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Each airport in the National Airspace System has unique and distinct characteristics
which can sometimes lead pilots to use the wrong surface in taxi takeoff or landing
operations. Let's take a look at some of these tricky areas From the Flight Deck.
Ramona is a small, primarily general aviation airport located just west of the city of Ramona,
California. The airport is surrounded by higher terrain, and this leads to some communication
issues when pilots try to contact the tower too far out. This is commonly encountered
with aircraft departing the Lake Wolford area approximately nine miles northwest of the airport.
Waiting a few more miles before calling the tower may help avoid this issue.
A good rule of thumb might be if you are having difficulty hearing the Aegis broadcast, you may
have issues contacting the tower. On the other hand, Ramona has associated class Delta airspace,
which you must be in contact prior to entering. This airspace also underlies the San Diego class
Bravo and pilots should review operating requirements prior to departing home base.
While Ramona is primarily a general aviation airport, it also has a large firefighting
operation located there, as well during fire season the airport becomes home for all types
of firefighting aircraft from single-engine piston-powered all the way to heavy jets.
This can dramatically increase the traffic volume and complexity at the airport. Tower
will discontinue pattern work and practice approaches during these operations. Pilots
are advised of this via the Aetus broadcast. There is also a robust helicopter community
both civil and military along with several flight schools located on the field. This wide variety
of aircraft capability and pilot experience makes R&M an exciting place to work and fly.
The single runway labeled runway niner 27 is bounded on the north side by a full-length
parallel taxiway. While the majority of services and ramps are located north of the runway,
there is one FBO on the south side. As noted on the airport diagram, transient parking is
located adjacent to the tower. The large Cal fire ramp is between the two north side fbo's.
The numerous helicopter operations being conducted at the airport can be found along the west end of
taxiway alpha and south of the runway. There have been incidents in which pilots beginning
their taxi for departure enter taxiway alpha before they contact ground control.
The line between non-movement and movement area is well marked and pilots are reminded
that they must have the appropriate ATC clearance before crossing this line.
When departing runway 27, there is a well-marked designated run-up area.
Once in the area and finished with your run-up. contact the tower for further clearance.
At the other end of the airport there is no designated run-up area for runway. Niner
Pilots will sometimes utilize taxiway alpha between alpha 4 and alpha 5 to accomplish
this. This can and does create a bottleneck situation for aircraft taxiing for departure.
If you wish to avoid this situation, ask the tower and they will suggest alternate locations.
Even at an airport this size, hold short line incursions do occur. Complete understanding
of your taxi clearance including route turns and hold short instructions before you begin to taxi
and then continual scanning outside the aircraft for markings and above ground signage while
taxiing will go a long way in preventing this type of error. Being aware of the
potential hazards and other configuration issues at Ramona will help pilots make better decisions
and along with the ATC tower keep the operation safe and efficient. We hope this short video
helps you prepare for your trip to the Ramona airport. It's always better to know before you go.
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