If I fly into Brown Field can I access the "walk over bridge" from there to catch Volaris?
Anyone ever done it this way to get to Cabo?Whale-ista - 2-16-2017 at 10:06 PM
you'l need to drive from Brown Field to the Otay crossing- they are not connected. mtgoat666 - 2-16-2017 at 10:24 PM
If I fly into Brown Field can I access the "walk over bridge" from there to catch Volaris?
Anyone ever done it this way to get to Cabo?
It's a couple miles. Take an Uber.
Cliffy - 2-16-2017 at 10:28 PM
Uber HMMM I haven't done that yet but its not a bad idea. Thanks.
I guess they just drive up and drop us off?
And if i understand correctly we can walk across and right into the airport?Whale-ista - 2-16-2017 at 10:39 PM
There is a pedestrian bridge into the airport. when you purchase the volaris tickets be sure to specify you are walking across from SD = the ticket
will include the necessary info to use the pedestrian bridge.mtgoat666 - 2-16-2017 at 10:44 PM
Uber HMMM I haven't done that yet but its not a bad idea. Thanks.
I guess they just drive up and drop us off?
And if i understand correctly we can walk across and right into the airport?
Do you know there is no commercial passenger service to brown field?
Cliffy - 2-16-2017 at 10:57 PM
Ya I know that, I'm flying my own airplane
1964 Mooney M20C
53 years old and still going strong :-)David K - 2-16-2017 at 11:20 PM
Ya I know that, I'm flying my own airplane
1964 Mooney M20C
53 years old and still going strong :-)
Not going to fly it to Baja? It is such a trip flying over that land!
I was lucky to have flown during two trips over Baja... from Alfonsina's over Mission Santa Maria and then to Calexico in a Cessna 206 (Doug Bowles)
and from El Cajon to San Vicente then Mission San Fernando back to El Cajon in a Raven helicopter (Jim McCoy).
Have a good trip!MICK - 2-17-2017 at 06:56 AM
Cliffs, nice plane I flew a 66 m20 e for many years. Loved that plane.
Mickdanaeb - 2-17-2017 at 07:52 AM
Hi Cliffy - you'll need to CBX tickets to cross the bridge. You can get them online @ crossborderexpress.com, or buy them in the CBX lobby.
To use Uber, you'll need to download the app to your phone. I use uber all the time to get back and forth from CBX to home in San Diego. From Brown
Field it should be pretty cheap (maybe around $5.00)Cliffy - 2-17-2017 at 10:10 AM
Uber- new experience for us but we'll try it. Ludite here so I'm still not sure of "apps" :-)
Flying Baja? I did it back when-
I taxied up to the Diaz hotel right in town in BOLA. Parked outside my room.
Did Papa's in Gonzaga when he was alive (had dinner with him and the entire family) and they had a runway on that side of the bay.
Landed at Alfonsina's way back when .
Puertocitos, had friends that had a place there.
Used to fly a DC-9 to Cabo
Ensanada, TJ, Mexicalli, Got a great TJ story in a Lear Jet.
Ya I've flown Baja but now it's cheaper and quicker to get to Cabo this way (way cheaper). fishbuck - 2-17-2017 at 12:08 PM
And way quicker. 150 knots vrs 400-500 knots.
A light single can rarely compete with a commercial airliner in any measure.
Except fun.David K - 2-17-2017 at 12:44 PM
10-4 that. Fuel costs, landing fees, government regulation nightmares, and cartels wanting your plane all have killed private aviation in BAJA. The
days of Arnold Senterfitt and the Baja Bush Pilots are mostly past.Cliffy - 2-17-2017 at 01:03 PM
Loved the 190 that Arnold flew. Would like to have one now. Had his books back then.
It really was the good old days back then for private flying. It can be done now but the number of runways is but a shadow of what it was with the
Feds plowing them up to stop drugs. Lots of the paved ones have high fees (just look at the close in Cabo one, its private and only survives by fees).
Not knocking it , its just the way things have progressed in 40 years. No different than there used to be beaches one could stop at over night between
San Jose del Cabo and Cabo san Lucas.
Time marches on-Cliffy - 2-17-2017 at 01:07 PM
And I miss the Hotel Hacienda in Cabo. Have a friend who stayed there the first night it opened. Now just big condos (by Carlos I presume)?
We do like the Mar de Cortez just a couple of blocks off the marina. fishbuck - 2-17-2017 at 01:13 PM
Even though I haven't been able to live out my fantasy yet, I still think private aircraft travel in baja is viable.
My senario.
Border to San Quintin bay driving. 5 plus hours.
Border to San Quintin bay flying in a humble Piper 140. 1.5 hours. Maybe 2 including a customs stop in Ensenada.
Costwise very close.
Bola, Mulege, B. Asunsion, etc light aircraft is the way to go if you have access.
Flying always beats driving.
Flying in Baja is more difficult and more expensive that it was... isn,t eveything in baja more expensive and difficult than it was 10-20 years ago? David K - 2-17-2017 at 03:48 PM
Actually, my experience this year are that camping or motel-ing (and eating) in Baja is way cheaper. The peso at 20:1 maybe helps?
Nice motels are in the $30 range. Hotels are in the $60 range. Camping is in the $5 to $30 range (depending on services). Meals are in the $5 range...
if converted from dollars to pesos, anyway.fishbuck - 2-17-2017 at 04:57 PM
True that. Still worth doing!LancairDriver - 2-17-2017 at 07:21 PM
Flying in Baja today is definitely not what it used to be. Way fewer airstrips to access. Limited access to fuel. Tons of reporting and regulations
from both sides of the border. Huge fines if you don't hit your estimated arrivals in the US within thirty minutes, and now Mexico is incorporating
some of the same US regulations to scarf up even more fees. Four or five airplanes that went to Cabo and LaPaz stayed over New Years and overstayed
their yearly multi entry permit that expired Dec 31 intending to leave Jan 1. They assumed they would be able to simply buy another permit after Jan
1. Wrong. The Mexicans confiscated their airplanes and depending on their individual negotiating skills were hit from reportedly $7,000US to $2,000
fines to retrieve their airplanes. After hiring lawyers and being delayed for weeks with the help of the Baja Bush Pilots, the last I heard all had
been released.
Because I prefer not to deal with all of this anymore, my 5 hr trip from Oregon to favorite destination in Mulege and Conception bay by air, has
turned into a three day trek in my Motorhome. The plus side is that my comfortable home and Jeep goes with me and the scenery is enjoyed from a
different perspective and all the toys and dogs get to come along.
Cliffy, if the Lear story you have is not to much trouble for you to list someday, I would love to hear it. Otherwise maybe I'll run into you sometime
in Baja. Cliffy - 2-17-2017 at 08:20 PM
My last trip down a year ago we drug our 22 ft trailer. Really like having my own bed and toilet along behind but I will try the hotel/restaurant way
the next time which will be to Asuncion Bay. I want to go by Coco's and use that route this time instead of SQ and down.
The Lear story- OK here goes, hope you aren't bored.
I was on the phone patrol one afternoon at Lacy's and got a call asking to do a charter from TJ to Monterrey, MX. Good English but Spanish accent. I
carefully explained that that was not allowed by Mexican regulations as it was considered cabotage.
He responded, "Oh no Senior, ees OK it is for the government". I then said that the times he wanted (pick up TJ at 7 PM) that the Monterrey tower
would be closed. He says, No Senior, it WILL be open for us". I specified again that it couldn't be done as it was cabotage with which he again says
it was for the government.
I asked how many are we taking aboard, he says 12 persons. WHOA, says I, I say that means we need two LearJets. He says that's fine! I say it's very
expensive to do this, he says that's fine.
I ask how long do we lay over in Monterrey, he says, till the morning.
I'm still skeptical so I tell him that the only way we will do this is that it is paid for in advance prior to leaving Van Nuys CA and no refunds AND
I will decide when we get to TJ if we do it or not after talking to him.
He agrees and gives me an American Express card over the phone that runs good for the total cost.
I call the Chief Pilot and tell him what's up and he launches us and another crew to go. He says I'm going with him as I know a little Spanish! CRAP,
now it's all on me.
We launch and land at TJ and pull into Customs and as we are shutting down I see a rather large Federal Agent with a pearl handled 45 on his hip walk
out toward us with a bunch of young Fed agents all armed with AR15s. I look at the boss and say, and I quote, "I think we're going to jail!"
I climb out and the big guy comes over and introduces himself as the guy on the phone. We exchange greetings and he says everything is set for
Monterrey for us, "can we go"? I look at the boss and shrug my shoulders and say sure but they (the young guns with the AR15s) they will have to
unload their rifles, you Sir can keep your pistol as it is. He agrees and barks the order to them. Amid a clacking of actions all the weapons are
emptied and we climb in and are off to Moterrey.
It's pitch black after dark flying and we of course fly the full IFR approach to Monterrey, land and taxi in. The tower was open just for us. Awaiting
them is a dump truck into which they all climb in except Mr Big who climbs into the truck cab and off they go.
5 hours later it is just getting light as I look around the area and all I see are BIG mountains all quadrants. Good thing we did the full approach.
About that time the dump truck drives up and unloads everyone. I greet Mr Big and ask, OK may I ask what was going on?
He says they were on a drug raid. I ask, Why use our airplanes. He says, If we use ours they know we are coming! I ask, did it go well? He says, and I
quote again, "Well at least we no have to shoot anyone this time"!
SO we do the unloading drill, climb into both airplanes and takeoff for TJ. It's summer and there are T storms all over and we have to weave in and
out of the big ones, Unfortunately the plane following me losses its RADAR right in the middle of the flight. SO I work out with them headings and
distances to fly from VORs so they can navigate around the storms without RADAR. It works, they never hit one.
We land in TJ, they depart and we go to Brown Field to check in and then home the Van Nuys. End of a long day.
BTW, we saw 1 guy in the dump truck that looked American with a beard, figured he was DEA. LancairDriver - 2-17-2017 at 09:20 PM
Thanks for an interesting story Cliffy. So you flew charters for Clay Lacy out of Van Nuys. You must have hauled some interesting people. I just saw
Clay at the service for Bob Hoover at Van Nuys a few weeks ago.He has put on a lot of weight since I last saw him. He used to fly a nice aerobatic
routine at air shows in the Lear. The last time I saw him fly was at the Reno air races a couple years ago.
Flying down in Baja about ten years ago I was talking on the radio to a Lear from an outfit in Orange County returning from Monterey with an
interesting story. Seems a smuggler got his twin Cessna confiscated in Monterrey and it was chained up at the airport. He made it back to the states
and chartered a Lear to get back to Monterrey. Unbeknownst to the charter outfit he boarded with some bolt cutters and when the two Lear pilots were
getting a hamburger he cut the chains on his airplane and split with it. The Mexicans were pleased to have traded a piston twin for a Lear and it took
many many pesos to get the pilots and the Lear back again.Be careful who you give a ride.Cliffy - 2-18-2017 at 05:22 AM
I got one more Baja story
Had a friend that got a contract to "recover" a Piper Navajo on a dirt airport in Baja , mid 70s. It had folded the nose gear, wiped out both props
and cleaned the pitot tubes off the nose bottom. I had just removed two two blade props from the Navajo I was flying for 3 bladers and he rented my
old 2 bladers to take down and put on that plane. He loaded them in a Cessna 210 along with a battery and tools and stuff.
He decided Cinco de Mayo would be the best time to go there so he and a friend flew down on the 4th. The next night they lifted the nose and bolted
the nose gear down, changed the props and installed the battery. It had enough gas to get back across the border.
OH, did I mention that the Federals had impounded the airplane and had guards on it? Ya, that's right. He had to do it right under their noses! That's
why Cinco de Mayo. They were all in town drinking!
Well, he jumps into the Navajo and starts it, points it down the runway and away he goes. Of course, no run up, no mag check AND NO AIRSPEED WORKING!
Now the Feds come running over to the other guy and the 210 standing there BUT the 210 has a flat main gear tire. They didn't notice that little issue
until now.
The Fed walks over and says to the guy, "Senior, you have a big problem!"
The guy looks at him and says, "how much is this big problem going to cost me?" The Fed says, "how much you got?" The guy pulls out all he has, a
little over $200 USDs.
The Fed says, "that is enough Senior" and hands him a tire pump. THEY had let the air out. Even though it was way after dark and a single engine
airplane (no night flying in Mexico in a single engine) he pumps up the tire and leaves, Next stop, USA and Customs.
The Navajo went directly to Van Nuys, was "found" there and was impounded the next day by Customs for not stopping. It sat there for weeks with the
Customs impound sticker on the door window. Don't know what it took to get it released but the pilot is still around (in a different city now) none
the worse for wear.
BTW, Lacy lost a Lear in South America decades ago due to a bogus drug smuggling charge. The crew sat in jail for a couple of days and were released
for having no part in the bogus charge (it was aimed at the client) but the airplane never got back to the USA. Some how it became a government
airplane never to see US airspace again.
Cliffy - 2-18-2017 at 05:24 AM
BTW, I was told on good authority many decades ago while riding with Clay and old man Lear in a Lear that they rolled real nice! :-) :-)fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 02:33 PM
BTW, I was told on good authority many decades ago while riding with Clay and old man Lear in a Lear that they rolled real nice! :-) :-)
I would imagine a Lear would do an effortless aleron roll.
Infact, I saw Clay or atleast his jet do several very beautiful and graceful aileron rolls at Sea Fair a couple of years ago. A Lear 24 or 25 I think
with pure turbojet General Electric CJ610s. Cliffy - 2-18-2017 at 02:49 PM
Yup, I've seen it. Talked with him many decades ago but rode in a Lear with his Father driving.
Even the movie "16 Right" didn't cover all the history that I've seen at KVNY where I soloed in 1962.
I've got @ 700 hrs in CJ610 powered Lears. You want noise, I'll give you noise with 2 CJ610s out back. fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 03:15 PM
A marlin bill and a taxicab.
My second and last trip to Palmas de Cortez was interesting and fun.
I didn't have any problems with the authorities except the last night I was there drinking on the beach out in front of the hotel. Apparently getting
happy drunk on the beach is frowned upon by automatic rifle carrying soilders patrolling the beach.
After a stern warning ( in spanish ) and instrutions to clean up my bottles they continued on their patrol and we continued our celebratory beach
party. We were almost out of beer which was just as well... an O-dark-thirty launch was scheduled (by me) followed by a long flying day.
But as I had caught my 1st marlin that day it was hard to let go of that feeling. Earlier in the bar I was the rockstar of the resort as I was the
only one to catch a marlin that day. Cold beer was flowing as only it flows in a beachfront baja bar on a hot tropical day.
Most pilots know flying with a hangover is no fun so it was time to finish up the collection of leftover beers from the trip and stumble up the beach
back to the cosy suite of Palmas. A dreamy, beery, exhausted sleep was just a few footsteps in the sand away.
The takeoff from Palmas in a max gross weight Piper Lance is fairly easy but exciting and definately an " A-game " activity for a pilot. I had already
walked the runway and paced out how far down my takeoff roll should before I should be breaking the surely bonds... and how far too far was. The end
of the runway was the water. Plenty if all goes right.
Sunrise comes early in Baja... LancairDriver - 2-18-2017 at 03:29 PM
Yes, nothing like seeing an early Lear powered by CJ610's climbing out like a rocket and still hearing it after it is out of sight. Van Nuys has seen
some pretty accomplished aviators flying every thing from X15's to P51's over the years. Here is a link to John Lears talk to the Las Vegas QB's
summarizing his career that is interesting.
I actually have a few hours of Lear 25 stick time . Nothing logable but an incredible and mind expanding experience.
It looks like a rocket, it sounds like a rocket, it climbs like a rocket, it most definately feels like a rocket... it's a rocket.fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 04:06 PM
"My" Lear 23.fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 04:12 PM
I got your CJ610s right here!fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 04:28 PM
"A picture speaks..."Cliffy - 2-18-2017 at 05:04 PM
What's the serial number? :-)fishbuck - 2-18-2017 at 07:53 PM
LancairDriver - 2-18-2017 at 11:56 PM
Strange. That "N" number on the Lear looks like N407V. That number is registered with the FAA to an RV7, an experimental single engined piston
aircraft.
[Edited on 2-19-2017 by LancairDriver]Cliffy - 2-19-2017 at 12:22 AM
The Lear was probably deregistered a long time ago.fishbuck - 2-19-2017 at 12:19 PM
I don' t know the history of the jet. It belongs to a museum but not sure who. I will try to find out.
Lear 23s are very rare and I don't believe any are still flying.
But as you can tell it makes me feel good just being near it.Cliffy - 2-20-2017 at 10:50 AM
I flew serial number 12 for a couple of flights. It had the bent pipe control wheels (before the molded ones). A 23 with no reversers was a rocket
ship. Too bad the Williams reengine didn't really take off. I think the CJs kinda killed the Lear rehab market. CJ610s just sucked too much kerosene
and were hard to quiet.
They burned as much fuel at idle at sea level on the ground as they did at 410 doing Warp 6.
