for the last time. The house we sold in 1995 in San Jose for about $350k is now worth (according to Zillow, take it for what it's worth) north of $2.25m. I'm sorry, but I know that house and there is no way I would give you that much money for that house. And it is in a good area. Best of luck to you, but finding a place to park your plane is the least of your worries. Finding a place to live that you can afford will be #1. And #2 will be how to get from there to where you work. Finding a place to park your plane will be so far down the list as to be lost in the noise. And, it will be expensive. Don't you know that all pilots are rich?
 
Born and rasied in the Bay Area, still a CFI out of KLVK and KTCY message me if you have any questions.
 
For a big metro area, it’s very GA friendly. It’s pricey, both in general, and to fly.

No one has mentioned flying particles in livermore- it’s an excellent nonprofit flying club. Only downside is location- only “works” if you live in the east bay (IMO)- too far from the city for those of us who live in SF

Want to echo comnents that marin in an option if you consider tiburon or other ferries to downtown

GGB is IMO a much easier commute than bay bridge, unless you’re traveling at “non commuter” times
San carlos flight center (KSQL) is an excellent place to rent.

Closest to downtown are KSQL, KHAF, KOAK, and KDVO. All have pros, cons, and are within 5” of a 30” drive from downtown under perfect, no traffic conditions. Most reliable auto commute from downtown IMO is KSQL.
KHAF would be perfect except for the fog. If you haven’t seen how quickly it can develop, prepare yourself for a surprise.
 
I resisted the push from work for as long as possible, but they forced it enough where now I have to relo to SF.
Before I even sort out housing for me, I'm finding myself re-reading this thread to sort out where my airplane will live. That's a much more important question :D
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
I resisted the push from work for as long as possible, but they forced it enough where now I have to relo to SF.
Before I even sort out housing for me, I'm finding myself re-reading this thread to sort out where my airplane will live. That's a much more important question :D
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Soon to be neighbors!

Figure out the housing first, then hangar nearest there.

I have to show face in the office every Wednesday now, which sucks, but living in Alameda, taking the ferry to SF for RTO, and having the plane at KOAK has been a rather chef-kiss low-stress setup. Only took me 5 years to dial all of that in.

The hangars are sadder, even more expensive, and the port is meaner than when this thread started. Happy to demo :D
 
I lived in SF for about 30 years and owned/co-owned a few airplanes during that time.

The closest airports time-wise are San Carlos (SQL) and San Rafael (CA35). Last I heard, the hangar waiting list at SQL was, like, eons. Two of my airplanes lived at CA35, which is a 40-minute drive across the GG from my place in The City, in light traffic (which is rare). CA35 is a small privately owned airport with some of the most expensive hangars in NorCal—in 2005 we were paying $750/mo for a box hangar. There is no IAP, but the location was somewhat sheltered from marine layer IMC and I rarely had a problem getting in or out due to wx.

The next closest options are Half Moon Bay (HAF), Novato (DVO), and Palo Alto (PAO). HAF is adjacent to the Pacific coastline and subject to low marine layer IMC for extended periods. Corrosion would be a constant battle in that environment. I don’t know about hangar availability there. Driving from SF, DVO is 20 minutes further than CA35. A few people who hangared there told me that rents were reasonable and hangars often available. Some find the frequent crosswinds to be either a welcome or a dreaded challenge. PAO, like SQL, has long waits for hangars and tiedowns. Oakland International (OAK) might be a contender as it’s possible to get there from The City via BART—although it might be a bit of a hike to get to the GA ramp. Others undoubtedly know more about this option.

Further still are Concord (CCR) and Hayward (HWD) Last time I checked both had waiting lists for hangars.

My current airplane is hangared at Napa (APC). With light traffic the drive is about 50 minutes from SF, but could be 1:45 or more at peak commute. There is a waiting list for hangars but it tends to move reasonably fast—my wait was only about 6 months. Covered tiedowns are currently available. San Jose (SJC) is comparable, time-wise, in light to moderate traffic, but again, a hangar or tiedown may take years.

Distant options include Petaluma (O69), Santa Rosa (STS), Livermore (LVK), and Reid-Hillview (RHV). Those all represent a drive of 1:30 at best.

Obviously the facilities and amenities vary widely among the airports named here, but my perspective is that proximity overrules other considerations. Having said that, if you work in or near SF, I’d recommend living as close to the office as possible. Good luck!
 
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Roger Wilco said:
I lived in SF for about 30 years and owned/co-owned a few airplanes during that time.

The closest airports time-wise are San Carlos (SQL) and San Rafael (CA35). Last I heard, the hangar waiting list at SQL was, like, eons. Two of my airplanes lived at CA35, which is a 40-minute drive across the GG from my place in The City, in light traffic (which is rare). CA35 is a small privately owned airport with some of the most expensive hangars in NorCal—in 2005 we were paying $750/mo for a box hangar. There is no IAP, but the location was somewhat sheltered from marine layer IMC and I rarely had a problem getting in or out due to wx.

The next closest options are Half Moon Bay (HAF) and Novato (DVO), and Palo Alto (PAO). HAF is adjacent to the Pacific coastline and subject to low marine layer IMC for extended periods. Corrosion would be a constant battle in that environment. I don’t know about hangar availability there. Driving from SF, DVO is 20 minutes further than CA35. A few people who hangared there told me that rents were reasonable and hangars often available. Some find the frequent crosswinds to be either a welcome or a dreaded challenge. PAO, like SQL, has long waits for hangars and tiedowns. Oakland International (OAK) might be a contender as it’s possible to get there from The City via BART—although it might be a bit of a hike to get to the GA ramp. Others undoubtedly know more about this option.

Further still are Concord (CCR) and Hayward (HWD) Last time I checked both had waiting lists for hangars.

My current airplane is hangared at Napa (APC). With light traffic the drive is about 50 minutes from SF, but could be 1:45 or more at peak commute. There is a waiting list for hangars but it tends to move reasonably fast—my wait was only about 6 months. Covered tiedowns are currently available. San Jose (SJC) is comparable, time-wise, in light to moderate traffic, but again, a hangar or tiedown may take years.

Distant options include Petaluma (O69), Santa Rosa (STS), Livermore (LVK), and Reid-Hillview (RHV). Those all represent a drive of 1:30 at best.

Obviously the facilities and amenities vary widely among the airports named here, but my perspective is that proximity overrules other considerations. Having said that, if you work in or near SF, I’d recommend living as close to the office as possible. Good luck!
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Thank you very much for that information. I've just been poking around on ForeFlight and looking at those various airports.
As for location: I'm pretty confident I'll be living near financial district downtown so that I have a short walk to work. After 5 years in the 'burbs, I miss city life and being able to walk places.

schmookeeg said:
Soon to be neighbors!

Figure out the housing first, then hangar nearest there.

I have to show face in the office every Wednesday now, which sucks, but living in Alameda, taking the ferry to SF for RTO, and having the plane at KOAK has been a rather chef-kiss low-stress setup. Only took me 5 years to dial all of that in.

The hangars are sadder, even more expensive, and the port is meaner than when this thread started. Happy to demo :D
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Howdy future neighbor! (... and fellow RTO suffer-er)
You paint a very inviting picture with the sadder, expensive hangars and a mean port authority! Where do I sign up! :p

Especially since the starting point from your previous post invoked Chernobyl style hellscape imagery:
schmookeeg said:
The hangars that the port rents out are sad, flooded, soggy disasters in a state of utter neglect, bordering on "crumbling edifices we imported from Pripyat on the cheap"
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I may inquire with KOAK just because proximity is so close...
 
ArrowFlyer86 said:
Thank you very much for that information. I've just been poking around on ForeFlight and looking at those various airports.
Click to expand...
Sorry--I forgot two notable airports that fall in with the "distant options" previously listed. Sonoma Skypark (0Q9) is a privately owned, public use airport on the south side of the town of Sonoma. That airport has a great community of pilots, and hangar space is sometimes available to lease. Perhaps most importantly, they are consistently the least expensive fuel in the area. Sonoma Valley (0Q3), AKA Schellville, is nearby and also features an interesting collection of airplanes and characters. I do not know what the current hangar/tiedown situation is.
ArrowFlyer86 said:
As for location: I'm pretty confident I'll be living near financial district downtown so that I have a short walk to work. After 5 years in the 'burbs, I miss city life and being able to walk places.
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I applaud that strategy. The best way to enjoy a city is afoot, and the best commute to work is a short walk. Though it's one neighborhood that I never lived in, North Beach always feels to me like the real San Francisco. As you are probably aware, both North Beach and FiDi are both congested and, if you have a car, parking is a major consideration.
 
I suggest living in San Ramon or Dublin, take the BART train into the city, and drive out to KLVK in Livermore to fly.
 
Lived in Palo Alto for a year. Sufficient experience of CA living for a lifetime.
 
I assume you've already downloaded the poop app?

I hope you still come visit us in the midwest on occasion.
 
If you're going to throw STS and LVK in the mix, you might as well include Nut Tree (VCB) and UC Davis (EDU) up the 80 corridor. And maybe even (clears throat) KSAC.
 
For the first 3 months I'm actually in El Cerrito.
There was a snafu with the lease I was signing in SoMa. They didn't advertise to me when I signed my lease that it was under construction/renovation, and then they let me know end of last month it wouldn't be available on time. So I snagged a place that was available while I work out the longer term arrangement.
 
eman1200 said:
Does that plan include a ferry pilot?
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Not sure yet. Either that or I have to find an exceptionally good forecast weekend to fly back to Chicago to fly it myself. I don't think my work client will be sympathetic about a flex schedule so I can pilot my way across the country lol.
 
By my eyeballing it, It's about 13nm on the 085 radial FROM the SAU VOR
 
Oh, right, now I know where you are -- I was thinking you were on the peninsula. There's a killer Mole place up there we like. Los Moles. can recommend. :9
 
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