Lesson E2 1:15 21 of 26
Wind turbine symbols near Gonzales and Soledad, and wind turbine farms near Livermore.
The video plays from YouTube. FAA San Francisco Sectional, effective 29 OCT 2026. Not for navigation.
Wind turbines have their own symbol: a tower with three blades. In the Salinas Valley, single turbines stand near Gonzales and Soledad. They show the same two numbers as other obstacles. Near Gonzales, the tallest turbine reaches 572 feet MSL and stands 449 feet above the ground.
Near Soledad, the tallest turbines stand 499 feet above the ground. Where many turbines stand together, the chart draws a wind turbine farm. One farm sits east of Livermore. A dotted blue line outlines the farm. A boxed number gives the MSL elevation of its highest turbine.
Here the box reads 1,772 feet MSL. If the highest turbine is not verified, UC follows the number. The next farm south reads 2,296 UC. That elevation is measured to a blade tip pointing straight up. Turbine lights sit on top of the hub, not on the blades. The blade tips are not lit. In some cases they reach 200 to 300 feet above the lights.
At night, plan to clear the blade tips, not the lights.
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.
