It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and nobody was flying. My open-cockpit biplane, a Great Lakes 2T-1A-1, was just the answer for a relaxing start to the day. It’s a great airplane for sightseeing. It flies low and slow, and turns on a dime. I departed Montgomery Airport (KMYF) in San Diego and put down at nearby Gillespie Field (KSEE) for a delicious cheese omelet. When I departed, it was still a ghost town; the Gillespie controller even offered an intersection departure on the perpendicular runway, just for fun. I departed into the clear, gorgeous empty sky. What could possibly go wrong?
An Alpha Male Flirts with Bravo Airspace on a Sightseeing Excursion
Key Takeaways:
- A pilot, confident in his GPS, flew his biplane near San Diego's Class Bravo airspace, believing he was legally compliant and clear of the boundaries.
- Despite not technically violating the airspace, air traffic control (ATC) had to divert an inbound airliner because the pilot was flying uncommunicated towards an active approach path, raising safety concerns.
- The pilot learned that even when legally compliant near controlled airspace, communicating intentions to ATC is crucial to prevent disruptions, ensure safety, and avoid causing unnecessary stress and cost.
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