I got my instrument ticket out of PAO, and regularly used KHWD, KOAK and
KLVK for practice (and the checkride, too).

From PAO, LVK is 20nm, OAK is 16nm, and HWD is 12nm. They have a wide
variety of ILS, LOC, VOR, VOR/DME and GPS approaches. Even in a spam can,
that's maybe 10-15 minutes enroute, there and back. The only downside is
that NORCAL approach may tell you no way if you try to practice them VFR,
but then again, you could just file and wait on the ground a bit.

Salinas, Watsonville and Monterey, a little farther out, are great for
practicing in actual for much of the year. My first practice approach ever
was a wide-eyed white-knuckled ILS into MRY 10R, on a VV001-1/8 coastal fog
layer sort of day. Talk about an instant humility lesson!!

Best of luck with your training and budget.

"Dave Jacobowitz" wrote in message
om...
I'm about 200 hrs PP, 20 hrs into my IFR training. I fly out of
PAO, just a few miles from RHV, and though we have a VOR approach,
it's got high minimums, and the approach controllers around SJC
are going to make you wait a good long time for it if it's an IMC
day. So far, to get back into PAO in lowish weather, we've done SVFR
when possible.

Where do you RHVers go to practice IAPS? My instructor and I fly
to SCK, LVK, MOD a lot. I could cut the cost of my IA rating if
those airports were a little closer.

By the way, I agree, a good lapboard is not the obvious pilot
gadget that comes to mind before you start IFR training, but
after a few lessons, it'll move up on your list of priorities.

-- dave j
--

Jeff wrote in message
...
the most helpful thing for me was a good lapboard.
one that was able to hold 2 pens, paper and approach charts. your going
to be doing alot of writing, so make sure your lapboard is good for
you.

Gerald Sylvester wrote:

I'm close to completing my PPL (9 days for my checkride) and planned
to go onto to get IFR training in a 6-7 months. The weather
in the San Francisco Bay area has been quite cloudy and rainy and
was thinking about starting my IFR training immediately in order
to take advantage of the IMC conditions. I know most people get
IFR rated without having ever flown in IMC. I want to do it
for real.

So a simple question......what items did you find helpful for
IFR training? This is in regards to books (my instructor recommended
Gleim, a book by Dugan (?), and the Jeppeson book), foggles (brands?),
timers, anything and everything. I'm definitely more into quality
than quantity. I'd rather spend an extra money and get best,
easiest and especially the safest.

thanks
Gerald