Other obligations notwithstanding, I may travel sporadically and for short time periods to the Santa Paula Airport (SZP), in the small agricultural town of Santa Paula, CA, during the winter months.

How do I get to Santa Paula?
By Airlines: Check for flights into LAX, Burbank, or Santa Barbara airports.

By Car:

• From LAX (90 minutes) – Take the 405 Freeway (Santa Monica Freeway) Northbound, to the 101 Freeway (Ventura Freeway) North/Westbound, to the 126 Freeway (Santa Paula Freeway) Eastbound. Exit the 126 Freeway at Palm Avenue. Turn right at the stop sign, then left onto Santa Maria Street. Follow Santa Maria Street to the parking lot.
• From Burbank (60 minutes) – Take the 210 Freeway Westbound, to the 5 Freeway Northbound, to the 126 Freeway (Ventura Freeway) Westbound. Exit the 126 Freeway at Palm Avenue. Turn left at the stop sign, then left onto Santa Maria Street. Follow Santa Maria Street to the parking lot.
• From Santa Barbara (50 minutes) – Take the 101 Freeway Southbound, to the 126 Freeway (Santa Paula Freeway) Eastbound. Exit the 126 Freeway at Palm Avenue. Turn right at the stop sign, then left onto Santa Maria Street. Follow Santa Maria Street to the parking lot.
• Note: You can also take the Roadrunner Shuttle van service round-trip door-to-door from any of the above airports to your hotel in Santa Paula or Ventura. For rates and other information, contact Roadrunner at 800-247-7919.

By small airplane: See FlightCentral’s AFD for Santa Paula Airport.

If I fly in, where can I park my airplane?
Transient tie-downs are available at mid-field, east of the Chevron fuel island. Tie-down fee is a few dollars per night. If you prefer – and if space is available – I can look into hangaring your airplane elsewhere, subject to availability and price.

Are there local accommodations?
Santa Paula has a few places from which to choose. This one is a few blocks from the airport and many pilots choose to stay there: Santa Paula Inn (bed and breakfast), 805-933-0011. This one is also a few blocks from the airport: Glen Tavern Inn(historical landmark), 805-933-5550.

If you prefer to stay along the coast, see Ventura, CA.

Can I rent a car in Santa Paula?
Contact Enterprise Rent-a-Car at 805-933-0068 (if no answer, or if in Ventura, call 805-485-0088). Arrange to have them meet you when you arrive at your hotel or at CP Aviation here on the airport.

What’s the weather like there?
The weather is generally nice (i.e., flyable) year-round. Winter temperatures range from 40 to 65 degrees F with clear skies; summer temperatures generally range from 65 to 90 degrees F with hazy sunshine. The rainy season is usually late January thru March; however, rain is typically shower activity, allowing us still to be able to get most of our flights accomplished. June and July can be foggy in the morning, usually burning off by around 10:00 AM. Spring and Fall can have three-day periods of East winds called Santa Anas. Even during the strongest Santa Ana condition (winds 30 mph +), we can usually fly on two out of the three day wind cycle.

Where do we meet?
At CP Aviation, Inc., the small white building next to Logsdon’s restaurant here on the airport. If possible for your first lesson, try to arrive a few minutes early to fill out the requisite paperwork (the first law of aerodynamics states, “An airplane cannot generate Lift unless the paperwork is complete.”).