The weather is getting warmer, and summer is around the corner. It can mean only one thing: beach season! Seeing the ocean and beaches from the air is a great luxury for pilots. Nothing compares with the breathtaking views from a new perspective. Flying the coastline is a bucket list item for some pilots. The memories and views are unforgettable.

Flying is attractive because of the difference in driving time versus flying time. You know this is especially true if you live inland like many of our customers who reside in the North Carolina Piedmont or Triangle regions. Whether you are planning an extended beach stay or a day trip, you should be aware of these four key items when flying to the coast.

“Weather” or Not to Fly

The weather varies greatly, especially in the summer. Flying to the beach during the summer is fun, but quickly changing weather patterns can be challenging.

The sun’s heat causes every coastal weather phenomenon because of the differential heating of the earth and the ocean. That is why your morning at the beach is perfectly sunny, but your afternoon might be a different story. Pop-up thunderstorms appear and change your flight planning in time for your trip back home.

The land and the sea heat differently and at different rates. During the day, the sun rapidly heats the land, so the air above the land will get hotter faster than the air above the ocean. The heated air rises because it is less dense and creates low pressure.

Conversely, the colder air over the water is denser, so it moves to occupy the space over the land. You know this shift as the sea breeze – that cool burst of air that keeps you comfortable as you soak in the rays on the beach. Sea breezes typically happen during the day.

As the day draws toward a close, the reverse happens. The sun sets, the land is no longer heated, and it soon loses its residual heat. Water retains heat, which means the air over the water is warmer and less dense than the air over the land. The land over the water rises, and the denser cool air over the land moves to replace the air over the water. Thus, we have a land breeze.

Planning for the Unexpected

Whether you are flying the pattern for currency or planning a trip to Wilmington for lunch, you need to be aware of the weather. Weather awareness is something you learned in your early days of flight training. Ever-changing weather conditions make awareness of expected wind conditions, runway assignments, and flight characteristics imperative.

When you fly to the coast during the day, you will land toward the ocean because that is where the headwind will be coming. If your beach trip occurs during the evening, you should land toward the land for the same reason. Everybody loves a good cruise at the beach, so keep these wind characteristics in mind to determine your best tailwind for cruise flight.

Coastal fog is another weather issue you will likely encounter. You might also know it as advection fog. Whatever you call it, it forms when warm, moist air blows over a cooler surface. You see this fog with the land breeze when the warm, moist air over the ocean blows over the cooler land. If you are staying overnight at the beach, you might wake up to some fog, but that fog dissipates as the sun heats the land. VFR pilots must wait out the coastal fog, but an instrument-rated pilot can safely handle flight in certain coastal fog conditions.

What About Traffic?

Flying to the coast in North Carolina means you do not have to worry about highway traffic congestion. But flying does not mean you are free of congestion.

The traffic you contend with may not be of the automobile kind, but rather of the airplane kind. Banner-towing companies fly airplanes along the coast all day, making coastal airspace crowded. Seagulls also pose a threat to aviators, especially single-engine piston aircraft.

You and your passengers might enjoy flying the coastline to absorb the breathtaking views and snap a few photos. Who would blame you? It is a remarkable sight. Make sure you check your FAR/AIM before embarking on such a flight. According to 14 CFR 91.119:

Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:

(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.

(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.

(c) Over other than congested areas. An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

Always abide by these regulations to keep you, your passengers, and the folks enjoying the beach from the land safe.

Over the Ocean

The North Carolina coast (or the nearest coast to where you live) is beautiful, but what if you want more out of your beach vacation? What if it is a tropical flight you desire, such as a hop down to the Bahamas? Time to break out that FAR/AIM again. Both 14 CFR 91.509 and 91.511 list required items to have onboard for offshore flight. Most notably, you must have a life preserver in the plane when the aircraft is out of power off gliding range to a suitable landing spot on land.

If you fly from Elon Aviation’s main campus at the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport (KBUY) to Dare County Regional Airport (KMQI), you will fly over the Albemarle Sound to reach the island. Make certain you hug the shoreline in case of an emergency or carry a life preserver.

Few of us do not enjoy a pleasant beach getaway. Coastal flying is an excellent way to make a required cross-country flight more interesting. Flying to the coast is also a great family day trip. or as a destination to take the family for a day trip. Keep your beach trips safe and fun. Make sure you watch the weather, abide by the regulations, and adhere to all your usual aeronautical decision-making tasks.

Griffin Duncan found his interest in aviation during an aviation class offered by his high school. A discovery flight thereafter further proved to Griffin that he wanted to fly. He since completed his instrument, commercial, and CFI training at Elon Aviation. He also earned degrees in both Aviation Management and Career Pilot from Guilford Technical Community College. Learn more about Griffin and the rest of the Elon Aviation staff at www.elonaviation.com.