In my latest video, I put together a list of my favorite airports to fly to in Southern California. My criteria was a combination of factors such as restaurants, transportation, cool things to do etc... There are many good ones to choose from but this is what I came up with:
I strongly disagree. The city of Santa Monica does not want you there. They charge you for every landing (something like $14 last time I was there). They closed the Typhoon restaurant and I believe nearby Spitfire Grill is closing soon too. They want to drive away all business even before they shut the airport down entirely in 2028. Meanwhile Camarillo embraces general aviation. That place is packed on the weekends.
https://www.smdp.com/spitfire-grill-to-close-after-three-decades-of-service/183956 Reading this article, however, it does sound like another restaurant may take it's place. We shall see.
Lol, no. Spitfire is getting a new owner, and I still don't think SMO will close Camarillo does get way too busy sometimes, but for good reason. Too bad he doesn't fly it as fast as he should
6? That’s easy... Chino Cable Corona Catalina Compton Camarillo Any airport that starts with a “C” FYI - Compton is a beautiful little airport with a lot of nice people based there.
it's a cool spot for sure and I brought my dad there and a lot of my flying friends there as well however as far as doing anything else it's limited.. places like Kern, AVX, etc, have stuff to do outside the airport. Doesn't revolve purely around aviation
How about 6 of the most depressing/deserted So. Cal Airports(ok, yes, I was based in San Diego at the time): 1. Banning 2. Brawley 3. Chiraco Summit 4. Calipatria 5. Blythe 6. Imperial
You both fly Grumman so it would seem you could have a flight together that only exists in the editing bay
Columbia is awesome! Camping there is on my to do list. I didn’t include it b/c it’s not Southern California otherwise it would be a strong contender.
Oh, Duh.. I didn't draw the connection to Southern California... That explains why so many of my old favorites aren't on the list. How about Agua Dulce? Has it fallen into disrepair like so many other remote public airports?
Santa Paula is definitely a great airport. It's always my go-to for cheap fuel. Great community for sure.
Camarillo is a favorite of mine. Many wonderful times at Waypoint Cafe with family and friends over 30 years. We went there every time we went to visit my in-laws and there are so many memories. When my father-in-law passed away, we had a plaque put on one of the benches with his and my MIL's names. Bench is over at the side entrance. Capt Richard J Miller, USN Ret and Lois Miller.
No. A lot of work was done there, hangars, cafe, BBQ pit etc. Even a swimming pool. But they got busted for doing some stuff without permit, the swimming pool I think is gone. The locals were not happy and while unsuccessful in getting it closed, were successful in getting operations there severely restricted.
Loved the video. I'm currently in PPL training down in the LA basin (first solo this week!) and most of these have been on my list of places to go once I get my PPL. Question about Kern Valley- what route do you take from the LA area? Over Gorman to Bakersfield and up the canyon or follow the 14 up through the Edwards MOAs and over the hills near Inyokern?
Congrats on the upcoming solo! It's a great feeling. The solo cross countries are even better. As far as routing goes, I've gone both ways. I think the central valley route is a little shorter for me, but sometimes other aspects play a role. If the central valley is LIFR, I've gone the desert route. If winds are strong from the west, you're gonna get a rough ride on the desert side, as it's on the leeward side of the mountains.
Thanks for the response- so it sounds like both options are viable but weather dependent. Makes sense. Actually, I DID have my first solo earlier this week. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I'd be, but after going around on my first trip through the pattern due to a wonky final I did think to myself "I'm gonna have to land this thing eventually..." And I did!
Actually, Chiraco Summit has a cafe and General Patton museum so close it is essentially on the field.
Agua Dulce was bought by the Spears family, the one that ran a NASCAR team for years. They did alot of improvements so its still a nice airport. They used to have a monthly BBQ flyin in the summers but that stopped about a year or two ago.
