Anyone interested in attending a southern California Cirrus fly-in or southern west coast fly-in for that mater? A few of us down here are scratching our heads as to where and when to have one. Some of you like Sundays, some Saturdays. Finding an airport is not easy either. We have narrowed it down to the following;
Van Nuys
Camarillo
Santa Monica
Santa Barbara
Oxnard
Santa Paula
Please post some feed back so we can get our pre-spring round up planned. Feel free to suggest any airport not listed above. Make sure to include if you prefer Sat or Sun. Time should revolve around lunch in all cases.
How about Catalina Island? They’ve got the restaurant on the field, and a tram
that can take folks who want to stay for awhile, down to Avalon and back.
Sunday is my preference.
Its a very interesting airport, if you haven’t been there before.
Camarillo / Santa Barbara / San Luis Obispo Those will be good choices. These airports are startegically located for both North and Southern Californians.
Great idea - I’ll echo the appeal to stretch toward the northern end of Southern California (Santa Barbara? San Luis Obispo?) as I expect several NorCal folks like me would be tempted. Slight preference for Sat over Sun.
Yup, very interested. I’m looking forward to more social activities with COPA members. Thanks for prompting this discussion (especially because I feel left out of the several east-coast events [:(]). Put me down for any day any where.
All of the locations that you suggest are fine, as are others with on-field airports. I have three criteria: good folks, good food and good fun!
I appreciate the desire to suggest spots part-way between Northern and Southern California, but let me point out that Palo Alto to San DIego is 370 nm and 3:00 in an SR20 with unfavorable winds. That fits the Mike Radomsky fly-in rule-of-thumb of “looking for 1-3 SR20 hours away from BLM on the Jersey shore.” So, I’d like to participate in more events.
Please pick a central one to start and then we can gauge the interest.
For instance, would Top Gun be willing to host a maintenance fly-in? They certainly have the ramp space!!!
And keep in mind Bill Graham’s new party-pad at his hangar at Gillespie Field, San Diego. Not quite ready yet, but sure to be a fly-in destination of some note. (Just ask him about beer someday! [:D])
There are so many interesting California destinations that I would really appreciate meeting other Cirrus pilots who can share the local flavor.
ASSUMING I have an aircraft by then (or perhaps even in a worn out 172 from SZP - I’ll park away from the SR’s to avoid shame) you can count me in. May I suggest Oceano as well - but perhaps have SLO-town as a back up, due to the occasional coastal stratus that affects L52 but not necessarily San Luis (always plan for an alternate [;)]) Saturdays are best for me…
When will Gordon be back with his PFD equipped 22? I suggest scheduling this BEFORE that date so we all don’t feel like we’ve been left behind.
Just kidding - how about just after? I don’t care about Sat or Sun but would prefer 3000 ft. of runway so maybe not Oceano…plus why tempt the fog gods?
I hope you have it before Aprill 1 so I can be there. Saterday or sunday for me. But if we say Saterday then Sunday can be a rain day. If you had it at big beer AZ people could be there I guess they can go to anywere though. I personaly like Smaller airports with nice size runways. large ramps. Then again sata barbra has agreat restuarant. From Don
If you want to pull in some NoCal folks, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo might capture a significant number of them.
But, there’s no shortage of good places, you probably just have to pick one and I’m sure you’ll get a good turnout of Cirri (and maybe even the odd 260se or two)–based on my earlier experience as a member of the People’s Revolutionary Cirrus Fly-In Committee.
Note that last month (Jan. 15) was the 3rd anniversary of the very FIRST West Coast Cirrus fly-in, which was on a cloudy/rainy day in Watsonville. Walt Conley hopped over from MRY in his SR20 A model 415WM and gave a few rides to lucky position holders.
The next one was May 20 2000, at SBP. It turned out a Lancair Columbia 300 demo plane also was there, whether by coincidence (?) or design.
Is that because of the density alt. because the runway is 5880 long. It is 6700 fett high so maybe its not good for heaver loads I will do a perfomance check I know I would have no problem. But I have never been there I was just thinking not such crowded airspace. To me I will go anywere > from Don
One nice feature of Big Bear is that departures to the west (from Runway 26) fly over Big Bear Lake, which has the great advantage of being flat! Once you get past the dam at the west end of the lake, the terrain drops off in a pleasing manner.
I think Kevin was pulling your leg about a Big BEER versus a Big BEAR.
I need to to da der sellling scole iwa nst went but ise did not does to well soory iwilll try to do beeettter And if I dont I will have a beer and stay there or have a diesnated pilot. Any one one to do that. Sounds like big beer is on my list to go to. Do they have a nice ramp. Big enough for those big wing 22 planes. From Don
The ramp at Big Bear is plenty large — should be no problem for those big-wing SR22s, though probably not suitable for anyone arriving in a http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/rb-57.htmMartin/General Dynamics RB-57F.
How about Oceanside. The beach is right there, lots of ramp space, and it is right about half way between SF and LA.
Wherever it is, Saturday or Sunday I will be there.
