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LAX mini route - Garmin Pilot

C

cyrus

Well Known Member
Curious if anybody knows where to find the mini route in garmin pilot. How about g3x touch?
 
The LAX TAC chart specifically describes the Mini-Route as SMO VOR direct to VPLSR

As long as your Garmin has the LAX Visual Reference points in it's database you should be good to go.

VPLSR is Hawthorne Blvd and the 405 Freeway intersection and is reasonable easy to identify, and a mere 1/10 mile S of Earls Performance Products (nee Earls Surplus) that makes blue AN fittings for race cars...:)

If you don't know Earls location then the intersection stands out since it is 1/2 mile West of Alondra Park, the only large green grassy area in the whole neighborhood.

https://goo.gl/maps/jdt1pGpU9S12
 
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Not on chart

So I fly this often. I never could find the mini route on the EFB chart. When I flight plan with Garmin pilot, I use the ref points mentioned. It works fine.

This gets to my other complaint with Garmin Pilot and Foreflight: I can't program in altitudes in the flight plan; seems like a large oversight unless I am doing something wrong.:
 
Video of Mini-Route Southbound (1:30)

You'll fly it at 2,500' and talk to SoCal Approach ==> Santa Monica Tower ==> LAX Tower (Southbound) It Looks Like This from the Air.

In ForeFlight, the Mini-Route is shown on the Los Angles FLY Chart and someplace else that I can't find at the moment. Hope this helps.
 
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JohnInReno said:
Shouldn't that be VPLSR?
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Correct... the fingers didn't follow the brain...:mad: At least one of the entries was correct for the VP...:)

This might help -

https://skyvector.com/?ll=33.93595830918027,-118.35662835234754&chart=114&zoom=2

As a side note -

The reference to Earls came from my frequent lunchtime trips down the 405 from my office on the S side of LAX. When the morning rush hour traffic jams on the freeway extended into my noon lunch hour was when I decided there were too many people in Los Angeles and I left the city. :)
 
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LAX crossing

JohnInReno said:
I have zero experience flying in the LAX area. Both northbound and southbound on the mini route are at 2500'. How does that work in practice?
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Since you need LAX tower clearance to enter the Class B area I bet they only allow one direction crossing at a time.

I have only used the Los Angeles Special Flight Rules Area crossing of LAX at 3500 and 4500 ft. You get a good view of the LAX activity at that height, 2500 ft would be an even better view. :)

I got the impression that the Mini-Route is more suitable for VFR planes taking off from Hawthorne and heading North (or Santa Monica heading South). You would save a climb to 4500 ft and you would be already in touch with HHR tower.

Since the adjacent Class B floors are at 5000 ft, if you are already airborne in the LA basin the Special Rules crossing might be easier.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=33.57665965741912,-119.55762495510552&chart=114&zoom=4
 
I had a look and could not find any way in Garmin Pilot of displaying the SFRA details. You can pull up the AF/D, but it isn't referenced there.
I thought you may be able to scroll the TAC chart to see the inset, but they've cut that out of the chart view.

Skyvector allows you to see it like that.

But as it is a requirement of the SFRA to be carrying the TAC chart, they may think you don't need it.
 
Things happen pretty fast when flying the mini route North/West bound. You'll talk to Hawthorne tower, LAX tower (Hi Tammy!) then SMO tower.

It's a lot more relaxed flying the SFRA at 3500/4500. You will be in class Bravo airspace, and your "clearance" will be to (a) have the TAC chart on board, (b) squawk 1201, (c) fly the route and max speed (<140 kts IAS) in the TAC chart, (d) self announce on 128.55.

I normally plan to fly VPLSR - SMO or vise versa, but the route is identified as flying the SMO 132 radial. It's only available in VFR conditions.

regards

~Marc
 
Legally, you have to have the TAC chart on board to fly the route. In Foreflight, I know the chart info tabs are available. I have not been able to find them in FlyQ. I've never tried Garmin Pilot... but once again, no TAC chart describing the route on board (digital or paper), it is not legal to fly.
 
I think a few emails to Garmin Pilot guys would be helpful. I'll start one today. They do listen. If you remember me asking for the profile airspace view after a posting on VAF they added it, and it's AWESOME. Especially in LA.

I found the FAA TAC pdf on line, can add it to your ibooks on ios or somewhere better on android im sure.

http://aeronav.faa.gov/content/aeronav/tac_files/PDFs/Los_Angeles_TAC_73_P.pdf

WingX had these charts easily accessible as well. Appreciate all the responses. Great group as always!
 
cyrus said:
I think a few emails to Garmin Pilot guys would be helpful. I'll start one today. They do listen. If you remember me asking for the profile airspace view after a posting on VAF they added it, and it's AWESOME. Especially in LA.

I found the FAA TAC pdf on line, can add it to your ibooks on ios or somewhere better on android im sure.

http://aeronav.faa.gov/content/aeronav/tac_files/PDFs/Los_Angeles_TAC_73_P.pdf

WingX had these charts easily accessible as well. Appreciate all the responses. Great group as always!
Click to expand...

This Los Angeles FLY chart on SkyVector might be a little easier to read if you are not familiar with LA geography. The mass of yellow on the TAC chart is a little overwhelming.

https://skyvector.com/?ll=33.87937323339674,-118.29502462099876&chart=150&zoom=3

Keep the TAC one handy to stay legal though...:)
 
When I flew the Mini-Route (Southbound) last year headed for Torrance, after I cleared LAX, LA Tower told me "Radar service terminated. Contact Hawthorne Tower". At the time, I thought he made a mistake because my destination was Torrance, but I didn't question him (I should have but I was tired after a long flight.) In a few minutes, I contacted Torrance tower and they instructed me to fly down the coast, which I did. I landed without incident and nobody said anything.

This topic has caused me to wonder if I hadn't screwed up by not contacting Hawthorne to request permission to transit their airspace. The top of their Class D is 2,500' and I was at 2,500', so maybe I was (barely) legal after all. What say you more experienced pilots? Did I screw up?
 
snopercod said:
When I flew the Mini-Route (Southbound) last year headed for Torrance, after I cleared LAX, LA Tower told me "Radar service terminated. Contact Hawthorne Tower". At the time, I thought he made a mistake because my destination was Torrance, but I didn't question him (I should have but I was tired after a long flight.) In a few minutes, I contacted Torrance tower and they instructed me to fly down the coast, which I did. I landed without incident and nobody said anything.

This topic has caused me to wonder if I hadn't screwed up by not contacting Hawthorne to request permission to transit their airspace. The top of their Class D is 2,500' and I was at 2,500', so maybe I was (barely) legal after all. What say you more experienced pilots? Did I screw up?
Click to expand...

LAX Tower always has me contact Hawthorne as I leave LAX airspace southeast bound in the mini route (and they handle the transition to LAX northwest bound.) If I'm going to Torrance, I'm only talking to HHR for a minute until they hand me off. Flown it a dozen times and always assumed I was in HHR airspace at 2,500', I'm sure you drifted up a foot or two and was above their Delta.
 
Tami says "hi". She says the call sign is very familiar.

I was going to say when talking to LAX tower and it is a female voice ask if it is Tami and say hello from VAF. We fly a 6 so she likes talking to the RV folks. She will help ya out. Once you hear her on the radio she has a distinctive voice/personality (friendly) you can usally tell if it is her. She has been there for 17 years she knows what she is doing and can help you out.

And she loves 10's wants us to build one.
 
snopercod said:
Did I screw up?
Click to expand...

The always helpful answer is . . . it depends. If above 2,500' all is good. Also depends if HHR tower is open/closed.

Understand directly south (and north) of LAX is LAX Class Delta. Note the diagonal dashed line, it's ceiling is also 2,500'. It's adjacent to HHR airspace.

When LAX tower gives you a frequency change to HHR it's understood you will be in their Class D for a bit. The Delta airspace was added when they noticed that aircraft going around, and turning early, were in Class E. FAA was not happy. So they added the Class D.

I always try to use the mini route. You're always in controlled airspace with another set of eyes looking for traffic. The SFRA has it's issues, including knuckleheads using the wrong altitude for their direction of flight and others not making the voluntary position announcements (not required but annoying and not helping anyone.)
 
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