Southern California?
 

Hi folks,

It appears that I may have to move to where the work is in my field, and that would appear to be Southern California.

I would like to correspond with any Skymaster owners or pilots who live in California south of Bakersfield and north of the Mexican border. I am trying to learn where in the heck I might find an airport where I could rent or (gulp) buy a hangar in this geographic area, without being Bill Gates or Warren Buffet. Ideally, I would like to find a living with your plane type situation, but that is probably not affordable. But maybe in desert someplace? I thought about Mexico, but the prohibition against flying at night blows that away.

I would also like to learn what the cost of living is like in Southern Cal these days, especially real estate. I last lived there in the mid-70's. I suspect things are slightly different now...;-)

Please respond to this thread, or email me at kevin@337skymaster.com.

Thanks!

Kevin

Kevin:

As far as cost of living goes, it's way up there. Housing costs are high, although if you get out of the city it's a little more bearable. I fly out of Torrance, in LA, and I don't reccomend it for Skymasters. The noise abatement procedure is a pain, and if you exceed the limits three times in two years, they ban you from the airport. You might check out the Temecula area. French Valley airport is very nice, with a new GA center and restaurant, and I think they're just building more hangers now. I don't know about hanger costs there.

Mitch
67-21309

Thanks Mitch. Small world, I learned to fly at TOA. I washed airplanes for Buddy Keenan to get my first few hours in a Cherokee, then started my own airplane washing business on Peninsula Aviation's ramp, and used the money from that to by time from a flying club called LP Flyers to complete my license. With the exception of Peninsula Aviation, which was still sortof there when I was in Torrance last, the rest has all beem subsumed by the Robinson factory, which was across on the other side of the airport (with no taxiway access) during the time I was there. Actually, it is probably far enough past the statute of limitations to mention that for two years (from the time I was 14 to 16), I lived in a hangar at Torrance Airport, in return for hand propping a Stearman and laying out and picking up banners that he towed. I was so light back then that I had hang on the prop to overcome the compression.

Since I left, I guess the neighbors have done their best to do in the airport, but it still survives. I used a full on short field departure in my RSTOL P337, got me to 1000' before I reached the other end of the runway (I was light), that was my reaction to the draconian noise abatement rules...

Anyway, thanks for mentioning Torrance, it brings back great memories of being number 5 behind the blue and white Cessna 150 on downwind ahead (on my first solo)...

I'll look into Temecula. Not even sure where that is...

Kevin

Lived in LA for 23 years
 

Kevin:
We lived in LA for 23 years, based our airplane at 7 of them.

All I can say is get to an out of the Basin field, I would try Chino or Corona.

Each of these are east of LA and both are hot beds for GA.

My last base was TOA, we were there for 5 years.

Hangar rent was 350/mo. if you could find one.

Call me cell if you would like to chat.

My wife's family is all there so we get back once a year or so.

V-23 flies direct to LA, it took us 5 hours in the 182 to fly up and see my family in Portland.

Go Blazer's

Rick
N48AT
cell 410-916-0039