Quick trip to SNA

RalphInCA

RalphInCA

Cleared for Takeoff
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
Messages
1,391
Location
McMinnville, OR
Display Name
RalphInCA
Home Airfield
KMMV
My instructor wants to make our next lesson a quick trip (28nm) from my home airport KCCB to KSNA (John Wayne).

This will be my first trip across the LA airspace to a Class C.

Have been listening to SNA radio frequencies (via LiveATC) to become familiar with what to expect.

It's going to be a challenge, for this low time pilot!

Instructions come fast and are often complex. Hope I do not try the patience of the controllers too much. :-(
 
RalphInCA said:
My instructor wants to make our next lesson a quick trip (28nm) from my home airport KCCB to KSNA (John Wayne).

This will be my first trip across the LA airspace to a Class C.

Have been listening to SNA radio frequencies (via LiveATC) to become familiar with what to expect.

It's going to be a challenge, for this low time pilot!

Instructions come fast and are often complex. Hope I do not try the patience of the controllers too much. :-(
Click to expand...


Do your best, if you get flustered, let them know you are a student.
Know you can just talk to them like people if needed and in the end if they get pi$$y, try not let it get to you.

Every pilot has dealt with a controller that was less than polite at some point.

Have a safe flight!
 
Easiest way is just call for flight following for the trip and they'll tell you where to go (and where not to go.)
 
whoa!
Just looked at that trip on skyvector.
Pretty overwhelming portion of a sectional.

Definitely get your squawk on the ground and let FF assist.
 
Not sure I'd combine a first trip across LA airspace with Class C. Neither is THAT bad on its own if you're OK on the radio and know where you are (though flight following smooths that out).

The main thing that's different in Class C (beyond flight following) compared to Class D is to figure out who to give your departure request to. Sometimes it's Clearance Delivery (Monterey), sometimes Ground (Oakland), and if you're taxiing back for another loop or departure, it may even be Tower (San Jose, at least once). Listen to ATIS for clues, though it's not always there. If you get it wrong, don't let it fluster you. You'll just be handed off.
 
Just did this trip cma-sna as a 100 hour pilot.

Just find your transition or route around the Bravo, get flight following, and ignore most of the noise on the TAC.
It's a lot easier than it looks- you'll be fine.

On the way in, grab Atis, tower, and both grounds. On the way out, you'll have CD, ground, tower, class c / departure, then socal.
 
Last edited:
Not experienced in the SoCal area at all, so maybe I'm really clueless, but in looking at this on ForeFlight, I'm not sure I see where you would get into the LA bravo airspace at all as long as you stay below 8000 MSL. You've got Ontario Class C and Santa Ana Class C, but no Class B to deal with. Am I missing something?
 
My primary airports in SoCal have been POC, CCB, and SNA.........you'll do fine with flight following. Stay under the ONT floor on the way over.......no matter what SNA says on the way in you will be landing on the LEFT runway so be expecting it. I have gone in and 19R was the only thing mentioned, and then they switch you at the last minute. The left is fine and no problem for the singles. There will be 5 or so frequencies on departure and I think at least 4 departure routes so get those sorted out in your head. The only big red flag is wake turbulence and 757's in particular.......avoid the big iron like the plague........
 
Just watch out for having too much speed on the left runway. I was coming in there (in a single) doing the ILS. First, they asked me to slow down. Then, they wanted me to speed up. Next they told me to switch to the left runway.

I almost told them "unable" because I was trying to "keep the speed up" as instructed (while expecting the longer runway), but I was able to slow it down in time. Landed on the left no problem.
 
dirt simple:

Take off from CCB - I always ignore the noise abatement over Claremont because they hate me enough already - and since you are going that way why go in a complete circle for a bunch of whiners?

Anyway - take off - stay under 2500 to avoid having SoCal complain [Ontario Class C right above you] - contact Socal on 125.5 or 127.25 depending on if you take the loop departure - tell them where you are going - wait for radar ID to climb - stay out of the inner ONT Class C ring unless you want to talk to ONT tower - and head on down - 4500 is under the Bravo the whole way.

They'll coordinate the SNA Arrival and if its busy they'll tell you to go direct Mile Square Park - its a big park - will generally be right in front - look it up on the Terminal Chart - then they'll vector you back to SNA>

You will land on Runway 20R [thats a gotcha - they just restriped the runways from 19L/R] and its that simple. Study the ground chart - there are run up points if you need one.
 
comanchepilot said:
dirt simple:

Take off from CCB - I always ignore the noise abatement over Claremont because they hate me enough already - and since you are going that way why go in a complete circle for a bunch of whiners?

Anyway - take off - stay under 2500 to avoid having SoCal complain [Ontario Class C right above you] - contact Socal on 125.5 or 127.25 depending on if you take the loop departure - tell them where you are going - wait for radar ID to climb - stay out of the inner ONT Class C ring unless you want to talk to ONT tower - and head on down - 4500 is under the Bravo the whole way.

They'll coordinate the SNA Arrival and if its busy they'll tell you to go direct Mile Square Park - its a big park - will generally be right in front - look it up on the Terminal Chart - then they'll vector you back to SNA>

You will land on Runway 20R [thats a gotcha - they just restriped the runways from 19L/R] and its that simple. Study the ground chart - there are run up points if you need one.
Click to expand...


Forgive me, but I do not understand "loop departure" from CCB.

Is that where we make the left Crosswind before the college and then go over the approach numbers of 24 towards the mountains? And then proceed from there wherever you want to go?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
RalphInCA said:
Forgive me, but I do not understand "loop departure" from CCB.

Is that where we make the left Crosswind before the college and then go over the approach numbers of 24 towards the mountains? And then proceed from there wherever you want to go?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

its not a 'formal' departure - but you are correct- you make a loop over the airport instead of departing straight out because someone complained once.

Its just more Claremont snobbery.

I understand not going straight out because of the POC Class D right there off the end of the runway inside 4 miles and then above you is the Class C from Ontario - but the reason you don't go straight out is none of those common sense reasons!
 
Vf6cruiser said:
......no matter what SNA says on the way in you will be landing on the LEFT runway so be expecting it. I have gone in and 19R was the only thing mentioned, and then they switch you at the last minute.
Click to expand...

May depend on what you are flying. When I've flown into SNA it was always in a Duchess and I've always gotten the right.
 
Listen to LiveATC: http://www.liveatc.net/

Put the calls you need on a kneeboard and use them as a 'cheat' sheet before each call. You will sound like a pro, and they will treat you well...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top