California airports

Flying along the California coastline is one of the very best things. I assembled this quick guide based on my experiences but additions/corrections/further information from others is very welcome. I’ve mostly focused on the coast to start.

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Ratings

★★★★★ Resplendent; why we learned to fly
★★★★ I will go back!
★★★ Worth seeing airport/surrounds
★★ Unremarkable airport/environs
★ Not recommended

KOXR: Oxnard ★★

Oxnard is sort of unremarkable – but the airport is quiet and well staffed. We called ahead and the Oxnard Jet Center drove our Hertz rental car out to our aircraft and handed us the keys. It’s a good jumping off point to head to Ojai or the beach, but I would recommend a car. Has fuel onsite.

KSBA: Santa Barbara ★★★★

Easy “real” Class C airport to fly into. Has some minimal commercial traffic (I think there are ~4 terminals). Two FBOs (Signature/Atlantic) which will lend you a crew car to go into downtown (officially for 90 minutes, but I’ve successfully borrowed it for ~3-4 hours on weekends). More importantly, the airport is right on the beach, so you can park & walk to the beach. There’s a cafe on the beach (Beachside Bar-Cafe) which has a great view and great food. Airport has two 4180 ft runways (15R/15L) which are generally the ones you’ll finding yourself landing on. Occasionally there will be jet traffic on 25. One quick note: Don’t forget to contact clearance before you taxi. By far one of my favorite airports to fly into.

KMHV: Mohave Air and Space Port ★★

Voyager Cafe is decent for a $100 hamburger. They used to offer tours of the boneyard but stopped a few years ago. Apparently, if you know anyone who works at the airport they can make it happen, but don’t expect to fly in and get a tour as some websites with dated material have implied. Not much to see and it’s pretty far out of the way. However, if you need fuel coming back from KLAS, it’s as good as anything else. Great choice if you’re landing a space shuttle or another type which needs 12,000+ feet of runway; they have one of the longest in the country.

L52: Oceano County Airport ★★★

Absolutely a gem of the south, this strip sits just a few blocks away from the water and some of the best fly-in BBQ these pilots have sampled. Next to the strip there’s some camping if you want to stay cheaply, or just visit for the day and rent some 4x4s to check out the dunes nearby. There is a locker on the field with 4-5 bikes that you can borrow – the lock combination is the Unicom frequency.

3O8: Harris Ranch Airport ★★★★

Calling 3O8 an airport is a little generous, and it’s not really on the coast, but it’s probably one of the truest “hundred dollar hamburger” spots in California. Harris Ranch Airport is a privately-owned narrow (2820x30) untowered strip that’s open to the public and is attached to Harris Ranch (the cattle ranch, and more importantly, the steakhouse). There are tie-down parking spots at the north end of the strip along with self-serve 100LL. Great meals, and a lot of fun to take friends for a steak. If you show them your pilot’s license you get a 10% discount off the whole meal.

KMRY: Monterey ★★★★

Class C airspace on the coast. Scenic approaches from every direction. Some small airline service. Cab ride into town to tour Cannery Row and the famous Aquarium, or visit downtown. Often fogged in mornings; ILS available. FBO provides fuel and parking as well as crew cars and golf clubs. There’s a golf course or two basically on the airport that’s not quite as expensive as the ones the jets come in to play.

CA66: Monterey Bay Academy ★★★★

2000’x50’ grass strip near KWVI abutting the coastal bluffs with awesome views. Private but you can land without permission the first time, then for future landings are required to sign a liability waiver which requires a $1M insurance policy. Bring a picnic for a hot day, and a surfboard! Watch for the downdraft on approach to 10, and the tight turnaround at the end.

KWVI: Watsonville ★★★

Long runway aimed at the shoreline. Good restaurant onsite, fuel available. Has a DME ARC approach if you want to practice something interesting.

KPAO: Palo Alto ★★★★

The epitome of a GA airport. Constantly buzzing with activity. Strip isn’t long (2400’) but lack of obstructions makes it pretty straightforward. Rarely overcast past 11am or so but often socked in first thing in the morning. Uber can take you to downtown Palo Alto in about ten minutes.

KSQL: San Carlos ★★★

Closest GA airport to San Francisco (30 mins drive). Fuel available. Nice restaurant overlooking the field and the Hiller Aviation museum is worth a visit at least once if you’re in the area. Always busy. Can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar. Try to review the IFR ODP before tower gives it to you.

KHAF: Half Moon Bay ★★★★

Former army airfield right on the coast. Lives underneath the SFO class B airspace. Fuel available. Excellent diner onsite at the main transient parking, or park at the east end of the field and it’s a short walk to an array of eating spots including one pretty good Italian restaurant. (Or go to the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company and sit around the fire pits!) Good launching spot for a night Bay Tour after dinner. Pattern can be busy on weekends. RNAV approaches only. Often socked in, especially in the morning and evening. LPV approach gets you pretty low, however.

KHWD: Hayward ★★ KHWD-Hayward Two runways; 28L is nice and long. LPV approach. FBO. 40 mins drive from SF. (More in traffic.) Nothing especially pleasant or noteworthy about airport/environs but it is very practical: no security hassle, long runway, close to SF, and good instrument procedures. (LPV gets you down to 350’.)

O22: Columbia ★★★★

Not a coastal airport, but this makes a great little day trip into the foothills, especially in warmer months. Has fuel. Density altitude definitely comes into play on hot days due to elevation. Has a grass runway. Shared with CDF, so you can see some interesting stuff coming and going sometimes. 15 minute walk to Columbia State Park, a restored gold rush town. Has an RNAV approach. On field camping available.

CA35: San Rafael

Private; only accessible to residents. There’s a bend in the runway.

KDVO: Gnoss

To be visited. Favored by local instructors for crosswind training. Make sure you pronounce the name of the airport right on the unicom; it’s “Gu-noss” (non-silent G).

1O3: Lodi ★★★

Small airport with an unusual 42’ wide runway. Not as narrow as Harris Ranch. Any single engine plane should be able to put down no problem. There’s a parked DC3 which may or may not be airworthy but is nice to see up close if you’ve never seen one in the flesh. However, the diner is absolutely fantastic.

APC: Napa County ★★★

Two long runways and an ILS. 15 minutes drive from downtown Napa. Feels like a training airport which is indeed how it started. Features Napa Jet Center FBO and the ramp is usually populated with a bunch of G5s for visiting oenophiles (or at least viticultural dilettantes). NJC will usually have a crew car available to borrow for 2 hours if you want to drive into town. Can call ahead to ask them to hold it for you, sometimes works. Also, they give out bottles of wine if you top off your tanks.

O69: Petaluma ★★★

Nice strip very close to the town. (Not walkable though.) Also a short drive from Sonoma. LPV approach. 3600’ runway with no terrain gives plenty of room. Definitely some flying community around. Got a very helpful de-icing bucket when everything froze during the winter.

0Q9: Sonoma Sky Park ★★ 0Q9-Sonoma-Sky-Park-1 0Q9-Sonoma-Sky-Park-2 2500’ strip with trees at either end. Not as tight as it looks but you do have to be on your game. 10 minute drive from downtown Sonoma. (Probably the best place to fly into around there.) Very quiet. Fun fact: the hangars are apparently $1M+. (As attested to and decried by a local I chatted with.)

0Q3: Sonoma Valley

Another small strip at 2700’; if you go long, you’ll run right through the planes fueling and the cars parked nearby. Be warned that use of the other runway is restricted as are departures after sunset. Lots of vintage and tailwheel planes are based here and there are display days on the weekend around once a month, or a take a tour in one! You can walk 5-10 minutes along the busy road to nice corner market with a handful of tasting rooms, but not much around otherwise. Nice way to spend an afternoon!

2O3: Angwin-Parrett ★★★★

The airport is nestled on a ridge (with a peculiar, upsloping 3200’ runway) and makes for a fun landing. The combination of the slope, trees at the end, elevation (1875’), and hot temps in the summer make it worthwhile for you to run your performance calculations. Short bike ride from St Helena, which is beautiful. Well worth a weekend trip.

KHES: Healdsburg ★★★★

KHES-Healdsburg-1 KHES-Healdsburg-2 Airport a ten minute bike ride (through the vineyards) from the town. Self-serve 100LL. 2600’ strip with no major obstructions.

Overnight: bike to Healdsburg. Stay at any of downtown Healdsburg’s good hotels. Get dinner at Chalkboard and coffee the next morning at Flying Goat Coffee. Stock up on lunch at Downtown Bakery. Go for a run or bike ride in the gorgeous surrounding environs.

KSTS: Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) ★★

Big airport with FBOs, multiple runways, etc. ILS down to 200 AGL. Easy to grab a crew car from the FBOs and drive in to visit Russian River or grab dinner. Not worth visiting unless you’re going to Santa Rosa.

O60: Cloverdale ★★★★

Slightly tricky approach — gusty and has a non-trivial hill just south of the runway. Somewhat strange sight picture. Runway itself is relatively narrow but not too short. (3,000’.) Airport is beautiful. Need someone to pick you up; nothing walkable from the field.

CA51: Sea Ranch ★★★★

CA51-Sea-Ranch-1 CA51-Sea-Ranch-2 You need permission to land/park, and this is actually enforced. It effectively means putting a parking pass in your plane. (Advance permission is not required.) Renting an Airbnb counts, though — just go pick up your parking pass (with the bike you brought) and then leave it in the plane. Somewhat tricky landing with a weird sight picture leading to a narrow 2600’ strip. (You’re coming in over treetops on a downslope to a very narrow runway.) No instrument procedures and, at only 360’ above the ocean, often fogged in. (Landing was impossible about 30 mins after the above photo was taken.) Make sure to grab the procedures plate in advance — the frequencies aren’t in the standard databases. One of the most interesting landings (and places) in California.

Overnight: book an Airbnb or stay at the Sea Ranch Lodge. (I think renting a cottage is better, though.) Choose your locations carefully — things are quite far apart and biking in the dark is no fun. Unless you can figure out how to rent a car (and I’m not sure how you could), make sure you’re close to the Lodge so that you’ve a place to go for dinner. (Or bring enough groceries to cook for yourself). Make sure you go running (or at least for a walk) the next morning along the oceanside trail. The views are truly spectacular.

E55: Ocean Ridge ★★★★

E55-Ocean-Ridge-1 E55-Ocean-Ridge-2 E55-Ocean-Ridge-3 Tricky landing on an up-sloping 2500’ runway (surrounded by forest) with trees at either end. I ran the numbers carefully before departing again. It’s technically a private airport (owner lives on a house beside the runway) but doesn’t require landing permission. I departed 31 and was glad I wasn’t a whole lot heavier. No fuel or instrument procedures.

Overnight: stay at St Orres, which is just 3 miles from the field. (In a pinch you could walk it, though they’ll probably pick you up if you plan carefully in advance). The restaurant at St Orres is great. The chef doubles as a driver; he may be the one picking you up from the airport and can fill you in on what to order. (His Dad is a pilot who used to go grocery shopping in Santa Rosa with the Cessna they have at the field.) Downtown (such as it is…) Gualala is just 2-3 miles from St Orres; go cycle there for breakfast in the morning. Then go for a run in Gualala Point Regional Park which is as beautiful as one could hope.

D83: Boonville ★★★

D83-Boonville Fun 2800’ strip. Trees at one end but it’s not too awkward. 10 minute walk to downtown Boonville. No fuel / procedures at airport. Everyone tells you to be careful not to use the “taxiway” beside the runway, which instead is a local road.

Afternoon: walk from the airport to the town. Get coffee/lunch at Mosswood. Everything is fairly densely packed; spend a while exploring. And then return on your merry way.

KUKI: Ukiah ★★

Ukiah is not an especially walkable place. More Central Valley than North Coast feel. Airport is nice enough and not too far from the town. There are lots of decent restaurants nearby—grab a cab and go to the Mendocino Brewing Ale House. Go to Little River instead for something a bit more picturesque.

KLLR: Little River ★★★★

KLLR-Little-River Airport is very picturesque (sits in a forest clearing) and has an RNAV approach. 5200’ runway. Once saw a G5 on the ramp. The local FBO (Air Galore) has reasonably priced cars and bikes for rent, plus a house or two. Or call Rex at (707) 321-6655 to get a 10 minute taxi ride to Mendocino (which is beautiful — pictured above). One warning: the LP RNAV (which goes to 600’ AGL) approach doesn’t always get you beneath the marine layer. (The airport is on a ridge so you end up with an 1200’ MSL MDA.) Check webcam in Mendocino or call first to get an idea of fog.

Afternoon: get a taxi to/from the airport and have lunch at Cafe Beaujolais. Wild Fish in Little River is also fantastic and serves local seafood for lunch and dinner.

Overnight: get yourself to downtown Mendocino via any of the methods described above. Mendocino is full of reasonably-priced hotels. Stay in any of them (just make sure when booking that they’re in downtown Mendocino). The Sea Rock Inn is a ten/fifteen minute walk from the downtown and features a more spectacular view than most. (Pictured above.) Cafe Beaujolais probably does the best dinner. Have coffee the next morning at GoodLife Cafe and Bakery. Go for a run along the bluffs; the trails are fractally long. Flow is a restaurant in Mendocino with spectacular views. A bit overpriced and make sure they don’t over cook your steak but the bacon wrapped dates were amazing. The Cottages at Little River Cove right at the corner of Little River Airport Road and Highway 1 are also quaint and pet friendly for an overnight stay.

O28: Ells-Willits

Only visited very briefly. Need to do proper recon.

82CL: Fort Bragg

1800’ strip and private. Never been and I don’t know how you get access.

O09: Round Valley

To be visited

0Q5: Shelter Cove: ★★★★ 0Q5-Shelter-Cove 0Q5-Shelter-Cove Gorgeous strip on a tiny peninsula of land sitting at the base of the steep slopes of the North Coast. Very difficult to get to by car, so you can feel better about your aviation habit. It happens to be the southern terminus of the Lost Coast Trail — hiking north from here and getting a ride back would be a good plan. There’s two or three restaurants, a cafe/store, and a couple inns that are walkable. Occasionally fogged in so check webcams first; no procedures available. Inn of the Lost Coast provides free cancellation to pilots based on weather, as well as a van you can use during your stay to explore the surroundings which makes it great for overnighting! The runway is in the middle of a decent golf course, which can be a fun day trip.

O16: Garberville

To be visited

KFOT: Rohnerville

To be visited

O33: Samoa

To be visited

O41: Watts-Woodland ★★ Nothing special, but the airport is right on a golf course. Go on the second Saturday of the month (4:30-8:30ish) to visit the galleries of local artists who bring their work to show.

KEKA: Murray Field ★★

The quieter version of KACV. About equidistant from the town. No particular reason to fly here rather than KACV as far as I can tell.

KACV: Arcata ★★★★ KACV-Arcata Good instrument procedures, fuel (sometimes), beautiful surrounds, long runways, and Arcata is well worth a weekend trip. It’s one of the most commonly fogged-in airports in the US. (But the ILS means that it’s not a big deal most of the time.) Try to bring enough fuel with you; I’ve had a 50/50 success rate. And don’t depend on getting out VFR.

Overnight: Arcata is a cool town. Things are centered around the plaza. Make sure to eat at Renata’s Creperie (spectacular, even if you’re not a crepe person — their savory crepes are an amazing lunch). Tasty pourover coffee at Cafe Brio. Excellent running in Arcata Community Forest behind Humboldt State. (10 minute run from the downtown area.) Gorgeous redwoods everywhere.

E36: Georgetown ★★★★

Small 2980’x60’ runway in the low Sierras (2623’ field elevation). Has on field camping by a sign that reads “Tent Camping for Air Travelers” and has a loading pad halfway down the runway on the camping side for easy plane unloading. Well maintained campsites and great views. On the non-camping side of the runway there are a few hangers with interesting stuff inside, including one stuffed full of very shiny state-of-the-art CNCs apparently making “helicopter camera mount brackets.” These hangers sometimes make interesting sounds during the night but not enough to disturb camping. Not a place to fly into at night for the first time there.

KTVL: South Lake Tahoe ★★★★

Not a particularly remarkable airport in itself but the scenery is fantastic. Long 8541’ runway, but exercise extreme caution on hot summer days where the density altitude can be in excess of 9000’. KTVL kills a few people every year, so be sure to run your performance calculations and think about what kind of aircraft and loadings you’re going to be bringing there. The good news is that if you can make it to the lake you have a huge flat low point to climb out over. Runway 18 will take you out over intimidating trees which open up to a golf course you can theoretically use to circle and climb but the trees in that vicinity have a storied history of airplane part accumulation. (The runway 18 ODP requires a whopping 804’ per NM!) Tahoe from the air is beautiful and absolutely worth visiting with proper thought and preparation.