Anybody out of VNY?

[GADD45B]

Does anybody fly out of Van Nuys or an airport around it? I'm visiting Ventura, CA in mid-march and am looking to rent a plane (warrior/172/etc) someplace for under $100/hr. Any suggestions?

Also, what are the sights to see/places to visit by plane in that area?

Thanks.

[VictorPapa]

I would look into flying out of Camarillo (CMA) or Oxnard(OXR) if you are going to be in Ventura, as they are certainly closer to you. If you want to drive a bit more, Van Nuys is of course an historical place and worth checking out. I used to fly out of a place called AeroClub VNY before i moved away from the area. They were the best value I found (i did my research on this, visited schools, etc.) and they are also a nice group of people. You should still be able to get a 172 or warrior for under $100.

As far as places to visit. I would say up the coast to Santa Barbara(SBA) for a day trip. There's also a great place called Oceano(L52) that is right on the ocean, a bit farther north than Santa Barbara. There is some major surf and sand dunes there if you are into the surfing or Dune Buggy type of thing. they have a diner just north of the airport that is pretty good too. It IS a VERY small airport (narrow, short, hard to spot), so keep that in mind.
Camarillo(CMA) is good if you just want to grab lunch (they have a good restaurant on the field). Catalina(AVX) if you don't mind buzzing by a Class B airport on the way (instructions on dealing with LAX Bravo are on the LA Charts). Its actually an island off the coast, and definitely worth a visit (they have bison!). Bring some cash as they charge a landing fee.

If you plan on flying east, theres not a whole lot until you get to Big Bear Lake(L35). Its a non-towered airport but a nice spot up in the hills to visit. its a ski resort town with a nice big lake (bonus if you happen to fish as well).

hope that helps

[tbmpilot]

Originally Posted by GADD45B

Does anybody fly out of Van Nuys or an airport around it? I'm visiting Ventura, CA in mid-march and am looking to rent a plane (warrior/172/etc) someplace for under $100/hr. Any suggestions?

Also, what are the sights to see/places to visit by plane in that area?

Thanks.

Camarillo (KCMA) is closer to where you'll be. Channel Islands Aviation has aircraft for rent, but nothing under $100, at least from their website. There may be some cheaper options elsewhere on the field. Van Nuys is over an hour from Ventura.

Flying from there over the LA basin at night to San Diego is a flight worth taking.

[Sprint100]

Leave VNY at the right time and you could put about $50 hobbs time waiting for takeoff Personally I'd check out Vista and SunQuest at WHP. WHP is about 15 minutes east of VNY.

[MarkE]

I fly out of VNY. The place i rent from has Cherokees and 172s for just under $100. It can be busy there and as was stated, you may be stuck in line waiting to take off. Since you're gonna be in Ventura you may want to check out Oxnard (OXR) or even Santa Paula (SZP). I have no knowledge of FBOs or prices at either airport though.

Santa Barbara is definitely a really nice flight to take. If you park at Signature there's the Elephant Bar Restaurant right next to it. SBA does have a landing fee though of $20. Big Bear and Catalina would be nice flights too but most places will want you to do a special checkout for both destinations.

[Aero_Engineer]

Originally Posted by Sprint100

Leave VNY at the right time and you could put about $50 hobbs time waiting for takeoff Personally I'd check out Vista and SunQuest at WHP. WHP is about 15 minutes east of VNY.

I am the manager at Vista Air out of Whiteman (WHP), we have three 172s under $100. PM me if you are interested, we are really close to van Nuys and 1/4 the wait for taking off.

Check out the website if you want www.vistaair.com

Armen

[GADD45B]

Great! thanks for the input. I'll let you know how it turns out.