San Diego Coastal flight\bay transition!

[RonCraighead]

I fly RW out of Gillespie (KSEE). As you know from flying on PE, it’s a great place to fly, but the airspace is complex due to the two Bravos.

One of my favorite flights is to fly south along the coast, and over the San Diego bay. You need Bravo clearance, and clearance in to North Island Naval Air Station’s Delta. It’s a little intimidating to some pilots, and they just fly the VFR corridor… But that’s not as scenic.

With this flight path, you get cleared along the beach at below 500, and over the bay at 800, smack between downtown San Diego and Coronado. It’s really spectacular.

I understand there is an agreement between KSAN tower and North Island… If North Island is closed, you stay with Lindberg tower while in both airspaces.
I was wondering if the controllers on PE were aware of this and would grant the clearances… Here’s how the flight goes for me.

Take off from Gillespie (KSEE) from 27R, climb to 2500 and continue west to Montgomery airspace. Ask for a westbound transition.

Bear to the right of mount solidad and descend to 1000 feet as you pass over La Jolla.Turn south and descend over the water to just above 500.

Call Lindberg tower and ask for a southbound coastal transition of their bravo below 500’. Once cleared, report Crystal pier, then Ocen Beach pier. Maintain altitude below 500’.

Lindberg will then hand us off to North Island tower if they are open. Ask to ‘run the channel’ over the bay. They will clear us to climb to 800 and round point loma, and fly over the bay southbound and over the Coronado bridge.

After that we have the option to head east, staying clear of the Bravo, then north to Gillespie, OR turn around to the east, pass over the strand, and head North along Coronado, past point loma and back through the Bravo to La Jolla… Then back to SEE the way we came.The only down side, of course, is that if you lose an engine, you are ditching off shore. But the view is AMAZING!

So… Is this ever done on PE?
Cheers
Ron

[tshuff]

Joe Caban flew this once on the network. I think he had to coach the controller a bit on the request but was able to do it largely without problem.

Saw a video of this route on Youtube and it looks damn impressive for sure. One to add to the bucket list.

[Anthony Santanastaso]

This it totally doable. Very similar in spirit to flying the south shore of Long Island at or below 500 under the JFK arrivals and departures.

[Keith Smith]

the only issue is the nzy part, the san tower controller may not keep you with him.

sounds fun otherwise!

[rtataryn]

I had the opportunity to do this RW last week with Josh Gibbs. It was spectacular. Instead of returning to KMYF via east or back to Point Loma to the west, we did a 180 at the Coronado bridge and headed north directly over KSAN taxiway Delta at 1500 ft . . . called the Delta transition. From there, direct Montgomery.

[jx_]

the only issue is the nzy part, the san tower controller may not keep you with him.

sounds fun otherwise!

If NZY is closed (always is on PE) SAN owns the NZY delta for bravo transitions

[MervA]

Yes, I agree it's a great flight, I've done the bay tour a few times offline on the way to brown field, but not online as yet, as I thought
the controllers may scratch their heads at my request.

Merv

[rtataryn]

Here's a video I made of the Bay tour flight with Josh. It was my first time flying this transition and I could have cleaned up my comms a bit. I should have let KSAN tower know what I wanted to do after the Bay tour in my initial call after Crystal pier. He had to query me regarding my plans for the Delta transition. Also, calling KNYZ tower, I should have reported my position at Ocean Beach Pier and also informed him of my planned Delta transition after the Bay tour. He also had to query those. It was not a huge deal, but would have saved the queries and unnecessary radio chatter. Next time I'll be ready.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrAawREP_E0&t=31s

The Delta transition comms with KSAN are missing. My forward camera with the audio ran out of battery at the Coronado bridge, so only the side cameras were running. That was a simple call to KSAN tower, clearing me north through the bravo at 1500 feet over taxiway delta. Easy peazy. From there, a handoff to KMYF tower who directed me to a left downwind for 28R. Piece of cake.