Hi guys ;I'm at a hotel looking out at runway 120 San Carlos airport.across the strip is FBO. to my right is tower. I'm chartered to fly (Cessna 172)around bay in about 1 hr .Approx flying time is 2 hrs . Taking asany pictures as can . I allready have good ground pix of Half moon bay and San Jose , This is a busy airport for GA aircraft . I see some King air ,cessnas, pipers , malibu mirage.helos,biplanes,.some jets. I tried to send pic but too large .I will have to convert when I get home.I allready have 200 pics of land and coast line to Los angeles.Put 1200 mi on rental car More later --Leaving tomorrow CaptRolo

update ; Tookoff SQL and flew to SJC made a landing and takeoff ,runway 29 ,follow to south county did touch and go , CFI let me take control for a while .Back to see OAKLAND but haze and clouds made it IFR on to alameda and vector to Golden gate,still no visibility.Flew above clouds at 3500 ft on to SQL CFI let me take controll while he worked radio freq and obs ,I throttled down to go to 1200 ft for landing and turned over control to CFI ,by that time sun had set and lights were on runway to land . Although not a perfect day for pictures ,I had a very good flying experience.Got some good pics of all bay area.Total pics about 300, If 25% of them are benefitial then it's worth it . Total cost of flight for 1.9hrs =$300.00 US.(actually supposed to be 2 hrs )NOTE;;;;;;SFO is very strict about airspace rules,And there are NO GA Aircraft flying into or out of SFO . CaptRolo

Damn, does that mean that my AI Baron parking spot needs to go at SFO ? ;-)Chris Low.

>Damn, does that mean that my AI Baron parking spot needs to>go at SFO ? ;-)>>Chris Low.Maybe not Chris.... if you can think of a way to reverse the "stealth" technology, they will think you are a 747 all the time :-)

Can't wait to see some of these pictures! Chris, I'm not sure stealth technology will help. They will see this 747 doing 70 knots all over the Bay and get suspicious.But then, given that you fly a 747 with full flap and trimmed slow and low, maybe it will work ;-) But I can't believe they don't have GA at SFO. This is yet another area in which reality fails to measure up against the real thing.RobD.

Robert,Even a pilot of my undoubted skill and experience :-) would have trouble keeping a 747-400 aloft at 70 knots :-eekWith respect to the "reality not measuring up to the real thing" comment, maybe we should inform the authorities at SFO that they need to provide a GA parking area if they ever want to be taken seriously in the aviation world :-lolChris Low.

"But I can't believe they don't have GA at SFO"... Why not? I thought it was common practice to keep GA out of big airports... At the Rome Fiumicino airport for example, I never saw any GA; neither did I at Heathrow the two times I went there...Cristian

Cristian,There are GA planes at Manchester International Airport.Chris Low.

I believe there is a GA area at Heathrow. It was marked on some of the maps I used in placing buildings. But certainly its not where I put it! The glidernut hangar and start point for my Heathrow is in a complex of buildings designated safety (which I put on the sign on the grass out the front of the complex: Airport Operations Safety Unit). But you guys never read signs, do you?As to flying a Jumbo at 70 knots, I thought if anyone could you could Chris. Maybe that explains the problem I had landing at Jon's Clare's Airport!See ya round,RobD.

I thought it was strange too . While at San Carlos ,I went to Aviation museum Next door to motel and they have A 747-100 Whole nose section with cockpit. I talked to a retired Captain Who has flown numerous aircraft (heavys) Was very informative and interesting . I wish I could have recorded conversation . As for GA , San Jose has A nice Ga parking spot And of course use Runway 29 . When I left SFO on Sat noon There were heavys taking off from 01 L and 01 R and alternately planes landing on 28L 28R and was continous ,very busy.I will try to post pics soon ,I have been working 12 hrs at job .AS I see it Half moon Bay is not very busy anymore and San Carlos seems to be the place for GA aircraft in Area . It is centrally located and can access all points in Bay area by Car,bus ,train ,With 6 lane hiways each way .Chris , San Francisco has all kinds of trees , Palm , Pine , Cactus , ferns, and redwood, and numerous other kinds .I have a nice pic of south county for you . more later CaptRolo