Myself along with 9 other pilots and their families, all from various locations throughout…read moreCalifornia landed at Westover-Amador Airport (KJAQ) this past Sunday (10-27-13) for a Fly-In Pizza Lunch. Landing was a bit tricky since the the common use runway (19) has a 18 degree uphill slope. Once on the ground, I found the parking had plenty of tie down chains for aircraft. The grounds, taxiway and runway also seemed to be very well maintained and manicured. Thank you Dave Sheppard for that. The airport doesn't have a FBO per-say but, there is an indoor business center that host a flight school, clean restrooms, a sitting area and a decent soda machine. Fuel prices on Sunday were $5.30 a gallon for 100LL which was great. There's also a nice grass area with three large picnic tables just outside the business centers doors which can easily accommodate 30 persons. If your ever in the mood for some really good pizza. I recommend flying into Westover and ordering from a place called Pizza Plus which is located about two miles away in Sutter Creek (http://www.yelp.com/biz/pizza-plus-sutter-creek). They will deliver to the airport at no extra charge and the pizza is amazingly good. Thanks Noel (Pizza Plus Manager) for taking the time to accommodate our group. If you plan on visiting the airport and having pizza for lunch at Pizza Plus, I'd suggest (if you have a bluetooth headset) calling in your order about 20 NM before you land. Good pizza takes a minute but, great pizza, especially if it's delivered takes forever.

It's a great little airport, very small, but with a really fun annual community event that includes…read morefree rides for kids. My son has flown in here and in taking off and landing with him flying I did sort of question the location a bit. Unfortunately the landing strip is very near a main road and I've noticed several times coming down that road in cars when a plane is landing can be something of a harrowing experience. Aside from that, and though it has very few amenities, it has many fans here in Amador County, and I guess I'm one although I'd like to see it in a different location, not surrounded by the largest stores in the county.

Excellent event: https://fathersdayflyin.org/ Well run (in…read morethe middle of) California, Tuolumne County Columbia Airport. Short walk to historical (no cars allowed) Columbia, CA gold town. Also best breakfast, lunch in the county is just a short walk from landing at Mandy's Cafe.

Oscar 22 (Columbia) is my absolute favorite municipality airport to fly-in to. Located just 52…read morenautical miles (30 minutes) from Tracy, it's a fast day trip to make. The airports runway and grounds are well kept and the staff at both the FBO and restaurant have been friendly and helpful each time I've gone. Once you're on the ground, a short walk on a nature trail will lead you to the historical gold rush mining town at Columbia State Park. There, you will find places to eat and shop and if you bring young children (or maybe old ones), they'll have a blast panning for gold. Make sure you try the home-made ice cream and the town's home brewed root beer. Before you depart the airport, make sure to check your weights & balances and the weather. The density altitude leaving could be hazardous to your health.

Perfect little airport…read more The Stockton Metro Airport might just be the most convenient airport there is. If you drive yourself there, you will see two large parking lots where they offer paid overnight parking. There are plenty of spots available so there is no need to arrive extremely early to hunt for an open spot. There is a kiosk inside where you can conveniently pay for parking when you wait for your belongings at baggage claim. This is definitely not an airport where you have to follow the general rule of showing up two hours early. I have shown up less than 30 minutes from boarding time and made it to the gate with plenty of time to spare. If you do decide to come early and have daytime/early evening flight, you can stop by the small restaurant for a bite. Since the only flights out of STK Airport are to Phoenix and Las Vegas, the majority of travelers don't check a bag. This makes the bag check line super short and quick. The TSA line also goes by super quickly. There is only one agent to check IDs, but there is never any hold up. Even through the government shutdown, I experienced no TSA delays. For travelers with TSA Pre-Check, you'll likely be the only person in line and will get through even quicker. It only takes a few moments to get through the security clearance before you're greeted by a large waiting area and bar. The waiting area by the gates is quite spacious. Right before the flight boards, it can get quite packed but there are typically still seats available. The intercom system is awful. It sounds like static. If you pay attention or sit closer to the gate, it shouldn't be an issue though. The bar is the perfect addition, especially before Vegas flights. Many people taking that weekend night flight to Vegas uses the bar as a pre-game for their night out. Don't expect to sleep on those flights, they're super rowdy! The drinks at the airport bar are typical for airport prices. We got three drinks for $27. The bar, of course, is limited on what they can make due to their few ingredients. My margarita was made with mixer and had nothing on the rim. Despite being super busy, the bartender got the drinks out super fast. He ran that bar by himself like the military and with style. He slid the drinks across the bar top giving everyone a little show too. Because the departing flight is directly dependent on the flight coming in, there are sometimes small flight delays. They have to deboard everyone and do a quick pass through to let everyone else on which can take a while. Despite what you may think about Allegiant Airlines itself, this is a fantastic airport, especially for those wanting a weekend getaway or a connection to a larger airport.

Tiny airport, but it's clean and efficient, and it gets the job done! Currently, only Allegiant…read moreflies to SCK to/from Las Vegas and Phoenix. The airport is extremely quiet as the only people ever here are those deplaning or waiting to board the departing flight. There is no need to arrive here too early as the check-in process and TSA security process take mere minutes. Remember, the only people here are the ones on your same flight! I'd recommend bringing your own food to the airport, as there aren't many options. There's a restaurant/bar/coffee shop outside security, as well as a bar inside the gate area. There are also vending machines scattered throughout. Boarding and deplaning are done via air stairs on the tarmac, so if there is inclement weather, you will be subjected to it! We got wet because it was raining upon arrival! If you're a visitor, keep in mind that there is no car rental facility located at this airport, so you will have to go either downtown or to the Stockton Auto Mall to pick-up a rental car. The only rideshare service authorized to pick-up here is Lyft. When we arrived around 10 PM, it took a while to get a Lyft to pick us up, likely due to the low volume of drivers at night. So plan accordingly!

SMF Airport -- Sacramento International…read more SMF is one of those airports where you really never know what you're gonna get . Some days it feels like the entire Sacramento region decided to travel at the exact same time. Other days? It's so quiet and peaceful you almost forget you're at an airport. Those slow days hit different -- pull up, no traffic madness, barely anybody around, and you can actually breathe for a second. Now let's talk about the terminals... Terminal B vs. Terminal A is a whole different personality. Terminal B feels way more intimate and laid-back once you're inside. It doesn't have that same nonstop hustle and bustle, and honestly, on a slower day it can be pretty relaxing. Terminal A, though? That place feels like an airport and a shopping center had a baby. You've got people everywhere, shops, restaurants, travelers coming and going -- it's ACTIVE. There's always something happening. But here's my one issue with Terminal B... the pickup security does NOT play! If you're picking up family or friends and they're taking their sweet time getting outside, you better be ready to keep it moving. They seem way more aggressive about handing out tickets for sitting around too long compared to Terminal A. You can practically feel them watching like, "Are they coming out or are y'all planning to move in?" Overall though, I actually like SMF. It can definitely get hectic, but when you catch one of those quiet days, it's honestly one of the more chill airports to be around. Terminal B gets my vote for the calmer vibe, while Terminal A gets the award for "Everybody and their cousin is here today." Sacramento travelers know EXACTLY what I mean.

It has been awhile since I've been in the terminal with Southwest Airlines and the food and drink…read morescene has gotten a major upgrade! Some great local Sacramento standouts now have a location at this terminal. I got to try Nixtaco for the first time. No need to travel to Roseville just to try them. I'll do a separate review for them. I also saw Temple Coffee and I've always been a huge fan of their coffee. Bawk is another local favorite and I'll try that next time. Can't go wrong with Pizza so I'm sure I'll give Onespeed a try too. I've always loved how efficient and easy it is to navigate SMF. Now I'm really impressed with all of the local favorites they have brought in. Great way to make out airport standout. Kudos too who,ever was in charge of bringing in more independent local restaurants.

I flew into Modesto this past Saturday to take advantage of the $6 dollar breakfast put on by the…read moreCommemorative Air Force. After being handed off by NORCAL and switching to Modesto's Control Tower, I thought I was in the wrong place. The air traffic communications were nasty with noise and chatter from pilots in seek of their $6 breakfast and who were looking to land at Modesto. If I hadn't know any better, I would have thought I was flying into a Class "Charlie" Airport. After getting clearance to land, taxi and park. I secured my plane and enjoyed the always delicious breakfast put on by the folks at the CAF. When I was ready to depart, I had to hold short for approximately 15 minutes so ATC could clear out all the other aircraft who were looking to land and depart. While waiting, I couldn't help but think how great the controllers at Modesto were doing with all the air traffic communications bombarding them. Without missing a beat, they were keeping up with in-bound, out-bound, taxi and hold-shorts like the pro's at bigger airports do. If no one else tells them, the guys working ATC at Modesto's Tower on Saturday, January 12, 2013 Rocked!

The The Central California Valley Squadron (CCVS), puts on a breakfast every 2nd Saturday of the…read moremonth. The$7.00 they charge is well worth it. You get your choice of eggs...over easy, scrambled or scrambled with ham and peppers. (My favorite) choice of 2 pancakes...plane ( get it? Ha ha) , pecan or chocolate chip. Bacon, biscuit with gravy, campfire beans and a fruit cup. They have regular and sugar free syrup on hand and coffee, water and o.j. for your choice to drink. Check out the planes, the museum and chat with new friends. A awsome way to start a Saturday if you ask me. Check out the website https://www.cafvalleysquadron.org for more information. I found out about this from a friend and have been every month since. Everyone is welcome and this is a great place to make new friends. Super welcoming!

A short 45 minute flight takes me to Columbia Airport, one of the few airports in California that…read morehas both paved and grass runways. There is usually someone ministering the Unicom to let you know the conditions. They have a courtesy car which you can drive into town, but the walk into town is much nicer. There is a flight school at the airport, gas is fairly priced and there is a well worn bench for Airport Bums. Right next to the grass runway is a campground with hot showers. A great destination!

Sister bonding trip to wrap up Summer break! What better way than to have a helicopter ride…read moretogether! The airport was clean and lobby was comfortable. "Helicopter Tour" sign was easy to find and our pilot, Levi was waiting for us. Levi was friendly and accommodating! We all want to go back for another ride! Highly recommend!

We stopped for lunch at Flight Deck . We're locals and it was our first time. What a great remodel!…read moreThe food is excellent too. We ordered the Large House Salad and Loaded Steak Sandwich with waffles fries. Our waitress Zoe friendly and attentive. The view is beautiful! Enjoyed watching planes land & take off. Definitely will return.

What a fabulous place. Went to Capital Airshow. Being…read moreable to walk the tarmac and view all the flying birds.

While still a functioning airport, this is the place known by locals more as the "airshow" airport…read more Every year, at least before COVID, you would come here to see an impressive display of flying might and the famous Blue Angels, who always delighted me with their incredible air maneuvers. I haven't been back in two years (again, blame COVID) but I remember this both as the place I have always enjoyed personally and then again through the eyes of my son. They bring in some impressive aircraft from across decades for the airshows. You can walk on the tramac, learn about the planes and even sit inside the cockpits if you're lucky. As I said, this is also an actual airport. It started strictly as a military setup but now businesses regularly shuttle in employees and land their jets here. A lot of private pilots, like those flying little cessnas, stop in here as well. Whatever the reason to visit, it's the kind of place you go if you love airplanes like I do.

Had a great experience flying here for the first time, two runways, everything is easily…read moreidentifiable, and the cafe on the field is a huge plus! If you've never landed here, try it!

A friend of mine brings me something from San Jose by a small single-engine airplane and told me he…read morewill fly to Auburn the day before and landed in Lodi Airport on the way back to San Jose. So I come here to meet him on a Saturday morning. This little airport is located right next to Hwy99. Very easy to get in and out. Very convenient! They have a cafe/restaurant right at the entrance but closed due to the COVID-19 situation. I think I will try them out next time when I'm there again. The airport doesn't have very high security like the big commercial airport. I can walk in the aircraft apron without any problem. Parking is so easy. The parking lot is in front of the airport entrance and it is empty.