Lesson D3 1:32 18 of 26
The small symbols that mark parachute, glider, hang glider and aerobatic activity near Salinas.
The video plays from YouTube. FAA San Francisco Sectional, effective 29 OCT 2026. Not for navigation.
Some flying activities have no drawn boundary. The chart marks them with a small symbol, and the legend explains each one. A parachute marks a parachute jumping area. Near Salinas you can find five: near Spreckels, at Marina, two near Watsonville, and near Tres Pinos. The Chart Supplement lists each one. The drop zone near Spreckels is active daily, from 5 in the morning to 7 at night, up to 18,000 feet MSL.
At airports without a tower, jump pilots announce their jumps on the CTAF. Listen for those calls, and keep a sharp lookout. A G in a diamond marks glider operations. You can find one at Watsonville and one at Hollister. An H marks hang glider activity. This one is near Marina.
An A marks an aerobatic practice area. One sits beside the H, and another west of Hollister. The Supplement says to avoid the area west of Hollister below 3,000 feet, from sunrise to sunset. Near King City, a boxed note warns of intensive aerobatic activity. The Supplement says to avoid it and check NOTAMs.
The magenta diamond labeled speedway is an intermittent TFR site. During an event, a temporary flight restriction can cover 3 miles around it, up to 3,000 feet AGL. The chart gives no schedule for these areas. Check NOTAMs and the Chart Supplement before you fly.
Before you fly, check the current chart, the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.
A discovery flight is actual flight training with a certified flight instructor at the Salinas Airport. Your hands on the controls, with the chart on your knee.
