Having fun with the new ride- this afternoon my wife and I took a flight up the coast of Santa Cruz towards an airstrip called Las Trancas.



The airstrip is charted as private use but the people over at RAF have made it accessible to GA via a waiver on their website. It was pretty breezy and I wasn't sure we would be able to make it in, but after a low approach it seemed feasible. The strip is roughly 800ft according to RAF, with cliffs on three of four sides. The popular kiteboarding spot Waddell Creek is just off the end of runway 32, there were seven or eight kiters out and it must have been blowing over 20kts. I'm particularly excited to pack my kite gear into the Maule and make a day of it one weekend!

The airstrip on downwind-


Short final from passenger side-


Departure end of 32, picture taken standing on the gravel portion of the runway. Note the kiters-

That’s a great strip and somewhat advanced. Gotta watch the burbles, quick 30 degree wind shifts and shear. They have removed a lot of the ice plant recently so it is much better about not catching a wheel. There have been lots of mishaps so stay on your toes (literally) there.

Great photos.

Nice!