Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) is a small business and general aviation airport located in the city of Santa Monica, California. The airport is situated just five miles north of Los Angeles International and eleven miles south of the Van Nuys and Burbank airports. This puts SMO in some the most densely traveled airspace in the country. The Santa Monica Class Delta airspace underlies the Los Angeles Class Bravo. The airspace between the Class Delta and Bravo is utilized for the Special Flight Rules Airspace and others including the LAX “Mini Route.” The airport is also subject to numerous noise abatement procedures. Pilots planning a trip to SMO for the first time are strongly advised to make themselves familiar with all routings, airspace requirements, and noise abatement procedures prior to departing for the airport.

Visit [ Ссылка ] for supplemental "pilot handbook" information on this airport including airport-specific cautions, information local controllers want pilots to know, airport communications, airspace details and other preflight planning resources.

1:38 - The traffic mix at SMO. The airport configuration consists of a single 3,500 foot long runway labeled runway 3-21.

2:18 - When arriving at SMO, there are several VFR reporting points indicated on the VFR Sectional chart that the tower uses extensively.

2:34 - There is a noticeable slope to the runway, with the approach end of Runway 21 being approximately 50 feet higher than the approach end of Runway 3.

2:58 - After landing and while taxing on the airport, be aware that the parallel taxiways extend beyond the thresholds for Runway 21 and Runway 3.

3:15 - SMO run-up area information and cautions.

4:06 - Noise abatement procedures at SMO. For example, departing Runway 21, VFR aircraft are expected to turn left slightly as to pass over the golf course, then direct to the shoreline before turning northbound to leave the area. This is only one example of these procedures, several more can be found on the airport website.

The FAA's From the Flight Deck video series uses aircraft-mounted cameras to capture runway and taxiway footage and combines them with diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items. Learn more at [ Ссылка ].

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