COVID is at the peak but we can still maintain our night currency by flying to Modesto (KMOD) during February's full moon on the 27th. The central valley is beautiful at night and the folks at Modesto friendly. Also it's a great training place for IFR pilots as well as VFR training for the monthly breakfast outings when they return. Because of COVID-19, there will be no gathering or meeting up. : (        

We are in flying distance of Death Valley, one of the most beautiful places on earth during the spring desert flower bloom.  This usually occurs between mid February through mid May but depends on several variable such as amount and timing of rainfall, winds and temperature.  We have to maintain social distancing from each other but not the flowers.  During the month of March, fly to Death Valley for a once in a lifetime experience and submit your favorite area…

An airport under the Monterey Charlie Airspace and near the beach, the Marina Municipal Airport is the newest general aviation airport on the Monterey Peninsula. It consists of approximately 845.5 acres of property. It has been open for public use since 1995 and is dynamic and growing.  This is a great place to practice flying VFR into an airport under the Charlie and for you IFR pilots, the RNAV (GPS) 29 approach.  Looks easy, but you will be surprise how…

New this year for IFR pilots, New (No) Moon Flyers.  The night does not get any darker and the terrain disappears. This month, the official New Moon is March 13th and if you are IFR current and proficient, lets fly to Castle (KMER) and back sometime from March 11 through March 16th. . The valley is peaceful, the air is usually calm and the runway long.  While single pilot IFR is legal, these night flights are the real deal and…

This month, venture into the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas to Kern Valley Airport (L05), which resides near Lake Isabella, 2600 feet above the city of Bakersfield. Kern Valley is surrounded by mountain peaks on all sides, so make sure you examine the surrounding terrain before departure and plan a safe descent from cruising altitude to the pattern. Flying in the spring allows us to view Lake Isabella at its fullest capacity, and the mountain peaks may still be covered…

Yosemite National Park is one of America’s greatest treasures, with stunning glacier-carved cliffs, giant trees, and towering mountain peaks. Many of us have experienced this majestic place from the ground, but not many people have seen the park from the air. While one cannot land in Yosemite Valley (the closest airport is Mariposa on the western side and Lee Vining on the eastern side), pilots are allowed to overfly the park and soak in the views from above. This month’s…

Did you know Skywalker Ranch is located in Marin County at 5858 Lucas Valley Road? And, since we are pilots, we can fly over it. So if you want to have some fun and take a scenic flight up the coast, check out Skywalker Ranch in May. The principal operation of the facility is as a motion picture sound mixing and recording facility, as well as serving as the corporate offices of Lucasfilm. Other Lucasfilm properties provide animation and visual…

One of the more remote airports in the state, Garberville Airport (O16) is known for the steep terrain on all sides of the field, making it a challenge to plan a proper descent from pattern altitude to the runway. Pilots should plan on circling over Garberville as part of their descent, taking note of the terrain and wind conditions as they fly towards pattern altitude. Keeping the pattern tight is required due to the mountains to the east of the…