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02-18-2012, 11:10 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: McKinney, TX (T31)
Posts: 209
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Best Airport For Seeing San Francisco
Wife and I are planning a 2 week west coast flying vacation for this June (actual dates not set yet). With so much to see, we have to be efficient so local knowledge is key. You'll probably see many of these types of posts from me over the next few weeks as we get deeper into our trip planning.
I searched the forums but didn't get a good answer. We want to spend 1 day seeing San Fran and would rather do it without renting a car. SFO looks to be the best airport for this mission, but I can't imagine it being GA friendly. The next best option looks to be San Carlos (KSQL), so I'd like to query the locals for an answer (pun intended for all you IT nerds  sorry, I couldn't pass it up).
Thanks!
__________________
Dave B
McKinney, TX (T31)
N517AD - RV-7A - Sold
N963TP - RV-7A - Partner
N10HW - RV-10 - Partner
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02-18-2012, 11:17 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: California
Posts: 98
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Ga friendly
Koak is ga friendly and why not start your bay tour from KOAK. Hotels within walking distance. Just don't venture east of the freeway
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02-18-2012, 11:26 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,516
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KCCR
Don't overlook Concord.
1 : Hotel and airplane parking on the field.
2 : No Bravo or Charlie airspace to deal with.
3 : Bay Area Rapid Transit BART about a mile from the airport and a short ride to the city. BART ticket will cost you less than parking in the city, besides you do want to take the Cable Car to get around in San Francisco, it will take you
to all the attractive places in the City by the Bay.
There are no accomodations for small GA aircraft at SFO.
__________________
Ernst Freitag
RV-8 finished (sold)
RV-10 Flyer 600 plus hours
Running on E10 mogas
Don't believe everything you know.
Last edited by N427EF : 02-18-2012 at 11:28 AM.
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02-18-2012, 11:30 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Ely, Nevada
Posts: 223
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I highly recommend San Carlos. Fuel service is fast and easy off a truck that will be there in one or two minutes. Rental cars available there, or a short cab ride up to BART (subway) at SFO. Nice cafe at the airport. Airport does charge a small overnight fee that you can pay in office or mail in (they will leave tag on your prop). Very unbureaucratic airport. Easy in and out of the city. Seems very secure for overnighting on the ramp.
There is a mess of Class D and C airspace, so mapping GPS is particularly helpful. Note the VFR waypoints on the chart that are also in your GPS. I find SFO approach to be less helpful than most. They have never failed to dump me off before I get to the bay, still 12 to 15 miles out from SQL with "proceed PD, squawk VFR, call SQL tower when able." So, I dont use them anymore.
Depending on your arrival direction, you can scoot in under the Class B from the east side of the bay, routing over VPKGO waypoint at 1400 feet, lights one, call SQL tower not later than when you cross that waypoint (GPS and you'll see the radio towers at the east edge of the bay) and, bam, you are there. Plan on proceeding direct from VPKGO to SQL since you will have class D airspace to the surface both north and south of that route. SQL has a lot of planes based there, but I have never found the tower dealing with more than 2 planes in the air, so no sequencing complications. Maybe weekend mornings are different.
If you are interested, note that most of the city of SF is under, but not in, the Class B. You can make a nice sightseeing pass over the city on your way out.
__________________
Mike Coster
BUILDER: N92MB RV7A (A/W 3/2009) - Sold
ADOPTED/reworked: N4032Q RV8A (8/2017)
Building: S-21 Outback/Titan, tail and cockpit mated (3/2020)
KELY/Ely, NV
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02-18-2012, 11:39 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Mateo, CA
Posts: 1,419
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I'm based out of San Carlos. Rental cars on site, nice secure/cheap transient parking, nice controllers and close to downtown. If you need service on your plane call me (phone # on whitepages).
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02-18-2012, 12:06 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,685
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You planning to rent a car?
I always do but I have close to a fear of public transportation. When I fly into that area I tend to stay well clear of San Francisco itself. I had a kind of bold headstrong "I got my rights" neighbor (nice guy really) the flew into San Francisco International with his Piper Arrow IV and they put him through the stress ringer - he was still coming down from it when he told me of the experience a week or so later. I have landed at Hayward, Oakland, San Jose, Watsonville and Monterey and I like Monterey, well because I like Monterey, Carmel and all the places in between more than San Francisco but again that's just me. Your first choice sounds like a good one from the reports here.
Bob Axsom
Last edited by Bob Axsom : 02-18-2012 at 12:08 PM.
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02-18-2012, 01:04 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 1,324
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For a day trip into the city, I would strongly advise flying into either KOAK or KSQL and avoid renting a car. There is a BART station close to either airport with service that will take you to downtown San Franxisco. http://www.bart.gov/
A car is a real problem in the city and the public transit is very good. Parking a car will cost more than a cheap rental, currently over $50 a day in the center of the city! Enjoy your trip, San Francisco is a wonderful destination. Don't forget to try one of these. http://www.sfcablecar.com/routes.html
John Clark ATP, CFI
FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
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02-18-2012, 01:39 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Anywhere, USA
Posts: 1,132
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Dave,
Don't forget to go to KHAF for a burger.
On the coast and can run HWY 1 for some good
scenery.
__________________
Bruce (BOOMER) Pauley
Kathy (KAT) Pauley
RV 7A--"MISS MARIE"--- N177WD (SOLD FLYING)72742
VAF #582-----------------EAA LIFETIME MEMBER
EX -KC-135A -------------BOOM OPERATOR #3633
VAN'S FLIGHT------------#6930
See you in OSHKOSH
http://www.mykitlog.com/users/index....ley&project=84
=VAF= 2006-2020 DUES PAID
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02-18-2012, 01:52 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,685
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It used to be my favorite City
For all the charming reasons everyone mentions I used to love San Francisco. "The city that never was a town" Will Rogers said, etc. Then in 1990 I was on assignment as software delivery manager working with a small crew of key specialists to modify test and release a major software system to the Army at Ft. Hood and get it accredited by a govenment agency. This was one of the those assignments where all restraints are removed from the team in the field to make it work, get it accredited at any cost. It took 3 days to build the system for each release after the current changes were turned over to the "glass room" build control person and we were turning them about once a week including integration and test. We ate on the job in a secure area, worked until we could work no more slept a few hours (usually less than 8) and worked again some times 36 hours straight. After a release was turned over to the customer we would ocasionally get a weekend off. So, on one of these ocassions I decided to take Jeanine to our favorite city and stay in the best hotel - live it large! Dine at Ernie's that Earnest K. Gann mentioned in his books. From the description in AAA's TourBook The Hotel with its breath taking views from the windows of the rooms and top star rating was the Fairmont. We flew our plane to Oakland. Got our rental car and drove to the city. We used the valet parking at the hotel - so far so good:

Then we went to our room and checked the view:

We went to Ernie's and found it had obviously changed hands and the charm was gone. It was a disaster that completely turned me off on San Francisco - perhaps unfairly but I was so up for that visit to give us a little reward for the tremendously difficult time we (especially she) were going through and it was just the opposite. We never went back even though I had to visit Stanford and Ames several times on subsequent projects.
Bob Axsom
Last edited by Bob Axsom : 02-18-2012 at 07:56 PM.
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