From Sacramento to San Diego--Class B help?

J

Jimbo97

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
Messages
11
Display Name
Display name:
Jimbo97
Hello...new here on the forum so forgive any blunders for a bit!! My son is stationed in San Diego for a month, and I would like to fly VFR down to see him. I have never transitioned the LA or SD class B airspace, and wondering if anyone may have some ideas, thoughts, warnings, routes, etc... Thinking my first time through should be something towards the simpler side??

My first thought is to fly over SMO thru the SFRA over LAX down to Queen Mary, staying pretty much at 3500' following the coast.....staying under and between all Class B airspace to MYF. I would hope to have flight following the entire time... Is this a decent plan of attack??

Thanks in advance for any help
 
USUALLY, if under Flight Following, Center will prep all clearances for you and the whole thing will essentially be a non-issue. Don't sweat it
 
In the LA area they will require you to choose one of the routes on the chart or the SFRA, "Say transition requested". so study them and make sure you can fly them or plan to avoid the B airspace. Personally, I just come over the top at 11.5 from the north when I'm VFR. The route I usually take is LHS SLI OCN.

San Diego is much easier, if Miramar is closed or not too busy you'll probably get a Bravo clearance at about Carlsbad direct MYF. Otherwise, yes, use the shoreline corridor south to Mt Soledad. If they do send you through they sometimes have you at 3500 until you cross the bravo line just north of MYF, just tell MYF tower if you'll need anything special to descend.
 
I fly from Nor Cal to south of LA frequently. LAX Bravo is nothing to be scared of...as long as you are prepared. There are several published VFR routes to transition LAX airpace, BUT you gotta be briefed on what they are and understand them. There is little knocking on the door asking for a random Bravo clearance.

I fly down the coast all the time (although at 3500' your emergency landing options are limited and some areas are limited radar coverage for FF). My preferred route is to SBA, down the coast line from there, LAX Bravo Coastal Route transition then south. Easy Peasy.

Whatever route you choose, make sure you understand and chart out the entry point into the Bravo airspace, the radials to fly inside the Bravo and exit points out of the Bravo and expect to fly that full route.

If you don't wanna talk to ATC, use the SFRA or duck under and east of the Bravo. Both in my opinion are MUCH more work as you will be dumped off FF as you are supposed to self announce then have to reestablish FF on the other side and you have zero traffic advisories in a pretty congested area. Personally I like a second set of eyes helping me out.

If you wanna stay lower than the 5500' Coastal Route, the Mini Route is an option while remaining on FF.

SAN Bravo is a different story...they hand out unsolicited Bravo clearances like candy!
 
Last edited:
oldShar said:
USUALLY, if under Flight Following, Center will prep all clearances for you and the whole thing will essentially be a non-issue. Don't sweat it
Click to expand...

Not LAX Bravo...pilots are expected to know, understand, and choose a VFR transition route or expect be told to keep clear of Bravo. Have heard many pilots denied Bravo that were unprepared but is a non issue for those that are prepared with their requests.
 
Thanks guys...great tips. I think I will study the VFR routes and choose one of those, as flying over the top isn't the best option for my Musketeer..
Coastal route sounds like a winner!! Thanks again
 
I personally have never been denied LAX Bravo clearance but I always have a backup plan just in case. I use Foreflight and have all of the VFR routes as well as a route to remain clear of Bravo charted and stored in Forelight as favorites that I can recall at a moments notice.

Weather permitting this is my preferred route when flying VFR down to the SD area...pretty much following Hwy 101 to SBA:

https://skyvector.com/?ll=33.363452... LAX 3346N11815W TOING VPSMS KMYF KMYFhttp://

Many NorCal pilots like I-5 route over Gorman then through LA which works great for the higher routes, but can be kinda quick coming over the hills to descend, set up and get established for the 5500' Coastal Route altitude into LAX Bravo if you are not familiar with the area and terrain.

The SBA route allows you to get to 5500' well in advance if you are not already there.

If you shoot over to MRY and head down the coast, know that ATC has spotty radio and radar coverage below 5500' just south of KMRY and the Big Sur area. I Loose them several times at 3500' but the view is great...emergency landing options?...well, be prepared to swim!
 
Last edited:
Heyya Shawn.. thanks for your advice, its greatly appreciated. As I mentioned, I am new to this messaging.... I clicked on your link but just saw a chart with many green waypoints on it, not a route, per se.....although I understand what you are saying.. You coming from Santa Cruz, that route makes more sense than me coming from Lodi... That Sky Vector looks pretty cool...

Looking more at the charts, I am sure the coast is a more scenic route, but it also looks like I could almost fly a direct path down the valley and once over the mts, stay east of LA, and go under the class B, skirting around Disneyland and a couple other jogs... I would rather fly this at about 5500' instead of under at 3500... would Center normally ok this thru the airspace, or would they probably tell me to go somewhere else?
 
Check out the link on a computer...should open up a Skyvector VFR chart with the route.

You will 95% likely not get cleared through any of the Bravo at the lower altitudes for anything except the VFR routes. Where you are talking about is the approach path to LAX. Your options pretty much are a published transition route or remain clear of Bravo.

You can easily duck east of the Bravo shelves and remain under and outside Bravo...but every time I have done that it always seems like a MUCH higher workload with quite a few handoffs (I mean a LOT), lots of traffic advisories (cuz everyone else is also east of the Bravo cuz they are scared of it for some reason) and many more ATC vectors to stay outta the way of their IFR traffic into the numerous surrounding airports.

The transition routes and the LAX Bravo can be intimidating at first but the flight is MUCH more relaxing and lower workload in my opinion. I would always choose to fly THROUGH LAX Bravo than around it whenever I can. From there flying down the coast line south of LAX and west of DL and KSNA to SD is pretty uneventful and peaceful...as long as you are aware where the restricted areas are.

From Lodi, I would navigate via I-5 to Gorman VOR (GMN) then over to the Coastal Route still...that is my inland route when the coast is socked in. Cutting over to KSBA will add only approx 10 min to your route outta the Central Valley.

All you need to do when you get handed off to SoCal approach the first time: "SoCal, Skylane XYZ12 level 5,500. Request Bravo Clearance Coastal Route" ...then know where to fly. It is as simple as that. The people I have heard denied show up unprepared, not knowing the entry points and radials to fly and asking a gazillion questions to ATC.
 
Last edited:
Jimbo97 said:
You coming from Santa Cruz, that route makes more sense than me coming from Lodi...
Click to expand...

Which Lodi? There are 3 of them, you know :wink2:

Shawn said:
From Lodi, I would navigate via I-5 to Gorman VOR (GMN) then over to the Coastal Route still...that is my inland route when the coast is socked in. Cutting over to KSBA will add only approx 10 min to your route outta the Central Valley.
Click to expand...

If your goal is to just get there then I'd rather do the Coliseum route: Hwy 99 or I-5 or split the difference, GMN, VNY, SLI, OCN and then down into KMYF.
 
I fly down there a fair amount. I usually just fly direct to Gillespie Field (KSEE) and overfly LAX Class B.
 
While you're down in the San Diego area, why not go for a San Diego Bay tour? Here's another member's description and video:

StinkBug said:
... At some point before Del Mar you'll wanna be down below 1800' to stay under the Miramar Bravo. You'll then want to continue to descend as you get to La Jolla, here's why. Somewhere around the tip of La Jolla (a couple miles north of Crystal Pier) you'll wanna call Lindbergh Tower (118.3) and request a "Coastal Transition". The clearance you will get is "offshore at or below 500', report OB pier." When you pass OB pier you check in and if North Island is operating they'll tell you to contact them.

When you contact North Island Tower (135.1) you'll tell them where you are, and that you'd like to round the end of point loma for a "Channel Transition" or Bay Tour. Most of the time they will tell you to advise when rounding point loma and approve at 700', though I have been denied recently because they had a lot of military activity going on. They are quite helpful and will try to fit you in though. They wont always give you this disclaimer, but consider it a rule "do not overfly military ships or facilities" basically stay over the water, not the docked ships.

I usually fly down that way over the bridge then turn around over the south bay. They generally will ask your intentions, just let them know you'll be doing a 180 and coming back. Most of the time I will ask for the Delta transition on the way back north, this takes you directly over the downtown buildings and Lindbergh field. Let NI tower know that you'll be doing this and they will hand you off as soon as you report your 180. Switch back to 118.3 and call SAN again, let them know you want a delta transition and they will usually clear you at 1000 or 1500'. The route is along taxiway Delta, which is the huge diagonal one. It also happens to put you pretty much on a direct course from the San Diego end of the coronado bridge to the Mission Bay VOR.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N4LFVkO9m8
Click to expand...

If you have the time, I highly recommend it.
 
chartbundle said:
In the LA area they will require you to choose one of the routes on the chart or the SFRA, "Say transition requested". so study them and make sure you can fly them or plan to avoid the B airspace. Personally, I just come over the top at 11.5 from the north when I'm VFR. The route I usually take is LHS SLI OCN.
Click to expand...

I do the same. I would recommend you still be on FF even if you're overflying, because the airspace is still full of ascending and descending commercial flights up there.

chartbundle said:
San Diego is much easier, if Miramar is closed or not too busy you'll probably get a Bravo clearance at about Carlsbad direct MYF. Otherwise, yes, use the shoreline corridor south to Mt Soledad. If they do send you through they sometimes have you at 3500 until you cross the bravo line just north of MYF, just tell MYF tower if you'll need anything special to descend.
Click to expand...

I've never gotten a direct-to MYF - typically they give you a direct-to Mt. Soledad. At some point around Carlsbad they will tell you to descend to 3,500 feet. When you turn east at Mt. Soledad, make sure you have MYF properly identified. A lot of visitors take aim for the much larger (and similarly outlined) NKX on the other side of the 52 freeway.
 
Yesterday I was flying back to CRQ from the Reno area, my wingman split from me around F70 and approach almost immediately gave him a bravo clearance direct MYF. A few minutes later they did the same for another plane in the area. If Miramar isn't flying you don't even have to ask for the clearance, they just give it. San Diego is really really easy. LA is the harder one, but still not hard if you just read the TAC and plan ahead about 20min.
 
Great advice guys. Thanks a bunch!! I'm looking forward to this flight
 
I never flew a transition or anything, just flight following at a altitude that wasn't in the way of everything, not a biggie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top