Visiting USA - recommendations please..

Hello everybody.

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn’t and couldn’t find in
my part of the world. I considered some Aerobatic training (with an
instructor just for fun) and maybe a helicopter trial flight just to see
the city from the air. I’ve had a look at the web but it’s hard to get a
feel for your industry when it’s so different and so far away. It would
be great if anybody could give me personal recommendations for
schools/instructor to have a fly with. If I’m going to do a touristy
flight does anybody have any specific route recommendations?

This will be my first time to the USA so I’m looking forward to it
immensely.


--
OzPilot
Posted at www.flight.org

"OzPilot" wrote in message
...

Hello everybody.

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn't and couldn't find in
my part of the world. I considered some Aerobatic training (with an
instructor just for fun) and maybe a helicopter trial flight just to see
the city from the air. I've had a look at the web but it's hard to get a
feel for your industry when it's so different and so far away. It would
be great if anybody could give me personal recommendations for
schools/instructor to have a fly with. If I'm going to do a touristy
flight does anybody have any specific route recommendations?

This will be my first time to the USA so I'm looking forward to it
immensely.

If you are interested in a wide range of aviation - experimentals, warbirds,
etc., you need to spend an afternoon at the Chino airfield, east of LA. It
has several major warbird restoration shops, museums, and if you just walk
the ramp on a Saturday, you'll see a more varied collection of aviation
hardware than you'll find at any airshow short of Oshkosh.



--
OzPilot
Posted at www.flight.org

Los Angeles is a pretty big place. Do you have any idea where you are
staying? The two airports I would recommend are about 50 miles (100 klicks)
from Los Angeles International and to the best of my knowledge there isn't
any public transport between LAX and either KCNO or KAJO.

KCNO (Chino) is a homebuilder/warbird heaven. You might want to go to
www.airnav.com and dial in KCNO in the "Airports" page. Navigate the page
and you will find a whole bunch of comments about the airport and resident
aircraft.

KAJO (Corona) is more for just plain old general aviation. Real friendly
folks. Both AJO and CNO have really good on-field restaurants. Aircraft
Spruce and Specialty is a hop skip and jump away from the airport.

If you have wheels, I can think of a few more that would interest you. If
you don't, I'd find a good motel in the Corona area and make that my Los
Angeles headquarters. Like Oshkosh, you can't see one tenth of what you
would like to see in three days.

Jim

--
"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."
--Henry Ford

"OzPilot" wrote in message
...

Hello everybody.

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn’t and couldn’t find in
my part of the world. I considered some Aerobatic training (with an
instructor just for fun) and maybe a helicopter trial flight just to see
the city from the air. I’ve had a look at the web but it’s hard to get a
feel for your industry when it’s so different and so far away. It would
be great if anybody could give me personal recommendations for
schools/instructor to have a fly with. If I’m going to do a touristy
flight does anybody have any specific route recommendations?

This will be my first time to the USA so I’m looking forward to it
immensely.


--
OzPilot
Posted at www.flight.org

There are no commercial flight schools or rental aircraft currently
available at Henderson NV
That I am aware of.. picture could change by late March.

Best bet is North Las Vegas Airport, or Boulder City Airport. Both offer
fixed wing and helicopter flight schools.
Personal aircraft in the Grand Canyon area is restricted to very high
altitudes because of the "noise" restrictions.
Commercial air tours are available.

Glider operations are available at the Jean airport, 20 miles south of LAS.
There is a possible connection for some Acro training at either North Las
Vegas or Boulder City.

BT

"Martin Hotze" wrote in message
...
OzPilot schrieb:
I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I

I assume that you have your papers (might need visa [?], valid passport
[maybe latest one with chip], etc.). Also bring your pilot license and
medical with you.

would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn?t and couldn?t find in
my part of the world. I considered some Aerobatic training (with an
instructor just for fun) and maybe a helicopter trial flight just to see
the city from the air. I?ve had a look at the web but it?s hard to get a
feel for your industry when it?s so different and so far away. It would
be great if anybody could give me personal recommendations for
schools/instructor to have a fly with. If I?m going to do a touristy
flight does anybody have any specific route recommendations?

Las Vegas has - IIRC - 3 larger airports: LAS (McCarran), North Las Vegas
and Henderson. Henderson is more GA driven, so you might check operators
based at this airport.
You also want to consider a commercial flight to the Grand Canyon, the
Grand Canyon area has a special airspace.
For a short flight with an instructor I might either fly down the Colorado
river to Lake Havasu or up north to St George and have lunch there.
The web has some great ressources, so search ahead for tour operators,
ways to/from Henderson, etc.

This will be my first time to the USA so I?m looking forward to it
immensely.

IMHO (this is only me) I wouldn't say a word about flying at the
immigration desk.

One tip I was once given in LV: As a tourist never leave the strip at
night and walk into side streets. Never.

#m

While LA has a lot less airports now than it did a generation ago,
there are still quite a few.

AFAIK, none of the ones convenient to the center of the city offers
any sort of exotic flight options. I only patronize a couple of San
Fernando Valley ones, which have little advantage other than being
convenient for me.

There is a school at Santa Paula that does aerobatic training. They
have a Decathlon, a Super Decathlon and a Citabria. Check
them out at www.cpaviation.com Santa Paula is not even suburban
LA. You'd need a vehicle to get there. It's a nice ride through the
citrus groves and a little mountain spur to get there. I recommend
renting a motorcycle for that trip, if that suits your style and you
have a bike license with suitable experience.



On Jan 6, 6:54 am, OzPilot wrote:
Hello everybody.

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn't and couldn't find in
my part of the world. I considered some Aerobatic training (with an
instructor just for fun) and maybe a helicopter trial flight just to see
the city from the air. I've had a look at the web but it's hard to get a
feel for your industry when it's so different and so far away. It would
be great if anybody could give me personal recommendations for
schools/instructor to have a fly with. If I'm going to do a touristy
flight does anybody have any specific route recommendations?

This will be my first time to the USA so I'm looking forward to it
immensely.

--
OzPilot
Posted atwww.flight.org

James Robinson schrieb:
OzPilot wrote:

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
^^^^^^^^^
(...)
Keep in mind that Los Angeles is surrounded by mountains, and the typical
^^^^^^^^^^

because it's the second time the wrong city was mentioned: the OP visits LV.

#m

Martin Hotze wrote:
James Robinson schrieb:
OzPilot wrote:

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
^^^^^^^^^
(...)
Keep in mind that Los Angeles is surrounded by mountains, and the
typical
^^^^^^^^^^

because it's the second time the wrong city was mentioned: the OP
visits LV.

Actually OzPilot said he would be in both cities:

"I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying...."

James Robinson wrote:
OzPilot wrote:

I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying and maybe even take
advantage of some unusual types that you wouldn?t and couldn?t find in
my part of the world.

Keep in mind that Los Angeles is surrounded by mountains, and the typical
onshore breeze will tend to trap polluted air in the LA basin. There are
frequent atmospheric inversions, which can reduce visibility to only a
couple of miles. While VFR flying is usually possible, you might not get
much enjoyment from a purely sightseeing flight, given the typical haze and
limited visibility in the area.

Here are a couple of webcam sites that will give you an idea of what things
are like:

http://www.earthcam.com/usa/californ...les/hollywood/
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/feature?...tos&id=5790008

I haven't flown there in years, so others will have to give their
impressions and any suggestions on alternatives.

That's only for a small part of the year.

Right now it is winter here, however if there are no storms, which
don't occur that often in Southern California and Nevada, the VFR flying
is great.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.

Jim Logajan schrieb:

Actually OzPilot said he would be in both cities:

"I am travelling to Las Vegas (from Australia) in March for a work
conference but have three full days in Los Angeles. I thought that I
would use the opportunity to do some flying...."

damn. you're right. sorry.

#m

One tip I was once given in LV: As a tourist never leave the strip at
night and walk into side streets. Never.

Good advice. I've had to glare-down purse-snatchers/pick-pockets even ON
the Strip. Vegas is a fun place, but it attracts some pretty desperate and
unsavory folks.

One last word of (hopefully unnecessary) advice for the OP: PLEASE don't
judge America by what you see/experience in Los Angeles and/or Las Vegas.

They're usually fun places to visit, but they're about as representative of
America as watching "Miami Vice" or "CSI"...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"