Shelter Cove, CA PIREP

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?
-robert

Robert M. Gary wrote:

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?

I'm interested too. It's on the way to
Humboldt to see my daughter. I ran across
it with Google Earth and decided I have
to stop there someday.

Shelter Cove is an upscale community on an isolated coastal shelf with
rugged mountains behind - quite an attractive setting, While it has a
paved, public use runway in its midst, I don't think it is a fly-in
community. I drove around it and did not see a single hangar or other
evidence of based aircraft. The ocean is only a stone's throw away. No
doubt you could explore tidepools, but I don't remember any
significant amount of beach. There was a self-serve cafe when I was
there a couple of years ago, and some sort of marina. I drove over
there by way of the long twisty road over the mountains - never got
around to flying in (though I had intended to).

David Johnson

Shelter Cove: I've been there a few times though not in the last year
or two.

No fuel. Often fogged in, especially the summer. Motel and
restaurant and grocery store right next to the field. Beach is kinda
rocky as I recall, or otherwise undesirable cause I never ventured
there. It's a great escape by aeroplane, an easy 1 or 2 hour flight
from NorCal, but a hellish 4-6 hour drive by car. There's a golf
course there, but I don't play golf so have never noticed much about
it.

The recent history of the area is greatly shaped by the airport. A
development company more than 35 years ago had great plans for
building the area and indeed did get some homes built around the
airport. But one day the company's executive and sales staff flew in
in a DC3...when they attempted to fly out, the damn-fool pilot had
failed to remove the external elevator gust lock and they smashed into
the shoreline rocks and water. Most died, putting the kibosh for a
long, long time on any further activity.

I've heard that with the recent (well--1999-2005 or so) real-estate
price increase in California that once again developers have taken an
interest.
--
We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't
scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys
me.
- Jack Handey

In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?
-robert

I've flown into Shelter Cove several times (from Oakland) VFR, and it's
a wonderful place for a day trip or to camp over (say) a weekend. The
runway's in good condition, and it's right next to the camping ground
and associated store (you just tie down and walk...); there's a couple
of hotels within easy walking distance, and one or two (OK-ish) cafes or
restaurants (I've always camped, so I can't recommend a hotel). Plus
there's a state park, a reconstructed lighthouse, etc., again, all
within a few minute's walk. In fact, *everything*'s within easy walking
distance :-). The beach is down the side, under some cliffs, and isn't
much of a beach at high tide, but when the tide's low, you can walk for
quite some distance (but the area is renowned for its cliffs...). Not
bad for a 90 minute flight -- when it's about 8 hours by car :-).

But watch out for the fog -- as with pretty much any airport along the
coast, the fog can roll right in without warning.... and might not roll
back out for another few days.

Hamish

On Mar 21, 5:28 pm, Bob Fry wrote:
Shelter Cove: I've been there a few times though not in the last year
or two.

No fuel. Often fogged in, especially the summer. Motel and
restaurant and grocery store right next to the field. Beach is kinda
rocky as I recall, or otherwise undesirable cause I never ventured
there. It's a great escape by aeroplane, an easy 1 or 2 hour flight
from NorCal, but a hellish 4-6 hour drive by car. There's a golf
course there, but I don't play golf so have never noticed much about
it.

The recent history of the area is greatly shaped by the airport. A
development company more than 35 years ago had great plans for
building the area and indeed did get some homes built around the
airport. But one day the company's executive and sales staff flew in
in a DC3...when they attempted to fly out, the damn-fool pilot had
failed to remove the external elevator gust lock and they smashed into
the shoreline rocks and water. Most died, putting the kibosh for a
long, long time on any further activity.

I've heard that with the recent (well--1999-2005 or so) real-estate
price increase in California that once again developers have taken an
interest.
--
We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't
scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys
me.
- Jack Handey

The accident and loss of life are regrettable, and not humorous.

However, maybe you have something there. We could "arrange" an injury-
free crash of newsworthy proportions right at airports that have
encroachments and threatening developments. That'll put the kibosh on
the real estate investments, maybe?

Note to FAA, CIA, FBI, IRS, Secret Service, USPS, AA, AAA, AARP, and
my kid's colleges: I'm kidding.

On Mar 21, 5:43 pm, Hamish Reid
wrote:
In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?
-robert

I've flown into Shelter Cove several times (from Oakland) VFR, and it's
a wonderful place for a day trip or to camp over (say) a weekend. The
runway's in good condition, and it's right next to the camping ground
and associated store (you just tie down and walk...); there's a couple
of hotels within easy walking distance, and one or two (OK-ish) cafes or
restaurants (I've always camped, so I can't recommend a hotel). Plus
there's a state park, a reconstructed lighthouse, etc., again, all
within a few minute's walk. In fact, *everything*'s within easy walking
distance :-). The beach is down the side, under some cliffs, and isn't
much of a beach at high tide, but when the tide's low, you can walk for
quite some distance (but the area is renowned for its cliffs...). Not
bad for a 90 minute flight -- when it's about 8 hours by car :-).

But watch out for the fog -- as with pretty much any airport along the
coast, the fog can roll right in without warning.... and might not roll
back out for another few days.

Hamish

That's one reason I would never give up the IFR rating. I've had the
fog roll in many times in Monterey, Half Moon Bay, etc. Being able to
get out is great.

-Robert

In article .com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

On Mar 21, 5:43 pm, Hamish Reid
wrote:
In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?
-robert
[...]

But watch out for the fog -- as with pretty much any airport along the
coast, the fog can roll right in without warning.... and might not roll
back out for another few days.


That's one reason I would never give up the IFR rating. I've had the
fog roll in many times in Monterey, Half Moon Bay, etc. Being able to
get out is great.

Well, I have an instrument rating as well, but there's no published
approach to Shelter Cove, unfortunately. And if you try to get out under
the stratus (as opposed to through ground-level fog), radio and radar
reception in the shadow of the Coast Range are real issues there if you
want to legally go IFR *through* the stratus to somewhere else...

Hamish

On Mar 22, 7:09 am, Hamish Reid
wrote:
In article .com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:







On Mar 21, 5:43 pm, Hamish Reid
wrote:
In article . com,
"Robert M. Gary" wrote:

Does anyone have a PIREP for Shelter Cove, CA? Is the beach,
interesting areas, etc in walking distance from the airport. Any
recomendations for that area?
-robert
[...]

But watch out for the fog -- as with pretty much any airport along the
coast, the fog can roll right in without warning.... and might not roll
back out for another few days.

That's one reason I would never give up the IFR rating. I've had the
fog roll in many times in Monterey, Half Moon Bay, etc. Being able to
get out is great.

Well, I have an instrument rating as well, but there's no published
approach to Shelter Cove, unfortunately. And if you try to get out under
the stratus (as opposed to through ground-level fog), radio and radar
reception in the shadow of the Coast Range are real issues there if you
want to legally go IFR *through* the stratus to somewhere else...

Hamish- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

No, its no problem getting out. Radar and radio reception is not a
requirement to be IFR. You simply call the FSS and they will relay a
clearance to you from ATC. Your clearance will be valid upon enter
class E airspace (no need for clearance in class G). So I would
typically file to a nearby VOR (or all the way home). They will
provide you a clearance void time, clearance limit,etc, and you
launch. Its not difficult. Once you are on top and in radio range you
can simply cancel the IFR.

-Robert, CFII

No, its no problem getting out. Radar and radio reception is not a
requirement to be IFR. You simply call the FSS and they will relay a
clearance to you from ATC. Your clearance will be valid upon enter
class E airspace (no need for clearance in class G). So I would
typically file to a nearby VOR (or all the way home). They will
provide you a clearance void time, clearance limit,etc, and you
launch. Its not difficult. Once you are on top and in radio range you
can simply cancel the IFR.

-Robert, CFII

About 4 miles offshore of Shelter Cove, there's a large area of class
G airspace extending upwards to 14,500, so if it's just fog, you might
not even need a clearance.

I live in Humboldt, and visit the Cove every once in a while. On a
clear day, it's absolutely gorgeous. Most everything is closed on
weekdays, but on weekends there are several places to get some pretty
good fish and chips. The beach is rocky, but very nice to walk along,
and you can usually see seals, sea lions, and the occasional whale.
the Cove is also one end of the King Range trail, a scenic coastal
route for hikers and campers. A nice fly-in destination.