A small towered field: Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a small airport, but it has a control tower, like Salinas. It has one runway, Runway 13-31. Its size label says 2441 X 70. That is less than half the length and half the width of Runway 8-26 at Salinas.

So before you go, check your airplane's takeoff and landing distances against 2,441 feet. Near the Runway 31 end, a label points to the run-up area. Stop there for your before-takeoff check. The ACS says to position the airplane for the wind and for other aircraft.

At a towered field, stay on the ground control frequency for the taxi and the run-up, unless told otherwise. Then call the tower when you are ready. Two other labels show where airplanes park: transient parking and tie-down areas. The AIM says transient parking is for visitors, like you on a flight from Salinas. At some airports, a yellow sign points the way.

It lists a tie-down area as parking for based airplanes, the ones that stay at this airport. The Chart Supplement warns of people and vehicles on the aircraft taxi lanes. Watch for them as you taxi in. Before you fly to a new airport, find its runway size, run-up area, and parking on the diagram.

Next, airports with parallel runways.