Santa Monica (KSMO) Tips or Gotchas?

Other note: on takeoff, climbout straight ahead all the way to the
beach before turning on course. Really, noise abatement is important at
this airport, constantly under siege from rich people with no love for
aviation.

Almost. The requested noise abatement out of 21 is to turn left over
the VOR, then straighten out and fly the runway heading over the golf
course. The usual northbound departure request for VFR goes something
like "Cessna XXX holding short 21, right turn at shoreline."

When you land, just turn off the active and stop when you're at least a
plane length into the apron, it's all paved. Tower will usually tell
you when to contact ground, or they'll have you taxi with them
depending on who's in the bathroom or whatnot.

I second the suggestion to land VFR to avoid wacky vectoring. You can
save a lot of time coming down the coast(watch for traffic, it's a busy
corridor) and call into KSMO at Pacific Palisades (it's on the chart).


Oh, keep in mind that it's right traffic for 21 (the prevailing
runway), and left traffic for 03. They really don't want you getting
anywhere near LAX, it's right next door.

Get a copy of the terminal chart if you're going to be in the area,
it'll make life easier. The sectional just doesn't have some of the
stuff that you need to really get around quickly, like the VFR corridor
over LAX.

Instead of stopping at Supermarine, you might want to stop at the
transient parking on the south side of the field, there's a good
restaurant there (Typhoon) and nice outdoor tables.

On 11 Jun 2005 22:01:53 -0700, "Ben Hallert"
wrote in .com::

(watch for traffic, it's a busy corridor)

If you come down the coast, burn a landing light and contact Santa
Barbara Approach Control 20 miles north (or west). Radar Advisory
Service is prudent from that point due to traffic congestion. But you
probably knew that.