I am going to SMO tomorrow. I have been there several times. But not recently. Is there a good small FBO to park at. Get a ride to the pier. Just want to hang out for the day have lunch. Really dont want to a rent car for a short stay. Is there an FBO if I fill up with fuel that will take me there. Or is there bus service. Thanks Don
Don,
Don’t know about which FBO is best. However, I was in SMO the other day and thanks to my customer (one of our fellow COPAn’s) discovered probably the best fly-in restraunt I’ve ever been too (Typhoon). Its in the terminal building on the southwest side of the field and has several parking spots right out front. Excellent (and pretty authentic) asian cuisine. Check it out.
Sorry, can’t remember the name of the FBO that’s in the same building. I’m sure somebody reading this knows.
Fly Safe,
Don,
There are two FBOs on the field.
Supermarine is on the north side. This is a jet center and their prices prove it.
American Flyers is on the south side. This is not a jet center and their prices (and grounds) prove it. You can get a taxi from either, but AF is definitely the cheaper of the two.
I doubt you’ll need it, but if you plan to shoot the approach, study the chart carefully. A couple of gotchas: the DME distances for the stepdowns are from the VOR, which is at the far end of the field (if you’re landing southwest) so that last stepdown is actually very close to the runway threshold. Also, it’s officially a circling-only approach because the final approach path is not only not quite aligned with runway heading, but it also puts you quite a bit south of the runway as you reach the MAP (you’ll have to make a quick turn to left base to land.)
The pros I’ve talked to fly the approach with the needle one dot to the left to improve their alignment with the runway when they break out, but I neither confirm nor deny the efficacy of this method.
It definitely got my attention the first time I did it (with ATC asking me to keep my speed up for the Astra jet behind me.) Mea culpa.
In reply to:
Don’t know about which FBO is best. However, I was in SMO the other day and thanks to my customer (one of our fellow COPAn’s) discovered probably the best fly-in restraunt I’ve ever been too (Typhoon). Its in the terminal building on the southwest side of the field and has several parking spots right out front. Excellent (and pretty authentic) asian cuisine. Check it out.
Sorry, can’t remember the name of the FBO that’s in the same building. I’m sure somebody reading this knows.
We fly in to SMO and eat at Typhoon all the time. They have fun items like ants and crickets. Really! (Good, too.) The sushi place upstairs (“The Hump”) is outstanding but very expensive.
There is no FBO at the restaurant parking, nor do you need one. The restaurant is in a building that is a GA terminal of sorts. Flight planning room, bathrooms, observation deck, etc. I’d just call a cab from there if you want a ride to the pier. Fuel trucks prowl the taxiway (one almost hit me once) and you should have no problem hailing one if they don’t chase you down first. If the row right in front of the terminal is full, transient parking is to the North, just a few steps away.
Just be aware that there is a VERY strict curfew at SMO. If you’re not out of there by 11:00 you’re spending the night.
In reply to:
Also, it’s officially a circling-only approach because the final approach path is not only not quite aligned with runway heading, but it also puts you quite a bit south of the runway as you reach the MAP (you’ll have to make a quick turn to left base to land.)
But the main reason it is a circling-only approach, and the big gotcha, is that the MDA is waaay above the runway and the final stepdown is pretty close in. When you hit that final fix be prepared to get down to the MDA quickly. This is a dive-and-drive approach IMHO, even if you prefer a planned profile.