On Sat, 09 Oct 2004 19:34:15 GMT, Don Tuite
wrote in
::

I was looking at going to Wescon in Anaheim last month. (Didn't, but
that's another story.)

(I hear the world's largest convention, Comdex in Las Vegas, has been
canceled, er postponed, but that's another story...
http://www.comdex.com/ )

It seemed like, coming from the north, Gorman to El Monte to Fullerton
fit the bill and avoided controlled airspace until you got to the FUL
Class-D.

That route will work, but if you're VFR and talking to ATC, they'll
try to take you to Pomona VOR before they turn you toward KFUL. That
routing will keep you _WELL_ below the KLAX arrival traffic and add
~15 nm to your flight. Of course, there's nothing but prudence
stopping you from canceling Radar Traffic Advisory Service at that
time.

While navigating the LA basin, I use every means at my disposal to
spot conflicting traffic and enhance my conspicuity. All passengers
are assigned quadrants to scan. The strobes and landing light are on
day and night, and I'm receiving flight following. Anything less is
tantamount to negligence.

Is it any less murky over LAX or Hollywood Park?

It depends on the season, time of day, and the marine layer.... The
real advantage to the Hollywood Park Transition is that ATC will
provide separation to _ALL_ aircraft in KLAX Class B airspace.

(I've only been back to the LA basin in a small plane once since '73,
but back then, I had a Taylorcraft at Compton, and I got my license at
TOA.)

Ah, those were the days...

The LA basin is very congested now, and on fair weekends, the traffic
concentration is downright intimidating! The large chunks of airspace
that have been "taken" to accommodate airline traffic has forced GA
traffic into ever increasing proximity of one another. The solution
for GA pilots is to stop attempting to circumnavigate the controlled
airspace, and instead take advantage of the assistance ATC provides
within it.