Flight Report - Palo Alto (KPAO) Bay Tour over San Francisco
"Cleared into the Bravo."
Highlights:
First time requesting Bravo clearance as pilot in command
First proper Bay Tour
Perfect day over San Francisco
Didn’t bust the Bravo
I’ve been meaning to practice the “Bay Tour” over San Francisco a few times before taking up actual passengers for one reason: It often means getting clearance to enter San Francisco’s Bravo airspace. And up until now, I had only entered it once while I was with my instructor back in November. Our flight club didn’t let student pilots enter the Bravo on their own. Time to make that happen.
Naturally I turned to my PilotBuddy group, asked for their help, and if anyone would right along with me. I got half a dozen responses with great play-by-play advice. Better yet, two pilots who had done dozens of Bay Tours volunteered to fly in my right seat and make sure I didn’t do anything too stupid (pilot buddy Tango Lima ultimately came with me).
The Plan
The plan was to leave from Palo Alto straight out (Runway 31), climb to 1,500 feet while heading left to get to the southwest side of 101, climb to 1,800 depending on what altitude SFO restricted us to, and stay on that side all the way up to San Francisco.
Expect to be handed off to San Carlos Tower (119.0) before being handed off to San Francisco Tower (120.5) for the Bravo clearance. Once up near the city, expect to switch over to Norcal Approach on 135.1.
Once exiting the Bravo, climb to 2,000 feet and do a pass over Alcatraz, Treasure Island (staying west of the Bay Bridge), and then fly over to the Golden Gate Bridge.
I planned to return the way I came, back down the 101 Bravo transition.
The Flight Up to the City
On the ground at Palo Alto, I called up Palo Alto Ground with my request:
“Palo Alto Ground, Cessna 362 Quebec at Whiskey row, requesting a straight out departure with flight following for the Bay Tour with the 101 Bravo transition. We have information Charlie.”
We got our clearance and took off. We were handed off to San Carlos tower on the departure leg at 800 feet and checked in:
“San Carlos Tower, Cessna 362 Quebec, eight hundred climbing one thousand five hundred.”
“Cessna 362 Quebec, San Carlos Tower, intercept 101 and keep it off your right, during your transition maintain VFR at or below one thousand five hundred. San Carlos altimeter two-niner-niner-six.”
That was a lot. My response wasn’t great: “All right, we’ll keep 101 off our right, transition…you said VFR?” Honestly wasn’t expecting to hear “maintain VFR” when there aren’t any clouds in the sky.
And then the tower ignored me. In the meantime, we dialed in San Francisco Tower’s frequency into the standby on COM1. Just three miles outside of the Bravo (going 90 knots straight at it) we received:
“Skyhawk 362 Quebec, roger, additional traffic upwind will be turning right, a Stationair, should be no factor. Remain outside of Bravo until you receive authorization, contact San Francisco Tower, 120 point 5.”
Our response: “We'll remain outside of Bravo, over the tower, 120 point 5, thank you, 362 Quebec.”
I switched over to San Francisco Tower and my mind went blank. What do I say? Check in and request to enter the Bravo?
Luckily, my pilot buddy Tango Lima reminded me we were on flight following and SFO knew what we needed. Just check in with our altitude and they’d handle it.
“San Francisco Tower, Cessna 362 Quebec, one thousand five hundred.”
“Cessna 362 Quebec, San Francisco Tower, Ident (Note: I immediately hit IDENT), altimeter two-niner-niner-seven, cleared into the Bravo airspace, maintain VFR at or below two thousand, radar contact one mile west of San Carlos airport.”
But then he kept going, making calls to other airplanes before I could respond. Once there was a break, all I could throw back was:
“Cessna 362 Quebec, cleared into the Bravo, at or below two thousand.”
It’ll get easier the more times I do it (and when I know what to expect), but man, those controllers throw a lot at you very quickly.
We climbed up to 1,800 feet to give us some more altitude but wiggle room near 2,000 feet. As we got closer, a big airliner (“Virgin two zero victor heavy”) was waiting to take off on Runway 28R, parallel to the course we were flying. Tower wanted to make sure it got off ahead of us, so they told us:
“Cessna 62 Quebec, at the control tower, make left 360s until advised.”
“At the control tower, we’ll make left 360s until advised, 62 Quebec.”
We pressed on and when were almost at the tower, we received:
“Cessna 62 Quebec, report a triple seven in position on 28 right in sight.”
“We have that triple seven in sight, 62 Quebec.”
Followed shortly by:
“Cessna 62 Quebec, maintain visual separation, caution wake turbulence.”
“We’ll maintain visual separation and watch out for that wake turbulence, 62 Quebec.”
I wasn’t sure if I should still be doing left 360s, so I asked:
“Tower do you still want 362 Quebec to do left 360s.”
“Cessna 62 Quebec, continue by the 101 freeway, pass behind that traffic.”
The 777 took off and quickly passed us off our right. It climbed under where we were planning to cross on our way up to San Francisco, but we slowed down a little just in case. Wake turbulence from a 777 is no joke for a little Cessna 172.
As we got close to Candlestick, we received:
“Cessna 62 Quebec, leaving the Bravo airspace in four miles, contact Norcal on 135 point 1.”
“Over to 135 point 1, thank you, 62 Quebec.”
Norcal took some time getting back us and checked in with:
“November 362 Quebec, own navigation, once you exit the Bravo, <inaudible> and then west of the Bay Bridge for the tour.”
Flying Over San Francisco, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate Bridge
Once you get out of the Bravo and over the city, you have an altitude choice to make. We chose to fly around at 2,000 feet. The Bravo starts at 3,000 feet above the Bay, and while Oakland’s Charlie airspace begins at 1,500 feet and extends west of the Bay Bridge, since we were talking to ATC, we were okay to fly into it as long as we didn’t bust the Bravo.
There were two planes doing Bay Tours when we arrived, but we received traffic alerts, spotted them, and then followed one as it flew from Alcatraz to Treasure Island. We then did a pass over the financial district of San Francisco, overflew Crissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts, and then doubled back and flew midspan the Golden Gate Bridge.
Since this was mostly a training flight to be comfortable entering the Bravo, we quickly headed southbound and prepared to go back the way we came.
Returning to Palo Alto
The call we made to go back while still over the city:
“Norcal, Cessna 362 Quebec, Bay Tour concluded, we’d like to go back to Palo Alto via the 101 transition.”
“November 362 Quebec, roger, San Francisco altimeter is two-niner-niner-eight, you’re cleared into San Francisco’s Class Bravo at or below 2,000, west of the 101.”
“Cleared into the Bravo, at or below 2,000, 362 Quebec.” (Should have also said “west of the 101.”)
As we entered the Bravo (flying at 1,800 feet) and were handed over to San Francisco Tower, we checked in and it was just like the cross-countries I’ve done where the new frequency gives you an altimeter.
After that it was dead simple: We were handed off over to San Carlos Tower, who then handed us off to Palo Alto.
Lessons Learned and Future Bay Tours
It is very tempting to try to talk as quickly as the controllers when discussing Bravo clearance. Slow down.
When checking in with San Francisco Tour or Norcal to get the Bravo clearance, I get that I could just call in with my tail number and altitude, but I may try to think through a clean reporting of my location as well. That’s why SFO Tower had me hit IDENT when I called in. After all when talking to someone, the order goes: Who I’m talking to, who I am, where I am, what I want to do, and (if necessary) with what information.
There are two other routes into or out of the Bay from Palo Alto, and I’d like to get comfortable making those transitions.
The first is to leave / enter using the Pacifica transition south down the coast to Half Moon Bay. Typically I’ve heard you won’t get a Bravo clearance for this route and will be told to remain clear of the Bravo. Many people find that iffy because the Bravo goes down to 1,600 feet on the coast for a small stretch, and in the case of an engine failure most pilots would prefer to be up higher for a better glide distance.
The second is to do the Charlie transition over Oakland Airport. I didn’t consider it for this Bay Tour because there was an Oakland A’s game that afternoon and a TFR (temporary flight restriction) was up over the Coliseum. I wasn’t looking for the headache of skirting around it, although there is a way to flight northeast of the Charlie and stay under the Bravo along the ridgeline below 4,000.
We were wheels up at 5:20pm and wheels down at 6:07pm and logged 1.1 hours on the Hobbs. We took our time on the ground before taking off, as I asked Tango Lima a ton of questions to confirm what I was going to say and do. Here’s the final flight track.
I’m looking forward to more Bay Tours on clear evenings, although I hear that first thing in the morning is an excellent time to go.
I’ll be going back to these notes before future tours. Please feel free to drop me a note if you’re looking to do your own tour and have any questions!
Current Post-Flight Logbook Totals
Total Time: 124.4 hours
PIC: 50.7 hours
Flight: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Great write-up.
One time I checked in with SF Tower and right after that, a Boeing declared a medical emergency. I never got a response from ATC, so I decided to hold position and make 360s rather than cross through the 28 corridor. I later asked my instructor if that was the right thing to do, he said since I was already in the bravo ATC knows what I'm doing so I should have continued on course as the last controller instructed.