San Diego Bay Tour: A Scenic VFR Flight Through Class B Airspace
The San Diego Bay Tour is a visual feast for pilots and aviation enthusiasts—a low-altitude scenic flight corridor that takes you through one of Southern California's most stunning coastal landscapes. This video follows a real flight using the current 2026 Coronado transition route, which replaced the original Shoreline Transition that closed to general aviation. Rather than a pre-packaged sightseeing helicopter tour, this is a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) corridor designed for private pilots and student pilots who want to navigate complex Class B airspace while enjoying unobstructed views of naval vessels, the city skyline, and iconic landmarks.
The flight departs from nearby airports (in this case, Corona) and uses a carefully plotted route through San Diego's busy Class Bravo airspace. Pilots must make radio calls at specific waypoints, coordinate with North Island Tower and San Diego approach control, and descend to 1,000 feet or below once cleared for the actual bay tour. This experience is ideal for pilots looking to sharpen their airspace navigation skills, build real-world radio communication experience, and see why San Diego aviation is considered world-class.
Key Moments
Key Sights on the San Diego Bay Route
NAS North Island military ramps with active naval aircraft and the historic birthplace of naval aviation (1911)
USS Midway and naval shipyard with massive carriers and vessels stationed in the harbor
Coronado Bridge viewed from directly overhead—a unique perspective of one of Southern California's most recognizable landmarks
San Diego skyline and downtown waterfront, flying at or below 1,000 feet alongside skyscrapers
Point Loma with its military cemetery and scenic overlooks on the western side of the bay
San Diego International Airport (Lindbergh Field) from above and in context with the surrounding bay and marine traffic
Critical Details Before Flying the San Diego Bay Transition
Altitude rules: Maintain 3,300–4,700 feet in the VFR corridor northbound or southbound; descend to 1,000 feet or below only after receiving clearance from North Island Tower
Radio coordination: Contact San Diego Departure or SoCal Approach on the VFR corridor frequency to report position at each checkpoint; then switch to North Island Tower to request bay tour clearance
Flight plan requirements: Avoid Camp Pendleton restricted airspace; check NOTAMs for parachute jump activity near Coronado Bridge (Navy SEALs operate there)
Restricted airspace change: The original route via Shoreline Transition is now closed; the Coronado transition shown here is the current legal alternative
Bay tour clearance: Request "transition approved for the bay at or below 1,000 feet, remain over the water" and report your 180-degree turn at Point Loma
Essential skills: Practice turns around a point and maintain precise altitude control—busting 1,000 feet can result in violations
Frequently Asked Questions About Flying the San Diego Bay Tour
Is this an official sightseeing tour I can book?
No. The San Diego Bay Tour is a VFR corridor for licensed pilots navigating Class B airspace. It is not a commercial sightseeing service. You must be a pilot with access to an aircraft, or you can fly as a passenger with a licensed pilot who is familiar with the current procedures and has current charts and clearance documentation.
Why was the original Shoreline Transition closed?
The video reveals that the original route has been officially shut down by the FAA. The new Coronado transition offers a different approach through the same general area but requires pilots to navigate different altitude restrictions and airspace sectors. Always consult the latest FAA VFR corridor documentation and your CFI, as these routes can change.
What altitude do I fly during the bay tour portion?
Once you receive clearance from North Island Tower, you descend to 1,000 feet or below for the actual bay tour. This low altitude is what makes the views so dramatic and personal—you're flying alongside the USS Midway, over the Coronado Bridge, and around naval vessels at a level that feels intimate with the landscape.
How long does the entire flight take?
The video does not specify a total flight duration. The outbound flight from Corona to the corridor entry point takes several minutes; the bay tour itself (from Point Loma northbound through the bay and back) appears to be roughly 10–15 minutes of the flight shown. Plan for a round-trip flight of at least 1–1.5 hours depending on your departure airport and fuel reserves.
Can I do this flight if I'm a student pilot?
Yes. The video specifically welcomes student pilots as long as they are accompanied by an appropriately rated CFI. The route serves as an excellent real-world briefing on Class B airspace, radio procedures, and low-altitude maneuvering. However, you must first consult with your instructor and ensure you have current endorsements for Class B operations.
A designated low-altitude air route for visual flight rules pilots to pass through controlled Class B airspace while making position reports on radio instead of receiving continuous radar vectors.
Class B airspace
Controlled airspace around major airports where all aircraft must have a transponder and radio communication with air traffic control; the video shows how to navigate it safely at specific altitudes.
North Island Tower
The control tower for Naval Air Station North Island, which grants clearance for the bay tour portion of the flight.
NOTAM
A Notice to Airmen—an alert about temporary hazards like parachute jump activity, weather, or airspace closures that pilots must check before flying.
Bravo airspace
Another name for Class B airspace; the video uses both terms interchangeably when discussing San Diego's controlled zones.
This video is invaluable for any pilot considering the San Diego Bay Tour. It walks you through the entire flight plan, shows real radio calls and clearances, points out the exact airspace pitfalls (like the closed Shoreline route and the parachute jump zone), and demonstrates that the bay tour is still accessible and stunning—even after the original procedure changed. The candid cockpit commentary and on-screen chart overlays make the planning phase tangible rather than abstract.
What impressed me most was the emphasis on checking NOTAMs for the Coronado Bridge jump area and the honest acknowledgment that this route is under pressure and may not remain open indefinitely. If you have a passion for San Diego aviation and access to a general aviation aircraft, this video is a must-watch before you book or fly it yourself.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
The San Diego Bay Transition is the ULTIMATE VFR flight corridor for pilots and aviation enthusiasts in Southern California. In this video, we fly the updated Coronado transition for an unmatched perspective of beautiful San Diego Bay.
Since the original Shoreline Transition is no longer available, this guide covers the radio calls, waypoints and transition points we used to safely navigate the San Diego Class Bravo airspace. Whether you are a student pilot or a seasoned flyer, this is the ultimate pilot briefing for the current 2026 San Diego Bay Tour procedures.
Join us on Patreon for candid airport debriefs and additional content: https://www.patreon.com/OutsideTheCockpit
Key Highlights & Landmarks:
📍NAS North Island: An up-close look at military aircraft on the active ramps
📍USS Midway & Naval Yard: Massive naval ships and carriers stationed in the harbor
📍San Diego Skyline: Fly right alongside the skyscrapers for the incredible views
📍Point Loma & KSAN: Navigating the complex airspace near San Diego International Airport
📍Coronado Bridge: A unique birds-eye view of one of SoCal’s most famous landmarks
Flight Planning & Procedures:
This video demonstrates the current San Diego Bay Transition/Tour path. We have included on-screen overlays showing our exact flight path, the specific radio call locations and the altitude limits for the corridor. Always ensure you have the latest FAA documents and stay in active communication with San Diego Departure or SOCAL Approach while navigating this route.
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DISCLAIMER:
This video is NOT intended to be instructional. We are not CFIs. This video has been edited for brevity and clarity and is for informational purposes only. We are sharing our experience flying into this particular airport. Your experience may vary. When in doubt ask ATC and your CFI.
#SanDiego #generalaviation aviation #scenicviews
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:34 Flight Planning SD Bay Tour
06:08 Flight Views Begin
10:53 San Diego Corridor Southbound Radio Call #1
11:34 San Diego Skyline & Coronado Island
11:50 Flying Over San Diego Int’l Airport
12:11 San Diego Corridor Southbound Radio Call #2
12:33 Coronado Bridge
12:50 North Island
13:22 San Diego Corridor Southbound Radio Call #3
14:52 North Island Tower Radio Call #1
15:46 North Island Tower Radio Call #2
16:13 Cleared Through Bravo
17:59 Flying Over Coronado Bridge & Naval Yard
18:20 San Diego Convention Center
19:10 San Diego Skyline
19:25 USS Midway
19:47 San Diego International Airport
21:03 Shelter Island
21:47 Point Loma
23:36 Do NOT do THIS
24:47 NAS North Island
27:16 Coronado Island
27:52 Over Cornado Bridge
28:05 San Diego Tail Cam
28:57 Mark Your Areas for Climb
29:33 San Diego from High Above
30:14 Coronado Island From High Above
30:40 San Diego Corridor Northbound Radio Call #1
31:03 San Diego Int’l Airport
31:56 San Diego Corridor Northbound Radio Call #2
32:03 Fly This While You Can!
Video transcript for “We Flew the Most Incredible Route Through San Diego Bay (Here's What It's Like)” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
I love this. I never get tired of this. In Southern California, we're lucky to have some of the most beautiful coastlines in the country and today couldn't have been more perfect for one of the must-do Bay Tours. Right before our flight though, we found out the original tour route had officially been
shut down. We realized there was still a way to make it happen. So today, we're showing you how we flew one of the most scenic routes in the country, the San Diego Bay Tour. As always, consult your CFI and check the latest charts because as you can see, routes change all the time.
All right. So like any good pilot, the first thing you have to do is flight plan. So we're going to show you exactly how we flight plan from our home airport of Corona. So here's Corona. And what we're going to do, we usually fly west and head down the 241, staying under the Charlie about 3,000 ft. But
once we get out of the Charlie, we're right here, we can climb up to 3,500 since we're kind of going a little bit east. And for all my pilots out there, you guys know east means odd. Odd plus 500. And so it'll be 3,000 plus 500 ft. So that's why we're doing 3,500. We'll continue south to Dana Point area.
Once we come here, there's one thing we have to make sure we take into consideration and it is this Camp Pendleton airspace. Now, it's a restricted airspace meaning that if it's cold, you can't fly through it. But Alpha, which goes up to 2,000 ft, is pretty much always hot. Delta is
most of the times cold and that's the Delta from 2,000 and above. So if you call ATC just to make sure and they say it's [music] cold, they'll let you fly right through it above 2,000 ft. But we kind of just completely stay out of that airspace altogether. We'll go on these two waypoints and then we'll
continue our trip south. Once again, we're at 3,500. That puts us below the 6,800 in this Bravo. And then here's a little tricky one. This Bravo is between 1,800 ft, 3,200 ft, and 6,800 and 10,000 ft. So, at 3,500 that puts us above 32 and below 68, so we are good to go.
We'll continue onto the next sector of the Bravo, and it's 4,800. Again, that's below where at 3,500, so we are all good. Now, here is where things change. Originally, we used to go this way, come this way, but this route right here is no longer available for us. It is now closed, and
this is why we're doing this video because the San Diego Bay Tour still exists, just different way. So, we're not going to do this way anymore, because as you guys can see, the Bravo there is surface to 10,000 ft. Used to be where you can transition at 500. Unfortunately, that's no longer the
case. But, it's okay. We're going to We're going to find a way to make this work. So, instead of turning to the west, we're going to turn to the east, and we're going to come to this point right here. And now that transitions us to this document provided by the FAA. And this is the VFR corridor in San
Diego. And essentially, that point that we just looked at, that's this point right here. And this route is the one we are allowed to go through. Let's go all the way down here. And it says that it is available for us at altitudes above 3,300 and below 4,700. And what altitude did we say we're
flying at? 3,500. So, we are good to go. The things you have to worry about here are a couple of things. So, the first thing is make sure you are on the frequency to report your position. It's kind of like for any of those who flew the LA special flight rules area, it's the same thing. You go
onto this frequency and you report where you're at. And we're going to fly it again at 3,500. And don't worry for those that don't know about the LA special flight rules, we're going to do a video on that sometime in the future. All right. So then we'll follow this whole route right here. And this is
Coronado Bridge right here. And one of the things that even I wasn't aware of, it was only until a friend afterwards told us about this, thanks Mike, is this jump area right here. Now, why is this important? Because technically it kind of encompasses all of this right here. And so as you guys can see, this route
goes right through it. Now, if you read this document on top, it says occasional parachute jump activity. And allowed in this area, allowed in this area, check notams. So you want to check your notams, make sure there's not anything happening there because Navy SEALs jump there. And he told us a story
about his friend nearly, well, maybe getting a little too close to an aircraft that was transitioning this area right here. So check your notams. All right. So as you guys can see this blue right here, right here, right here, that's the Bravo. Again, we want to stay in these altitudes while we're in here.
We want to stay at at 3,300, above that or below 4,700. So what we want to do is we want to fly all the way out here. Now, at this point we're at 3,500. And we need to start descending because at least the original uh bay tour was at or below 1,000 ft. So you can descend there and while you're
descending, you can call North Island, which is right here. You call them, ask for a clearance to do the bay tour. Then if we get clearance, we'll be able to head up the bay and typically at altitudes at or below 1,000 ft. Then once we hit Point Loma here, we'll do a 180 and head right back.
Again, all this at under 1,000 ft, which is amazing. And then, we'll climb back up again to 3,500, really 4,500 since we're going to start going west. Then, we'll reverse course returning the exact same way we came, making sure we make our position reporting calls. So, we are about 5 mi north of Mount
Soledad. So, Irene's already put in the frequency for the VFR corridor. So, once we get there, we're ready to switch over. Then, after that, we'll set up the North Island's uh frequency so we can call them as soon as we start our descent past the Bravo. One thing I want to make a note of is
trying to keep uh SoCal approach in this sector on your active until you get to the VFR corridor. If for whatever reason they need to contact you, at least uh they can. Um again, they weird things happen and they might uh reach out to you and be like, "Do you hear us? I need you to get out of the way for
whatever reason." And so, we have that as our active right now until we get over the corridor. >> For uniform SoCal approach, radar contact 123.014. >> 3014 14 uniform. >> SoCal departure 660 is 24 climbing 15. >> 660 SoCal departure contact. >> Oh, there it is. You can see all of the
>> I know. >> 83 Charlie fighting 350. >> 350 83 Charlie. >> Delta 1645 connect LA Center 128.6. >> Cessna 14 uniform turn right heading 350 cleared through the landing go-around space. >> Right 350 uh cleared through Bravo 14 uniform. >> United 465 connect LA center 128.6
>> 128.6 United 465 thanks. >> 500 my go proceed direct Padres >> direct Padres 500 my go
>> Departure score 3194 1400 coming via the set >> 3194 second departure ready captain >> Southwest 4012 connect LA center 132.85 >> 3285 see you later Southwest 4012 >> As soon as we make our
>> 140 uniform is a navigation >> Our check >> Southbound >> That will switch over >> Southwest 2366 delete speed restriction >> 2366 >> Give me a rate 3 Charlie climate change 6000 >> 6000 82 trailer
>> All right. San Diego Corridor traffic, Air 1903, Magna Hotel. >> Uh is north of Key Found heading southbound 3,500, San Diego.
>> Uh San Diego quarter traffic 190390 Hotel 3500 southbound on the 27 approach of Lindbergh. San Diego
San Diego quarter traffic 190390 Hotel over Coronado Bridge, southbound 3,500 San Diego.
North Island Tower, 8190390 Hotel. >> 80390 Hotel North Island Tower, altimeter 3012 circle. >> 3012 and 390 Hotel is about 5 mi to the east. We'd like to request a bay tour to the west side of Point Loma and then doing a 180 back to the south. >> 390 Hotel ident.
>> Ident 390 Hotel. >> 80390 Hotel I don't observe the descend down to 1,000 and report one level. >> Okay, descend to 1,000 and we'll report one level 390 Hotel.
North Island Tower 1190390 Hotel 1,000 ft. >> 390 Hotel your transition is approved for the bay at or below 1,000 remain over the water. >> Transition approved for the bay at or below 1,000 and remain over the water 390 Hotel.
>> 390 Hotel you're clear to enter the class Bravo airspace westbound via the bay and report you 180 at Point Loma. >> We are approved into the Delta and 180 at Point Loma 390 Hotel. >> 390 Hotel the last transmission was for Bravo clearance in the channel there's a special Bravo section you're clear
through that. >> We are cleared into the Bravo for the channel 390 Hotel, thank you.
>> Hi guys, we're going into the uh into the bay officially. And one of the cool things we found out, in case you guys um are wondering or ever wondered why they call North Island if it's kind of not an island. Uh we looked up this morning and at one point a portion of the just west of the actual military base, it
used to just be water. So, it used to be the Coronado Island and then it used to be um North Island. And uh and after World War II, they filled it in and so now it's one solid mass piece and again, technically it's not an island because there's like a sliver of land that connects it to the
mainland. But at one point, if you guys look um some old pictures of the uh naval base, there was water and it was surrounded it was completely surrounded by water. >> Yeah, I think it was called the Spanish Bight. >> The Spanish Bight, that's right. >> B I G H T >> Yep. Yeah. >> And
North Island is considered the birthplace of naval aviation. >> That's crazy. >> So, the first seaplane flight ever was conducted here in 1911. >> Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, really? >> Yeah. >> I think it's obvious that this is a
military uh region. Especially the Navy. Then we got the Marines with the Marine uh depot just north Oh, just like at uh Lindbergh, right? >> Yeah. >> Just north of Lindbergh, right there, connected, right adjacent to it. >> And we have the Coast Guard right here, too, right? >> And we have the Coast Guard. So.
It's why we love San Diego. It's cuz all military. But, this is beautiful. Oh my god. As I tell you guys, this is a still available. >> Well, obviously we had our fingers crossed. So. If you have access to a plane and you guys have always wanted to do it do it cuz we don't know how long this
will be here. But, we got lucky today. >> We did. >> Beautiful day.
So cool. >> I know. I love this. I never get tired of this. >> And don't worry, guys. We're going to do 180 and we're going to show you the other side. You get to see everything today. When I first brought Irene here, she she fell in love with this flight. >> This was the second time or the second
flight I think that I fell in love with aviation. The first one was the night flight and the second one was here. >> It was a night flight over LA special flight rules over LAX. Yeah. I remember when I first did this I was so nervous. But as you guys can see, it's it's not it's not that hard.
Honestly, the original route that is now closed was probably more complicated than this. And there is a lot of sailboats today. And to our right, which is to the west, we have a view of probably one of the most beautiful places for a uh military cemetery, right? >> Yeah, Point Loma.
>> Point Loma. It's beautiful. It's Yeah. Well deserved for all those uh service members, that's for sure. >> And for those of you who don't know, it is a park, so you can go in there and actually walk around and hike. They have some amazing views from the ground there. >> Right.
>> You can actually watch military planes come in sometimes if you're lucky. >> Oh my god, we did that. That was awesome.
>> If you guys haven't practiced points around or turns around a point, probably a good time to do that cuz you'll be definitely be doing that here. Got to maintain that altitude. You don't want to bust a thousand feet and have a phone number to call. And one of the main things that they
tell you here is do not if there are any ships in the in the bay, do not fly over them. >> Arrow 39 Hotel, your choice is to enter class Bravo airspace eastbound up here at the base. >> All right, we are cleared to the Bravo eastbound for the base turn, 39 Hotel. Thank you.
>> So, two other significant milestones occurred here at North Island. One being the first aerial refueling. >> Ooh. >> And the second being the first transcontinental flight originated from here. And I want to say that was in 1923.
And the airfield that was here before was called Rockwell. >> Oh. >> And it was actually opened by Glenn Curtis. >> Oh, okay. >> Of Curtis Wright. >> Oh. There's a lot of history here. >> There's a lot.
>> [music]
>> So, yeah, I think the space right here >> Right. >> where the ramp ends and where the silver strand starts, which is technically Coronado South back in the day, I think this space in between here was all water. >> Got it. Yeah, and I think they had a bridge, right, to connect it.
>> They did. They had like a sand like a little strip of sand that had a bridge. And then they filled it in and they made it mostly part of Naval Air Station North Island. Crazy.
>> November 39er Hotel, frequency change approved today. >> Frequency change approved. Thanks for letting us do that. 39er Hotel.
>> Yeah, one of the things I recommend for you guys is mark your area that you can actually do your climb in. It helped me tremendously right now. I was like, "Okay, just stay out of that airspace." cuz there's a lot of lines and uh airspaces to keep track of, but if you just mark it uh yourself, which
obviously I'll show you probably on the screen right now. Uh it makes it really easy for you guys to determine what areas are fair game for your climb.
San Diego VFR corridor traffic, everyone in at 3, now at 4,500 on the approach end of 27 for Lindbergh.
San Diego via parkway or traffic area 390 hotel departing to the north last call San Diego. >> So that's it. That's all there is to it. Again, it's very sad that the original route was removed. We really enjoyed that one because we got to get really low really fast. >> Approach runway 27905 4,000
>> And uh And you know, it is what it is. Um Once again, we implore you guys to just come out here and do this while it's available. As you guys can see, North Island is very friendly. And uh It still exists. The bay tour still exists just in another form. And unfortunately, I think it's probably
the final form, right? >> I think so. >> Yeah, so this is the only way to do it right now. But, you felt like it was a little bit easier. >> I did, and I'm actually glad that we were able to still able to stay under a thousand, so you can still get close and get those really good views.
>> that was your biggest concern, right? >> Yeah, it was. >> Yeah, because it is all about getting that low. So, um we hope you guys like this. A little bit different, but we only did this cuz a lot of you guys asked for this actually, right? >> Yeah. >> So, it was like, "Okay, we might as well
do it." And who knew it would be something that we were not expecting. >> Not at all. >> Um but, that's what happens in aviation. Sometimes you lose stuff, but you make the best out of it and you find a way. >> That's right. >> Found a way. >> He did. >> We showed you guys. All right, guys. So,
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