In the far northwest corner of California lies Crescent City, a remote city in a desolate area. Served by Crescent City Airport (CEC), the airport has fuel and access to rental cars through the airline passenger terminal. Located far away from the major cities in California and Oregon, this airport provides pilots with easy access to hidden beaches, forests, and a National Park. With wildfires and smoke blanketing the Sierra Mountains, this is a great destination to fly to for…

Monterey (MRY) has a new airport restaurant! After the space was vacant for a few years, the airport terminal finally has a new one - Woody’s at the Airport! On September 12, enjoy lunch on the outdoor patio that overlooks the airline ramp, allowing you to view take-offs and landings with your meal. The flight down is an easy one from the Bay Area, and an excellent choice to take passengers on a short flight if they have never been…

A unique destination, Nut Tree Airport (VCB) in Vacaville is located right next to a major shopping and dining center. A former amusement park, the Nut Tree area is now home to numerous dining options, making it a great place to travel to and satisfy all kinds of appetites. On September 20th, let’s meet up at the Nut Tree airport and walk to the dining area. The flight is easy, but picking a restaurant is the hard part, with options…

This month's airport is a famous one - Catalina (AVX)! Situated offshore of Los Angeles, this airport is known for its unique, carrier-style approach, and remoteness. You can access it by flying to the Long Beach area (Long Beach and Torrance airports are good options) to get fuel, and then make the hop over the channel to the island. The airport does not have fuel, so please plan accordingly. Upon landing, take in the beauty of this natural place. You’re…

October 2nd is a special day at the Castle Air Museum - it’s Open Cockpit Day! Castle Air Museum has a wide variety of historic aircraft, and on two days per year, the museum allows visitors to visit the inside of normally off-limits aircraft! Let’s spend a Saturday viewing the insides of these magnificent aircraft, as well as the exteriors in the museum’s beautiful outdoor setting. The museum is conveniently located next to Castle Airport, which as a former B-52…

On October 10th, make the quick hop over the Santa Cruz Mountains to Half Moon Bay (HAF) for lunch. The flight is quick from points around the Bay Area but is much faster and less stressful than navigating the traffic on Highway 92. This is a perfect flight to take friends and family on, as it affords stunning views of the local coastline, beaches, and mountains in such a short flight. After landing, taxi to the small ramp on the…

Fall is here, and with the cooler temperatures comes earlier nightfall. Need to practice night flying, or just want to gain more experience at night? Come join us for dinner at Seabrisas Eatery in Hollister (CVH) on October 20th at 7 PM. On the way down, soak in the gorgeous sunset over the coastal mountains before descending into Hollister Airport. Make sure to remain clear of the San Jose final approach course, and consider talking to NorCal Approach to have…

This month’s Airport of the Month is Santa Ynez (IZA). Santa Ynez is located on the backside of the Coast Range behind Santa Barbara and is known for the surrounding valley with numerous vineyards, small shops, and quaint villages. The towns of Santa Ynez and Solvang are easily accessible with a bike, or many ride-share providers service the area. Solvang has a busy downtown area, and many restaurants can be found along the main boulevard. Solvang has a unique Dutch-themed…