SF Bay Area to San Diego

Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

Hi Jizhong,

Inland socal has a higher probability of clear weather than the coast-
we often get clouds within 5-10 miles of the coast. We just had a
storm come through and another one is due next week, not sure of the
effect of them on the weather this weekend. The coastal run is nice,
but you can always decide a few hours before wheels up.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

Yes, I'm a little worried about the wx on this weekend. Looks like
SoCal is going to be sunny, but the bay area will be wet. Thanks for
the information.

Jizhong
On 13 Nov 2003 07:38:18 -0800, (lance smith)
wrote:

Hi Jizhong,

Inland socal has a higher probability of clear weather than the coast-
we often get clouds within 5-10 miles of the coast. We just had a
storm come through and another one is due next week, not sure of the
effect of them on the weather this weekend. The coastal run is nice,
but you can always decide a few hours before wheels up.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
Hi,

I'm planning to make a trip from RHV to MYF in a C182 this weekend and
back. I could do some really mild IFR, but I'd really rather be VFR.
Although I got my IR last year, I don't have a lot of hours (250 total
and only 15hrs in the previous year) and feel nervous when I have to
travel through different WX system. What I'm facing? Will I be making
any mistake by choosing the inland route vs the coast one (or vise
versa)? I'd imaging coastal flight would be pretty. In the SF Bay Area
you could almost get away with VFR locally even there is a winter
storm nearby. What about the SCal?

Thanks a lot for any tips and help,

Jizhong

So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

You should be fine. Just get some altitude, it can get windy in those
mountains. Weather looks good for this weekend too.

-lance smith


wrote in message . ..
So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

I've been doing a LVK or OAk to RAL flight on occasion lately and I've
been flying more easterly than directly over Gorman. It keeps me
closer to flat lands of the high desert in case the big wheel out
front has a problem. Although at night there's not much out that way
to allow for a differential between flat and rocky.

I'm not sure I would do the flight at night single engine, depends on
how much I trust the plane. Other than that I would do the usual
things, flight following if not IFR and stay as high as possible.

I have some new business in SD so I'll be making a similar trek back
and forth to SDM starting the first of the year, enjoy the flight.

Strange question to ask. You ought to know your capabilities and that of the
aircraft best.

wrote in message
...
So, I did not go last weekend because of the marginal weather. I'm
going to try again this weekend. It looks like the weather is going to
be clear Friday night. I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?

Jizhong

Single Engine
Night
Mountains


Pick any two.

Jim
(CFI from the mountains)



shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

I'm thinking of a night flight. Will this be a
-foolish choice to cross the Gorman pass in the dark?
-
-Jizhong


Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Obviously you've never been over the Grapevine before.

Jim



shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

Now, by the way, my proposed route is only a 10min flight
-over a pass. Flat land both sides.



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com

Jim, I've been over the Grapevine at night multiple times. In VMC, the area
is such that it is rare to not be within gliding distance of some lit chunk
of pavement that is more hospitable than the usual invisible night granite.
It is certainly more than a 10 minute passage, though; I'm not sure where he
got that number.

Many twins have such poor single engine performance that the extra engine
does little besides give a false sense of security; it will indeed allow you
to fly to the accident site. Having a well maintained single with a low Vs
and better glide ratio can be as safe. Safe is a very relative term here.
The "pick any two" from "Single Engine, Night, Mountains" guide is a good
starting point to evaluate a plan and to give folks pause, but as a real
go/nogo rule I think it is too simplistic.

To the unitiated, Tejon Pass (also known as Gorman or the Grapevine) is
between the California Central valley and the San Fernando Valley of Los
Angeles. There is an 8040' peak just 8 miles to the west of the airway and a
few others that are nearly as tall; to the east, the hills are nearly to
6000'. And a four lane (each way) freeway known as Interstate 5 cuts through
it, the main artery between northern and southern California. The actual
pass is marked as being at 4239'. The MEA on the V 23 airway is 9500', a
good bet for a night VMC flight and it has radar coverage by Bakersfield
Approach and LA Center.

In my Cherokee, at night in VMC, IFR or VFR Flight Following, I'd not
hesitate to fly the Grapevine (and *some* other mountainous routes) with a
flight plan filed and both eyes open. *Might* be doing it again on Wednesday
eve, although I-5 will be bumper to bumper and not a good emergency landing
choice (it really never is, anyway). If VFR I make the occasional call to
FSS (if a long flight) to update position just like my primary instructor
had me do in 1974 when flying the Grapevine on my long solo XC on my way to
Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and back to Brackett/Pomona.

-Greg

"Jim Weir" wrote in message
...
Obviously you've never been over the Grapevine before.

Jim



shared these priceless pearls of wisdom:

Now, by the way, my proposed route is only a 10min flight
-over a pass. Flat land both sides.



Jim Weir (A&P/IA, CFI, & other good alphabet soup)
VP Eng RST Pres. Cyberchapter EAA Tech. Counselor
http://www.rst-engr.com