We are based in No. California and for the past few days the winds aloft made for really uncomfortable flying conditions. 10/6/17 greeted us with clear skies, unrestricted visibility, perfect temperatures and NO WIND.

A private airport (CA66 - Academy) has opened to public use near Watsonville & Monterey, CA. You can find information about the airport at: http://oceanshoreaviation.com/

Hawk & I decided this was the day to visit CA66 which is located a few steps from the Pacific Ocean. It is a grass airstrip about 2000' long with a clear and easy approach surrounded by an active farm and faith based boarding school. The school recently added an aviation curriculum and is welcoming pilots to the airstrip.

The school requires a liability waiver defining the aircraft, pilot and insurance coverage. Any qualified pilot is has permission to land one time and complete the liability waiver. The waiver can also be downloaded from their website (http://oceanshoreaviation.com/landing-at-mba/) and returned to them via email.

We departed from Concord (KCCR) and made the 45 minute flight under perfect conditions. The skies were clear, the marine layer went away, the air was smooth and visibility was about 30 miles. It was a morning where any pilot would be happy about being aloft and glad they were not stuck on the ground.

The airstrip is on the San Francisco Sectional:


This is what it looks like on left base for Rwy 28:



Here we are on short final:



The ramp has room for 5 planes:







We observed numerous whales feeding as hey head south to their Baja California breeding grounds:





There is a trail to the beach and a lot of friendly people at the airstrip. We hiked around and really enjoyed the morning and then flew over to Watsonville (very close) and discovered the new restaurant is excellent!

I highly recommend a stop here if you are in the area.

That's a cool runway!

I was born in Ft. Bragg (north of Santa Rosa, Ukiah etc.). Lived in Branscomb (pop sign said 101, went to school in Laytonville - also very small. Dad had a 150/150 when I was young, and then later a GT500 based at our house in the Redwoods. What a way to grow up. We moved in 97, I was 14. Mom and Dad used to land on the beach and camp in the 150, long time ago, but too much fun was detected doing that and you of course can't anymore. Don't miss California a bit, except right up there where I grew up. Thanks for sharing, taking off right out over the ocean is neat! I haven't flown back to that area yet, but it's on my list to do sometime... still have some friends etc. up there. Like to explore the coast.

That is a very nice strip and thanks for the info on access. It is a long shot, but if ever I am in the area it will be visited. By the way, what happened to your shadows on the ramp?

Sean.

That's familiar ground to me, back when I was a Pterodactyl ultralight dealer, they were based out of there. I remember that there was no flying allowed on Sundays. Beautiful country, I always had a blast when making a trip down there to pick up more "aircraft".

Thanks for the report. Looks like a great location. I love the beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

OMG what a beautiful place!!

I don't recall that strip when I lived in the Bay Area...

I'd have been there every day!

Thanks for the pics

Rich, I love you man, but need to work on your Photoshop skills.

Are there certain times of year more or less prevalent for marine layers, high winds, etc out in this area? I visit SJC quite a bit via airliner for work, but would like to do the trip once next year in my 182 and spend some time playing around up and down the coast. I am definitely putting this strip on my list. I'd probably avoid mid summer just so I have lower DA's and less turbulence to contend with, so I'm thinking either sometime from mid May to mid June, or later into September.

Zzz wrote:Rich, I love you man, but need to work on your Photoshop skills.

Duly noted.

rfinkle wrote:....A private airport (CA66 - Academy) has opened to public use near Watsonville & Monterey, CA. You can find information about the airport at: http://oceanshoreaviation.com/
Hawk & I decided this was the day to visit CA66 which is located a few steps from the Pacific Ocean. It is a grass airstrip about 2000' long with a clear and easy approach surrounded by an active farm and faith based boarding school. The school recently added an aviation curriculum and is welcoming pilots to the airstrip......

I see on the website that Monterey Bay Academy is a Seventh Day Adventist school.
Is their aviation curriculum aimed at being the first step for missionary pilots?
Auburn Academy WA84, located near Seattle, is also a 7th Day Adventist school with an airstrip.
Don't know if they have an aviation program, but I'm pretty sure they don't welcome fly-in visitors.

The WA84 page on airnav pretty much just says prior permission required, but here's what they have for CA66:

PERMISSION TO LAND, WITHOUT PRIOR REQUEST, IS OFFERED TO FIRST-TIME VISITORS.
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USE CAUTION CONCERNING NOAA OVER FLIGHT RESTRICTION AREAS, THROUGHOUT THE MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY, PROHIBITING FLIGHTS BELOW 1,000 FT AGL EXCEPT IN PATTERN.
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PLEASE REVIEW ADDITIONAL OPERATING RECOMMENDATIONS AT WWW.OCEANSHOREAVIATION.COM
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PERMISSION FOR SUBSEQUENT LANDINGS IS OFFERED AFTER VISITORS SIGN AND SUBMIT A LIABILITY RELEASE FORM AVAILABLE ON THE FIELD.
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AIRFIELD OPERATIONS LIMITED TO DAYLIGHT HOURS.
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IN OBSERVANCE OF SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST SABBATH, PLEASE DO NOT LAND ON AIRFIELD FROM SUNSET FRIDAYS TO SUNSET SATURDAYS.
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CAUTION REGARDING AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS AND FOR PEOPLE AND ANIMALS USING DIRT ROADS ADJACENT TO BOTH SIDES OF TURF STRIP. RECOMMEND OVERFLYING AIRFIELD TO OBSERVE OPERATIONS ADJACENT TO RUNWAY BEFORE LANDING.
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ENTER TRAFFIC PATTERN FROM OCEAN SIDE TO AVOID FLYING OVER MONTEREY BAY ACADEMY BUILDINGS AND HORSE STABLES.
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AVOID OVERFLYING HOUSES LOCATED ABOVE COAST, 3/4 NM SSE OF THE AIRFIELD.
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STUDENT SOLO FLIGHTS NOT RECOMMENDED.
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OCCASIONAL IRRIGATION ON TURF FROM LATE AFTERNOON TO SUNRISE.

Anguin, in Callistoga, is also an SDA school with an aviation program and an airstrip. They also welcome visitors.

Mountain Doctor wrote:Anguin, in Callistoga, is also an SDA school with an aviation program and an airstrip. They also welcome visitors.

FWIW Angwin Airport / Parret Field 2O3 is listed on airnav as a public use airport, owned by Pacific Union College.
PUC's website says this about their aviation program and the airport:

"The aviation program is run by the Flight Center at the Angwin Airport and offers an accredited four-year bachelor of science degree in aviation, preparing Christ-centered pilots for lives of service throughout the aviation industry and in the mission field. The Flight Center also offers ground school and flight instruction to community members.
Angwin Airport is located on Virgil O. Parrett Field, (203) on the San Francisco sectional, in the scenic upper Napa Valley of California. Angwin Airport serves as a community airport, in addition to housing the Flight Center programs.
Angwin Airport Resources
For pilot and airport information, calculating tools, and FAA resources, visit the Angwin Airport site. The Flight Center also offers ground school and flight instruction to community members or students who are not enrolled in the aviation program but wish to earn their Private Pilot license"