KMYF- Montgomery Gibbs Executive Airport

Will Kumley

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Aug 6, 2019
Messages
698
Location
Pacific Southwest
Display Name

Display name:
Will
Might fly there from KCMA Camarillo, Ca. this weekend if time permits. Is there anything in particular I should know or avoid when making the flight? Figure I'll use the Coastal route from Camarillo to get over/past LAX then I'll fly to the Oceanside VOR before heading direct to MYF. So KCMA-CANOG-LAX-WILMA-OCN-KMYF.
 
OCN direct KMYF will require a Bravo clearance. You can avoid that by going OCN-VPSMS (Mount Soledad) and keeping under the Bravo shelf. If you do that, plan on flying south of Mt. Soledad toward Mission Bay to enter a left downwind for 28L. If not using flight following after the coastal route, monitor 122.75 south of OCN until checking in with Montgomery tower by Torrey Pines/Mt. Soledad as there is a lot of training (San Diego coastal) and transiting traffic. along the coast. Unlike Camarillo ground control, Montgomery will facilitate VFR flight following before takeoff if requested.
 
Might fly there from KCMA Camarillo, Ca. this weekend if time permits. Is there anything in particular I should know or avoid when making the flight? Figure I'll use the Coastal route from Camarillo to get over/past LAX then I'll fly to the Oceanside VOR before heading direct to MYF. So KCMA-CANOG-LAX-WILMA-OCN-KMYF.
It's a great busy little airport. There is a good restaurant on the field and some good spots fairly close

Coastal route is the way to go. South of the Bravo I use DRTTY as a waypoint.. if you go and direct toward OCN you may impede the John Wayne traffic flow and there have been times where I've been vectored practically halfway to Catalina. As someone who hates over water single engine flights in rented trainer beaters this is no bueno for me
 
Might fly there from KCMA Camarillo, Ca. this weekend if time permits. Is there anything in particular I should know or avoid when making the flight? Figure I'll use the Coastal route from Camarillo to get over/past LAX then I'll fly to the Oceanside VOR before heading direct to MYF. So KCMA-CANOG-LAX-WILMA-OCN-KMYF.
OCN Direct KMYF won't work. KNKX is in the way. They'll want you to go South of Mt. Soledad VPSMS for left downwind 28. There's a thing called the Mirimar Transition that starts by Black Mountain VPSBM but I wouldn't recommend that to a stranger to the area. This is for RW28. RW10, I dunno. Paging @Tantalum

EDIT: Well gee, this turned out to be redundant. Once again I just answered without reading down thread
 
Last edited:
There's also a restricted area around Camp Pendleton you need to be aware of... Very busy airport.
 
OCN direct KMYF will require a Bravo clearance. You can avoid that by going OCN-VPSMS (Mount Soledad) and keeping under the Bravo shelf. If you do that, plan on flying south of Mt. Soledad toward Mission Bay to enter a left downwind for 28L. If not using flight following after the coastal route, monitor 122.75 south of OCN until checking in with Montgomery tower by Torrey Pines/Mt. Soledad as there is a lot of training (San Diego coastal) and transiting traffic. along the coast. Unlike Camarillo ground control, Montgomery will facilitate VFR flight following before takeoff if requested.
Good point on going to Mount Soledad to avoid the Bravo. Flight following doesn't bother me so I'll be on it as soon as Mugu or Socal gives it to me. Sometimes Mugu gets busy and isn't able to support but once I get close to the Socal area they've never turned me down. When departing Montgomery do I call up ground first as I'm a VFR flyer or do I call clearance delivery? Only ask as I'm not familiar with using Clearance delivery but say a video online that implies to call them before calling ground control.
 
It's a great busy little airport. There is a good restaurant on the field and some good spots fairly close

Coastal route is the way to go. South of the Bravo I use DRTTY as a waypoint.. if you go and direct toward OCN you may impede the John Wayne traffic flow and there have been times where I've been vectored practically halfway to Catalina. As someone who hates over water single engine flights in rented trainer beaters this is no bueno for me
I'll likely be at 5500 as I exit the coastal route and will probably stay at that altitude for the majority of the flight so hopefully John Wayne doesn't ask me to head out away from my intended route. I've done a few flights out to Catalina Island and as long as I have altitude, I'm not terribly worried of some over water operations but would like to keep the route as efficient as possible. Could also climb to 7500 as soon as I exit the coastal route but would need to see if the climb would be worth it.
 
Good point on going to Mount Soledad to avoid the Bravo. Flight following doesn't bother me so I'll be on it as soon as Mugu or Socal gives it to me. Sometimes Mugu gets busy and isn't able to support but once I get close to the Socal area they've never turned me down. When departing Montgomery do I call up ground first as I'm a VFR flyer or do I call clearance delivery? Only ask as I'm not familiar with using Clearance delivery but say a video online that implies to call them before calling ground control.
My experience, which is a lot, but a few years old, is you can get it from Ground. Maybe they decombine the CD and GC positions sometimes, I dunno. Paging @Tantalum again, has Ground ever sent you over to CD to get Flight Following instructions and a Squawk?
 
I'll likely be at 5500 as I exit the coastal route and will probably stay at that altitude for the majority of the flight so hopefully John Wayne doesn't ask me to head out away from my intended route. I've done a few flights out to Catalina Island and as long as I have altitude, I'm not terribly worried of some over water operations but would like to keep the route as efficient as possible. Could also climb to 7500 as soon as I exit the coastal route but would need to see if the climb would be worth it.
On this, I say just fly OVER KSNA. I’ve been caught up in them worrying about offshore transitions mixing it up with Rwy 20 departures. I told them once, I’m not asking, I am turning to the right, you can pick the the heading not to exceed, I don’t remember, so many degrees not to exceed as many degrees as I was willing to go out over the ocean at my altitude.
 
When departing Montgomery do I call up ground first as I'm a VFR flyer or do I call clearance delivery? Only ask as I'm not familiar with using Clearance delivery but say a video online that implies to call them before calling ground control.
Paging @Tantalum again, has Ground ever sent you over to CD to get Flight Following instructions and a Squawk?
At MYF CD and GC are 9/10 times combined, so you're calling ground anyway. But to answer the question, no I've never had an issue getting a squawk on the ground at MYF. Just call ground and ask
 
I'll likely be at 5500 as I exit the coastal route and will probably stay at that altitude for the majority of the flight so hopefully John Wayne doesn't ask me to head out away from my intended route. I've done a few flights out to Catalina Island and as long as I have altitude, I'm not terribly worried of some over water operations but would like to keep the route as efficient as possible. Could also climb to 7500 as soon as I exit the coastal route but would need to see if the climb would be worth it.
5500 or thereabouts should be fine. You can take the Victor airway through the Pendleton restricted, there's an exclusion for it, or just use the several VFR points or intersections to stay outside of it. It's a great flight. Coastal route is no big deal, but I often get my final "cleared through the bravo via coastal route" clearance with literally seconds to spare
 
OCN Direct KMYF won't work. KNKX is in the way. They'll want you to go South of Mt. Soledad VPSMS for left downwind 28. There's a thing called the Mirimar Transition that starts by Black Mountain VPSBM but I wouldn't recommend that to a stranger to the area. This is for RW28. RW10, I dunno. Paging @Tantalum

EDIT: Well gee, this turned out to be redundant. Once again I just answered without reading down thread
Skip the Miramar transition, in my opinion. From WILMA I typically go DRTTY then CARIF, unless I join V23. Unless Miramar is busy there's usually no problem getting a bravo clearance through it.. but depending on your altitude you may not need it
 
but I often get my final "cleared through the bravo via coastal route" clearance with literally seconds to spare
LOL, I know what you mean. I've done the coastal route a few times and more than once I've debated executing a 360 as I wait for the "cleared through the bravo" call. I usually get it just as I put the initial move to the yoke then have to correct for it.
 
LOL, I know what you mean. I've done the coastal route a few times and more than once I've debated executing a 360 as I wait for the "cleared through the bravo" call. I usually get it just as I put the initial move to the yoke then have to correct for it.
Exactly.. it's almost like they know to call right when you're about to panic
 
This weekend it looks like there may be an air show TFR off Huntington Beach. SOCAL will still let you use the coastal routing by avoiding the TFR off shore, at least as of this afternoon. It extends 5 miles from the pier. (Make sure you have the TFR depicted with how you’re navigating)
 
Back
Top