Mini-route over LAX
Aircraft:Cessna 172L – N13818
Length of Flight: 1.4 Hrs – Solo
Total Flight Hours to Date: 49.0 Hrs
Altitude: 2500-4500 Feet
Route: Whiteman – Torrance
Cost: $171.70
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This was really check ride prep #2, the cool new thing I did was fly directly over LAX. Because of the size and volume of traffic at LAX you’d have to fly a long way around to get to the other side of LAX if you were to avoid the airspace so they created these air corridors that run through the airspace. You can think of them as tubes that you fly through that have specific direction and altitude. They give these air corridors names, the one I flew through is called the Mini-Route. It basically runs from Santa Monica airport on a course of 128 degrees directly over LAX to Hawthorne Blvd and the 405 freeway at an elevation of 2500ft. Seems weird that you could fly over LAX one of the busiest airports in the world, but when you think about it if you’re flying directly over the center of the airport. All the planes are either landing or taking off at LAX so they’re either on the ground or very near the ground and you can fly right over it all. It’s amazing to fly over and watch these 747’s landing and taking off right below you. And again one of those things that to me seemed complicated on paper but when you do it it’s very simple and really no big deal.
Then we went on to Torrance airport, landed there, took off again and went to the Long Beach practice area and did some more maneuvers. The was the first time I had flown in the LA Basin area, which is the Hollywood, Santa Monica area. I’ve lived out here for 17 years and really know the LA Basin well…on the ground. Flying over it was such a surreal experience. Like looking down at a doll house I used to play in. At one point I could see Whiteman airport, Burbank airport, Van Nuys Airport, Santa Monica airport and LAX all by just turning my head! And in the air the housing areas are all very similar, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Hollywood. They don’t have the same significance as when you’re driving through those areas. Wow.
Check out the Google Earth image and the Google Earth tour!