Palo Alto Airport

Departures

Since KPAO is stuffed between KSFO, KSQL, KOAK, and KHWD on the northwest and KNUQ and KSJC on the southeast, most traffic comes and goes via the north (across the bay) or south (over Stanford University and the city of Palo Alto). In the tower cab, ATC has the Ground controller prepare for your departure by writing your tail number on a plastic tile. They put it into a stack (basically, there's a stack for each type of departure) so that when you call "ready for takeoff" the "Local controller" (the person we call "Tower" on the radio) already knows what you want. It helps save time on the busy Tower frequency, but you need to tell Ground your departure request when you call to taxi for takeoff.

Departing Runway 31

Winds typically favor runway 31, so I'll talk about it first. All departures off runway 31 are to turn right 10º as soon as possible after liftoff (runway heading is 308º, so 318º plus any wind correction if you want to be precise; I usually just head for where the power lines cross Cooley Landing). This is to keep down noise over the city of East Palo Alto, which lies left of upwind.

To head out to the north (across the bay), ask for and fly the Right Dumbarton Departure. It's easy; just fly upwind (after the 10º noise abatement turn) until you get the Dumbarton Bridge (the car one, not the railroad!), turn right and follow it across the bay, and then carry on (often through the Sunol pass and out of the Bay Area over the Livermore Valley). As you get to the toll plaza on the far side of the bridge, Leslie Salt will be to your right. Arrivals tend to get funneled over Leslie Salt by the airspace and terrain, so this departure is designed to keep you away from a head-to-head game of "spot the airplane". Be careful of the 2,500' shelf of Class B over the bridge, and Class C not too far away on either side as you cross Fremont. Study the San Francisco Terminal Area Chart carefully before threading this needle!

Going to the south, ask for and fly the Left Dumbarton Departure. Just like the right, but you turn left instead. Pretty easy, eh? The idea here is noise abatement. We're supposed to get to 1,500' before passing south of Highway 101 (the Bayshore Freeway) to keep the noise down over the residential areas of Palo Alto and Menlo Park. By extending the upwind to the bridge, even slow climbers can do this. But don't climb too much! You'll be under a 2,500' shelf of Class B until you pass the Stanford Stadium.

If you want to take a direct route through Moffett (KNUQ) to San Jose (KSJC) or Reid Hillview (KRHV), let Ground know where you're going on your initial call and request a left downwind to XXX departure (that's right, left, er, I mean, that's correct, LEFT) (the left downwind puts you over the numbers at KNUQ, effectively keeping you out of their way while setting you up to either cross over SJC or join their downwind). XXX is the airport you're going to. Ground will telephone KNUQ and get them to cough up a squawk code for you. KNUQ has the stuff to radar identify you and hand you off to KSJC tower or Norcal Approach (used to be Bay Approach and, briefly, Sierra Approach). They'll typically put you around 1,500' as you pass through KNUQ. But be sharp on your flying and radio procedures for this route. It can be busy!

If you're heading to or over San Carlos (KSQL), Hayward (KHWD), or Oakland (KOAK) (or, if you're rich enough to afford the fees, San Francisco (KSFO)!), use a standard straight out departure (which one of my students always wanted to call the "straight up departure"...if only we had been flying an F14! ) KSQL is right next door, so don't hesitate to ask for an early frequency change.

Some people prefer the "right 270º overhead" departure instead of the Left Dumbarton. Just make sure you're above 1,500' before crossing 101.

Sometimes, if there's very light traffic, you might be able to get a "right crosswind" departure (cutting a few seconds off your trip), but I've never heard anyone get a left crosswind (due to noise).

Departing Runway 13

When a "storm" is moving through, or sometimes just early on a winter morning, the wind will kick up to favor runway 13. The controllers hate this since they've gotta move two-way traffic on a one-lane road (the Parallel).

The northbound departure most used is the Leslie Salt departure. It's much like a normal Left Crosswind (and sometimes people ask for that instead), but you turn a few degrees more than for a standard crosswind so that you fly toward Leslie Salt across the Bay near the Dumbarton Bridge. That way, you should pass out from under the 1,500' shelf of the SJC Class C before you climb into it. If you are flying a strong climbing bird, keep it under 1,500' until you're sure you're clear.

For those concerned about their swimming skills in the event that the fan stops turning, the Left Downwind departure allows you to gain altitude before crossing the Bay, as well as for heading northwest to KSQL, KOAK, KHWD, etc.

Noise prevents a right crosswind departure, but the left overhead 270º works great. As usual, cross Highway 101 at or above 1,500'.

You can do a straight-out to transition KNUQ, but it comes up real fast, so be sure to get Ground to coordinate for you so KNUQ knows you're coming.

IFR Departure

If you're using runway 31 your clearance will typically contain "...turn right heading 060º within one mile of the runway, radar vectors SJC...rest of route...climb and maintain 3,000', expect...final altitude...5 minutes after departure..." Sometimes, if you're heading northwest from runway 31, you'll get "...fly runway heading...maintain 2,000'..." but that requires a hole in SFO's traffic, so it isn't a given. You might get the 060º clearance, only to have it amended about the time you're told to taxi into position because the TRACON controller just decided he has room for you.
For runway 13 the turn to 060º is to the left, but otherwise it's the same. Note that when Norcal Approach is on "the southeast plan" (where the air carrier airports are landing to the southeast), you can face a pretty stiff wait to get out of KPAO. Come to think of it, you can face a pretty stiff wait when they're on the (normal) northwest plan, too!

If you're departing IFR when the tower is closed, it can be difficult to pick up your clearance. The TRACON is understandably reluctant to shut down a big chunk of very busy airspace by giving out big departure windows. I can't offer you a guaranteed method, but here's what has worked for me:

• Sometimes, and in some planes, you can contact Norcal Approach directly on 121.3. They aren't typically real busy when Palo Alto's Tower is closed, so they are likely to be happy to give you your clearance and then release you.

• Moffett Tower has longer hours and are often happy for something to do, and they can relay from NORCAL easily. Try them on 119.55.

• If the radio doesn't work, get a phone number for Norcal (from Flight Service, for instance) and call them with your cell in the runup area. This may not be 100% approved, but my experience is that Norcal controllers are more interested in getting the job done than in following exact protocols.

• If that fails, you'll probably have to get your clearance and release through Flight Service (FSS). The Mountain View RCO on 122.50 usually works to contact Oakland Radio from the ground at KPAO, or 1-800-WX-BRIEF on the phone.

Pattern Landmarks

Here are some of the local landmarks that you'll hear the controllers using. Click to get the big version of the picture so see these actual places. On upwind from 31:

• Cooley Landing is a tiny peninsula that sticks out into the Bay between the airport and the bridges.

• The Train Bridge and the Auto Bridge refer to the a partially destroyed railroad bridge and the car carrying Dumbarton Bridge. The Train Bridge comes first. About a 1/2 mile of it closest to the Palo Alto side of the Bay burned a few years ago, so it's no longer a complete bridge. The turnstile in the middle of the bay is a distinctive feature.

Heading downwind for 31:

• "Abeam the Tower", of course, refers to the FAA control tower. Instead of the usual mid-field location, though, it's close to abeam the 31 numbers.

• The Duck Pond is a little pond just north of final, and nearly at the threshold. It has a fountain in it, and often appears darker than the other water. The controllers often call traffic as "over the duck pond", so you can consider the water around the actual pond (and under final) as part of it.

• The Bird House is a concrete bird house in the middle of an open oval right next to the bay, past the 31 numbers. It's an odd thing; visit it if you get a chance.

• The Old Yacht Harbor is pretty much abeam the Bird House and is almost interchangeable with it. Years ago this area was dredged out and, as the name implies, used for boat parking. There is a white building that was the "yacht house" on edge of the "harbor".

• Especially for traffic in the left (south) pattern, you might hear "abeam the Water Treatment Plant". The large settling tanks right next to the airport distinguish it.

• Next is "the Dump", Palo Alto's landfill. You can see trucks, trash, and dirt mounds in this area. If you can figure out why it's OK to pile this area with noxious trash, but somehow building a few more hangars would devastate the local environment, please let me know.

• You might hear "over the Antenna Farm" for a group of antennas in the marsh next to Highway 101.

• Further downwind, you might get "turn base at the Amphitheater", talking about the tent-like Shoreline Amphitheater. Actually, most weekend afternoons, you're almost guaranteed to get this, probably like this: "you're number 8 behind the Cherokee on the opposite downwind, turn base at the amphitheater to allow for 4 departures." I'm not making this up!

Staying in the Pattern

When you want to do laps (or "bounce and goes" as my wife calls them (!)), just tell ground you want to Stay in the Pattern. When runway 31 is in use the pattern players are kept in right traffic (over the bay) almost all the time. Pattern altitude on that side is 800'. The 10º noise abatement turn after takeoff still applies. As a result, you typically have almost no crosswind leg at all (otherwise you'll end up most of the way across the bay on downwind!)
If runway 13 is in use, then expect left traffic (still on the bay side; still at 800').

The Tower typically clears pattern workers for "the Option". You can do a full-stop landing with taxi-back, a go around, or a touch-and-go (if the rules you're operating under permit it; WVFC doesn't allow touch-and-goes for solo students at KPAO or in airplanes with more than 200 horsepower). The Stop-and-Go option is not allowed at KPAO since the runway is so short. If you're flying a Husky or Scout, petition the airport manager for an exception.

If you taxi back, the convention at KPAO is, once you're established as a "pattern worker", taxi back to the "T-bar" on the Parallel taxiway without talking to Tower about it. This is different from most airports, so be careful not to carry that habit elsewhere! The Tower will typically say "taxi back each time; advise when terminating."

The Traffic Pattern and Moffett

If you take a close look at the Terminal Area Chart you'll note that Moffett's airspace (KNUQ) begins within about a mile of the KPAO's runway. Normally this isn't a problem because, by letter of agreement, KPAO Tower is allowed to use up to the Shoreline Amphitheater, which is a bit more than 2 miles, and the controllers are pretty good at keeping the pattern in that close. If things get really busy, you may hear "we have extensions to the hangars" from the tower. That means you can fly up to the large hangars at Moffett. There are a few other landmarks they might use; most are easy to pick out. Keep in mind that your main job is to avoid hitting anybody; let the controllers work out the airspace issues. Just don't use more than you need.

Arrivals

KPAO controllers routinely use both sides of the traffic pattern, with arrivals from the north side getting right traffic for runway 31 , and arrivals from the south getting left traffic. Reverse those if runway 13 is in use. It boils down to using the downwind that is on the same side of the airport as you are.
Keep in mind that the pattern altitude is 800' on the bay side and 1,000' on the Palo Alto side.

Most arrivals from the north report in over Leslie Salt, just east (some might think of it as southeast) of the Dumbarton bridge toll plaza. Expect to be asked to "make right traffic." The airport can be hard to find from here, but if you fly nearly to the railroad turnstile near the middle of the bay you'll be able to spot the airport and will be set up for a 45º entry to downwind. If runway 13 is in use, the left base entry (over the railroad, roughly) is typical.

From the south, the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) is a good reporting point, although the "Dish" (large round antenna behind Stanford), "Felt Lake", and Cañada College (that's "can-YA-da", not "can-a-duh") are also used. Expect to be asked to make left traffic to runway 31. Since we're supposed to stay above 1,500' until crossing the Bayshore Freeway, a standard 45º is a bit tough. If you head towards Cooley Landing, you can cross at 1,500', descend easily to the 1,000' pattern altitude as you turn into the downwind, and still miss the Left Dumbarton departures. Normally, I would never like to see someone descending into a traffic pattern (since the majority of midairs happen during climb or descent near an airport), but in this case there are no left crosswind departures, the left downwind is rarely used for departures, and the controllers are helping, so it's probably a reasonable exception. Remember that safety trumps noise abatement.

If you're coming from over Moffett, you might get lucky and get "straight-in" to runway 31. If things are busy, expect to be asked to "report overhead at 1,500' for pattern assignment." Once overhead you'll probably be asked to turn and descend into either left or right downwind. Keep a sharp eye out!

IFR Arrivals

If you're arriving IFR, the visual is often your best bet for a quick arrival. If you need an approach, the GPS Rwy 31 is a heck of a lot easier to get most of the time, but especially when the weather is low. The VOR/DME Rwy 31 goes right over San Jose International so you can wait a long time for a gap in their traffic. If the stratus is in and you aren't sporting an approach-approved GPS, a good trick is to shoot an approach to Hayward, get under the stratus, then cancel and depart downwind from HWD to Coyote Hills, then follow the Dumbarton across the Bay to PAO. Be very careful of this; the stratus is typically flat-bottomed, with good visibility below, but you'll want to make sure to stay in your comfort zone. Getting someone to give you a ride from Hayward is ever so much easier to arrange than a funeral.

When the Tower is Closed

After (or before) tower hours, be sure to use the pattern on the Bay (north) side of the airport, both because that's what the FARs require and it's good for noise. The 10º turn after liftoff from runway 31 still applies, as well as 1,500' over the Bayshore. Sound carries better when it's cool (like a night), and more people are at home, so please be considerate. The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) is, as you'd expect, the same as the Tower frequency, 118.60.

Other Details

Fuel is available from trucks from Chevron (122.85 Mhz) and Exxon (122.95 Mhz). Exxon runs the self-service fuel island. The fuel is not cheap.
The aiport sits next to a wildlife area, so there are plenty of critters to watch out for, like this hawk I spotted grabbing his lunch from the grass next to the runway while one of my students did his first solo flight. Remember that birds usually dive...

Lots of other technical details, plus fuel prices, buisiness on the field, links to other pages about the airport, and more can be found at AirNav's Palo Alto Airport page.

Contact Info

If you're interested in flying and I can help, please email me at Rich@Dr-Amy.com.