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French Valley (F70): The Perfect SoCal Training Airport Day Trip

French Valley Airport (F70), between Murrieta and Temecula, is one of the best training destinations within easy reach of Redlands. It's about 31 nautical miles almost due south of Redlands Municipal (KREI), with a long runway, a straightforward non-towered pattern, and Temecula's wine country nearby. It's short enough for a lesson and interesting enough to plan carefully.

The airport

• Elevation: 1,350 feet
• Runway 18/36: 6,000 by 75 feet, asphalt
• Traffic pattern: left traffic for Runway 18 and right traffic for Runway 36, so the pattern is on the east side of the field
• CTAF and UNICOM: 122.8
• Lights: runway edge lights, runway end identifier lights and PAPIs at both ends, all pilot-controlled on 122.8
• Fuel: 100LL and Jet A
• Instrument approach: RNAV (GPS) Runway 18

The FAA's airport remarks note noise-sensitive areas around the airport, recommend climbing at best rate of climb to pattern altitude before departing the pattern, and list Runway 18 as the calm-wind runway.

The route from Redlands

The direct line from Redlands to French Valley runs south over Moreno Valley and Perris, and it passes about 6 nautical miles east of March Air Reserve Base. March is surrounded by Class C airspace, so depending on your altitude, that line takes you under or through it. You have two good options:

• Talk to approach. Establish two-way radio communication with March Approach before entering the Class C, or SoCal Approach when March is closed. Flight following makes this easy and gives you traffic advisories over a busy area.
• Route around it. Plan a course east of the Class C, or stay below the floor of its outer shelf. Check the current sectional for the boundaries and floors before you go.

Lake Perris makes a good checkpoint on the way south, and the terrain along the route is modest, but give the hills around the lake and the valley edges their due.

Remember that March is a military field. Civil aircraft need prior permission to land there, and civil touch-and-goes aren't allowed, so it's a landmark, not an alternate.

Why French Valley is worth the trip

• A long, wide runway. At 6,000 feet, it's a comfortable place to practice landings without worrying about running out of pavement.
• A real non-towered pattern. You may share it with anything from trainers to business jets, which is good practice in announcing your position and fitting in.
• Variety close to home. It's a different airport environment from Redlands, about half an hour away in a Cessna 172.
• Something at the end. The Temecula Valley wine country is a short drive from the airport, for when you're carrying passengers rather than practicing.

In the pattern

With the pattern on the east side for both runways, enter as you would at home: listen first, announce on 122.8, and fit in. Follow the FAA's advice to climb to pattern altitude at best rate before leaving the pattern, and keep departures quiet over the surrounding neighborhoods.

Add Hemet-Ryan

Hemet-Ryan (KHMT) is about 11 nautical miles north-northeast of French Valley and about 22 from Redlands, so it's easy to add as a second stop. It's a Cal Fire air attack base, and the FAA notes air tanker activity from May through November, with firefighting aircraft flying their own pattern, plus glider and ultralight activity on the north side of the airport. The CTAF is 123.0.

Making it a training flight

French Valley works well for:

• Short-field and soft-field landing practice on a long runway
• Non-towered pattern work at an unfamiliar field
• Navigation practice with pilotage and radio work with March or SoCal Approach
• Practicing a GPS approach with an instructor or safety pilot

It doesn't count as cross-country time for a private, commercial or instrument certificate, because it's less than 50 nautical miles from Redlands (14 CFR 61.1). If you need cross-country time, continue to an airport beyond 50 nautical miles, such as Oceanside or Carlsbad, and make French Valley a stop on the way.

Before you go

• Check NOTAMs and TFRs, including fire activity in season.
• Plan your route around or through March's Class C, and know which approach control to call.
• Brief the pattern, the calm-wind runway and the noise-sensitive areas.
• Work out density altitude on hot days.

Cornerstone Flight Academy rents a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 150 at Redlands Municipal Airport. Call or text (909) 330-4748, or visit flycornerstone.com.

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