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Flying to Shelter Cove in NorCal

rcsilvmac

Well Known Member
I just created a couple videos from my trips to Shelter Cove, on California's Lost Coast. One video is more "tourist" and the second video walks through some flight planning tips. I am still a novice at this YouTube thing, but working to get better. Let me know if you enjoy these.

Visit Shelter Cove - Sights and Sounds:
https://youtu.be/EjljOAbkmMM

Flight Planning for Shelter Cove:
https://youtu.be/hkiWW4o17-E
 
Shelter Cove

Thanks for posting this, especially the flight planning. Agree with using Windy and ForeFlight for planning. Couple other notes:

(1) there is a BLM airstrip 10NM north of Shelter Cove at Big Flat Creek. The BLM strip is south of the river. Don’t land at the north airstrip- it’s private. May be good for you tail dragger folks.

(2) good start/end point for the lost coast trail. Shuttle to either north (Mathole) or south entry and backpack (or run :D) back to Shelter Cove. Approx 25 miles each way.

(3) parking on both ends of the runway with ropes. Each area can be wet and has a slight slope, and a little gravel.

(4) a memorial to the 1971 DC-3 crash is at the north end. Good lesson to remove your gust lock before flying.

(5) and, as mentioned, people and dogs stroll the runway vicinity. I had to go around as a group was walking down the runway!
 
Do you mean the one at 40.1253689697784, -124.16929058472265? Where did you see that it's BLM, as it's marked with "R"?
 
This is definitely on my to-do list for nice places to visit. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed the videos.
 
Great video! I particularly liked the informal "local knowledge" type information you typically don't get from the charts and official sources, such as the caution about turbulence during the trip in. Also good suggestion about carrying a personal locator beacon for the more remote stretches of the journey.

That area of northwestern CA seem to be dotted with lots of interesting and out-of-the-way flying destinations. O86, O54, O21, O19, F62, H47, D63, T42, and so on. I vacationed up there once and really fell in love with the area. One day when I'm a more proficient pilot, I'd love to spend some time trying them all out.
 
Nice videos.

A suggestion: Place a piece of black cloth or felt over your white GPS antenna to reduce or eliminate its reflection in the windscreen.
 
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Thanks for posting this, especially the flight planning. Agree with using Windy and ForeFlight for planning. Couple other notes:

(1) there is a BLM airstrip 10NM north of Shelter Cove at Big Flat Creek. The BLM strip is south of the river. Don’t land at the north airstrip- it’s private. May be good for you tail dragger folks.

y!

Negative.
There is NO BLM airstrip on any part of the Loast Coast. The two airstrips that you are referring to are both private. I know both owners and they do not give permission. Do not land at either strip.
 
"I know both owners and they do not give permission. Do not land at either strip". What a shame! Back in the late sixties my wife and I used to fly to the north mentioned strip in our C-140 and have the place all to ourselves. It appeared many years earlier someone had sheep in the area since bunches of wool had been speared on old rusty wire. A decrepit log cabin and small outbuilding was the only other sign of earlier inhabitants. Even then I found California getting too busy and landing there sure beat the traffic in the Bay Area.

Thanks for the update on the new ownership.
 
Check the maps

Negative.
There is NO BLM airstrip on any part of the Loast Coast. The two airstrips that you are referring to are both private. I know both owners and they do not give permission. Do not land at either strip.

There are (2) strips in that area, north and south. BLM maps, which show the BLM & private boundaries, indicate the north strip is mostly private. The south strip is all on BLM land. These maps on on the BLM site and show the boundaries. Take a look.
https://blm-egis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f0da4c7931440a8a80bfe20eddd7550

Things change, maps may not be updated. Fly fish could be correct. However, BLM maps show otherwise.
 
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Let's start here:
The Lost Coast is indeed BLM land. But it is designated as "Wilderness".
Motorized vehicles of any type including aircraft are prohibited in Wilderness designations. Except to access land locked private property within the Federal lands.

The North strip is Big Flat. Most of the strip is actually on BLM. But the private property owners are landlocked thus they may land there to access their property. I personally know the owners. They do not allow any other access.

The South strip is Miller flat. Not sure exactly where BLM and the other privte property are situated. But again. That private property is land locked also, thus the owners there are allowed motorized access to their property. I personally know the owners as well. They also do not alllow any other people accessing their property at Miller flat either.

As you go north you get to the Etters cabin near Spanish flat. I do not know the owners there but they do not fly there. There is a locked gate dirt road that they use to access their property.

Don't just assume you can land on BLM. Not all BLM lands are the same. Wilderness is not open to random aircraft landing.
 
Well, this nice, informative post about Shelter Cove, which looks like a nice place to land and visit (weather dependent, of course) sure took a turn ...........
 
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