Airspace communication help through SFO plz

OUTTIE

OUTTIE

Well-Known Member
Hi,

I need help on or who to call when flying through 3 different airspace closely together.

Look at skyvector.com SFO chart. I want to fly from KRHV (reid-hillview) to KHAF (half-moon bay).

By the looks of it, I am kinda confuse on who to call first?

Do I contact ground at RHV first saying I'd like a clearance VFR to HAF?
or Do I contact Approach after takeoff requesting transition through Class C and B airspace?:confused:

OR after taking off contacting the SJC tower then Approach?
 
mojo6911 said:
The ATIS at RHV should give you some instructions, but I assume you would just tell ground what you want to do and they would coordinate it for you fairly easily.
Click to expand...

Ah, didn't think about it being a controlled field, didn't read that closely. Maybe pick up flight following? That could make the airspace transitions a lot easier. You can request that from tower/ground before you even have to switch frequencies.
 
OUTTIE said:
Do I contact ground at RHV first saying I'd like a clearance VFR to HAF? or Do I contact Approach after takeoff requesting transition through Class C and B airspace?:confused:
Click to expand...

You can contact ground and ask for flight following to KHAF. Usually they will get you a squawk code and departure frequency, or at least a departure frequency so you know who to contact after departure. Just don't ask for a "VFR clearance"...you'll sound funny :)
 
and have a backup plan in place if you can't get a Class B clearance... because you probably won't.
 
Tell RHV ground you want a charlie transition to half moon bay, they'll coordinate it for you. After takeoff you'll be switched to SJC tower and then Norcal on the far side of SJC

Alternatively you can depart to the south and cut across to watsonville and then fly up the coast which is a really pretty flight as long as the marine layer isn't around. Then you need only talk to your passengers... and monitor CTAF ;)
 
mojo6911 said:
Hard to tell, but it looks like the lowest Class B on a direct route is 4000MSL, so he probably won't be that high to begin with.
Click to expand...

Good call. That was more of a blanket statement. Last time I had flight following with Norcal I heard a pilot coming from the north and flying down Ocean Beach try and get a Class B clearance to get into HAF. The problem is, the Class B protects the 28L/R departure corridor from SFO, and there were a lot of departures right then, so he never got it. YMMV depending on time and controller workload I think.
 
inigo88 said:
Good call. That was more of a blanket statement. Last time I had flight following with Norcal I heard a pilot coming from the north and flying down Ocean Beach try and get a Class B clearance to get into HAF. The problem is, the Class B protects the 28L/R departure corridor from SFO, and there were a lot of departures right then, so he never got it. YMMV depending on time and controller workload I think.
Click to expand...


That I don't understand... I've never been denied one even at 5:30pm on Friday.
 
Awesome avatar. Most of the Bay Area airports will state in the ATIS if SFO isn't excepting Bravo transitions. SFO is really cool 99% of the time about letting GA traffic fly over. Hell, every single time I've asked to cross midfield to look down at everything, its been approved. You'll have an easy time for sure.
 
Got it. Seems I caught them at a weird non-accommodating time that doesn't reflect normal ops. My mistake.

FWIW, this was the coast route (which traverses the 28L/R departure corridor), not the 101 or 280 transition. I still need to fly down to SQL or PAO and give the 101 transition/midfield overflight a try.
 
I know the question has already been answered, but make sure you coordinate a west transition with ground, and not with approach. Flying runway heading off of RHV's 31s dumps you into the SJC class C really quickly. It's only like two or three miles. Just make sure your situational awareness is up to snuff, and you'll be fine.
 
inigo88 said:
Got it. Seems I caught them at a weird non-accommodating time that doesn't reflect normal ops. My mistake.

FWIW, this was the coast route (which traverses the 28L/R departure corridor), not the 101 or 280 transition. I still need to fly down to SQL or PAO and give the 101 transition/midfield overflight a try.
Click to expand...


I suppose it's possible when they're slammed or on a weird plan. One time I was giving a bay tour and they called "traffic 2:00 a heavy 777 climbing out of SFO restricted below you"

I felt bad because I was at 3500 haha.... Sorry Captain :) Got quite a good show though.
 
Most of the time just ask ground at whatever Bay Area airport that you are VFR and are going to whereever and you need a code. By that they know who to send you to after takeoff. They will provide insturctions on which way to fly to and from within busy B and sometimes C airspace. So know they area, landmarks from the air well. If you don't I recommend flying with one that does. Enjoy, flying the coast and through B is great.
 
Honestly the only times I can think of that I've seen SFO not allow Bravo transitions were:
-When aircraft doing something other than standard, landing on the 01s, 10s, or 19s. But usually when they are doing stuff like that the weather is usually IMC anyway or the winds are 40+kts, so you probably wouldn't want to be flying a Cessna around anyway.
-When the airport is on flow and they have crap in holding patterns all over and constant arrivals and departures, again, USUALLY this is also IMC, but sometimes the fog clears up and it becomes a gorgeous day yet they're too busy to allow transitions from all the delays.
-When everything is taking off and landing on the 28s, they will sometimes not allow B transitions as there isn't really much you can do to stay out of the way of all the departures considering they go off into several directions to keep the flow of traffic going. But, again, when they all use the 28s, unless the 01s are closed, the winds are strong out of the West and it probably wouldn't be the best day for GA flying anyway.

Long story short, on a nice day with VMC, you will very rarely get denied a transition.
 
I'm still not completely convinced that the Bay Area is even populated. Every time that I have ever flown over it (~7-10 time over the last 3 years) it has been obscured by fog, low clouds, or I was IMC. When does the weather actually clear up to the point where I can make ground contact? I guess I have landed at Hayward once but the vis was so low that I could barely make out REILs from the departure end of the runway and we were in the poop at 400' AGL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top