The San Luis Obispo Chapter is proud to offer the Central Coast Sky Tour. The Sky Tour is a guide to flying the remarkably beautiful central coast area of California. The clear air and spectacular scenery make the central coast a wonderful area to fly. Arguably it offers some of the best flying in California, but there are some airspace issues that might discourage pilots from sightseeing.

The eight-page full color 8.5 by 11 inch pamphlet has a centerfold chart. It includes a guide to negotiating the local military airspace and restricted areas along with descriptions of the local airfields. There are descriptions and aerial photos of points of interest that are identified on the chart. Three suggested routes are marked on the chart, two to the north of different lengths and one to the south. Each offers a one to two hour tour. California pilots could fly in, fly one of the tours, stopping along the way for lunch at one of the airport restaurants, and head home the same day. Others from farther away could stay at the Radisson Hotel at the Santa Maria Airport or other local hotels and make a day or two of flying the area.

We want to encourage people to come and explore the central coast by air. It offers another excuse to fly and encourages general aviation.

The project is a fund-raiser for chapter activities, primarily to support a flight instruction scholarship honoring Wanda Strassburg, a founding member of our chapter and a mentor to many pilots in our area.

The Central Coast Sky Tour is available as a thank you gift for donations of $10 or more. Donations are fully tax-deductible, as all the production cost has been donated as well.

Happily, this project won the trophy for innovative ideas at the Southwest section 99s meeting in Santa Maria in May 2007 .

If you would like a copy of the Central Coast Sky Tour to fly the central coast or to inspire your chapter to develop a sky tour of your area, send a check for $10 or more to the SLO Ninety-Nines, P.O. Box 5214, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403.

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