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SF Bay Area Airport?

Mountain Time

Active Member
I'm looking at flying down to see a family member in San Francisco at the end of September, he's in San Francisco proper and I'd be staying about a week. I've flown into Concord before and like the airport and services except its a ways from the city. Any recommendations from you NorCal RVers for other good options close to San Francisco? I wouldn't likely be flying much, if at all, while visiting. I'll be going IFR so airports would good instrument approach options would be best.

All this presuming these awful fires die down by then. :(

Thanks for your insight -

John
 
I fly into Hayward (KHWD) to visit my son. Only an RNAV approach but it works for me. It takes about 30 minutes to San Fran along 880. I usually just tie down at transient parking for $6 per day.(up to 7 days but you can ask for more.)

Kevin
 
Livermore (KLVK) probably has the best wx in the bay area (although, it's got smoke just like everyone else right now). ILS and RNAV down to 200 and 1/2. Deal with NORCAL out in the central valley, not as busy as closer to SFO. Enterprise by prior arrangement. Or Uber 3-4 miles to the BART station.
Oakland (KOAK) - North Field is closer, short Uber or moderate walk to BART. More expensive.
San Carlos is on the west side of the bay, south of SFO. Short Uber or moderate walk to CalTrain station and BART. Under the Class A airspace, not sure of ease of approaches due to proximity of SFO.
Hayward already mentioned.
Concord is a bit further out, but you can walk a couple of miles to BART if you wish.
Quite honestly, the ground transportation for any of these airports to downtown SF doesn't vary by more than 30 minutes.
 
San Carlos

I have used San Carlos a few times when visiting San Francisco. Easy to get to the city via train, bus or rental car.
 
If it was me and I wasn't going to fly while in the bay area I guess I wouldn't worry so much about a 45 minute drive. Livermore, Concord, or Hayward all have reasonable access to the city.
 
If you fly into San Carlos or palo alto, it's a 5 minute Uber to the train station that will take you right into downtown.
 
San Carlos

I am based at San Carlos, and I’d recommend that. I believe overnight parking is $8 per night. If you want to rent a car, Hans at the pilot shop has a fleet of beautiful Mercedes that he rents. Or he will drive you wherever you need to go as a car service. CalTrain is about half a mile a way and will take you straight to San Francisco, or transfer at the Millbrae station to BART. SQL has instrument approaches and the NorCal controllers will keep you out of their way.

Oakland has BART as well, but the landing, “facility fee” and tie down fees are pretty high.
 
I am based at San Carlos, and I’d recommend that. I believe overnight parking is $8 per night. If you want to rent a car, Hans at the pilot shop has a fleet of beautiful Mercedes that he rents. Or he will drive you wherever you need to go as a car service. CalTrain is about half a mile a way and will take you straight to San Francisco, or transfer at the Millbrae station to BART. SQL has instrument approaches and the NorCal controllers will keep you out of their way.

Oakland has BART as well, but the landing, “facility fee” and tie down fees are pretty high.

AH.. yes the transient fees aren't required. The FBO can ask you for it but you don't have to pay it. They've been trying to make that fee stick for a while but they can't.

For SF San Carlos is the best option.
 
The fee the FBO is asking for is not going to the FBO, it is required to be collected and passed along to the airport. At least that is what is going on at the airport I work from. I know this since we run one of the FBOs.
 
Thanks everyone, good tips all around. I suspect it will be San Carlos, Hayward, or good old Concord. Sounds like air quality is improving somewhat down there, here in the Seattle area and south through Oregon it’s still pretty rotten. A bunch of rain would be a nice thing right now - not something I usually am saying this time of year. :(
 
AH.. yes the transient fees aren't required. The FBO can ask you for it but you don't have to pay it. They've been trying to make that fee stick for a while but they can't.

For SF San Carlos is the best option.

The trick is that, at least early in the summer, their computer system did not have "Experimental" in it. If they could not put you down as a known aircraft type, it could not calculate the correct facility fee. So, if you land there, very nicely say that your plane is an experimental, and it is NOT OK to just put in Cessna (The indignity!). If you get someone on a good day they'll play along and there will be no fee.

Or, just go to San Carlos in the first place!
 
If you have a WAAS GPS try KHAF. Half Moon Bay has plenty of tie downs and a good instrument approach that will get you in down to 400 and 1. Easy drive to the city. Fuel is #4.48










Pat
N931CB RV7
KHAF
 
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