Colosseum route around Los Angeles

RalphInCA

RalphInCA

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
1,353
Location
McMinnville, OR
Display Name
Display name:
RalphInCA
For the LA pilots on this forum: have any of you flown the "Colosseum route" that takes you past the LA skyline?

Just wondering degree of difficulty, scenic value, how much ATC pushes you around, etc.

Going to be taking some people up in the Cherokee on Monday who have never flown before. Want to give them a nice scenic ride.

Going to be leaving from and returning to cable. Will probably fly down to John Wayne make the right-hand turn up the coliseum route to Van Nuys and then back to cable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I've done the Coastal and found ATC extremely accommodating and the views excellent. I even got cleared for an off route VFR descent still in Class B, without asking, which was convenient because I was headed to Torrance. It was pilot discretion, south of LAX VOR.

No yanking around at all.

That's up real high, so the view will be different from down low.
 
Just a thought: why not transition the B via the LA Special Flight Rules area? It's lower at 4500 NW bound so better sight seeing, no ATC clearance required, and then near Santa Monica drop down below the 2500 shelf of the B and overfly the city at about 2400 for better sightseeing. At first glance, that is what I'd be inclined to do. (proviso: I'm not an LA area pilot; I just impersonate one on PilotEdge :lol:).
 
The Colosseum route is 9500 southbound and 8500 northbound. It's not all that scenic that high up.

edit: Well I suppose that depends if you're a high wing guy or a low wing guy :D
 
I like the LASFRA (on weekday mornings when few other planes are using it). I then get clearance from KSMO to drop down to 2000' for a "foothill transition" to the east. The views of the Hollywood sign, the Griffith Park Observatory, Dodger Stadium and downtown LA never fail to impress my passenger and me, no matter how many times I do it.
 
I agree...that high is not all that scenic. Been up there. I would suggest Coastal or even Mini route. Personally I am not a fan of the SFRA as I like to stay on FF but is another good option.

With all the LAX Bravo VFR routes, ATC will not push ya around and are pretty generous about handing out B clearances as long as you show up prepared. You are expected to know the entry and exit points, radials to fly, altitudes for direction and way points. Only people that I ever hear that get shooed away are those that show up unprepared and asking lots of questions or request. SoCal only wants to hear "request Bravo clearance Coastal Route"...thats it. You are expected to know what all that entails.

Once IN the Bravo, they are pretty accommodating on special request (NOT before entry...different controller) but I always expect to fly the full route in and out then am happy if I get a request granted or if they vector me off the route to get me to my destination quicker...which like MAKG said, happens quite a bit.
 
Last edited:
I've done them all and never been jerked around by ATC. The higher ones like the Colosseum and Hollywood Park give good "panorama" views of the LA Basin when the visibility is good. Do a thorough WX briefing though, real good visibility there sometimes means some pretty bumpy air. Earlier in the day is likely to be better than later. Seeing the Sun rise up in the Banning Pass could be pretty cool.
Doing the round robin from CCB I might think about doing it counter clockwise. Rose Bowl, SMO, one of the low routes for the "wow" factor of flying right over LAX, then on to the harbors and the Queen Mary. Then climb to altitude while continuing around SNA for the panorama before dropping back down to CCB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top