Tijuana Flights!
- Thread starter randy and patty
- Start date
dirtsurfer
Guest
I would love to jump on a small plane in Phoenix, land in RP and catch a ride to my place. This would save me a lot of windshield time and keep me away from the crazies on the highways.
Jungle Jim
Guest
The "highway" from the PP airport into town is so bad right now that you just might get some windshield time, like your head going through it while doing a panic stop or putting a wheel into a foot deep six foot wide pot hole. Or maybe even being forced off the road by a bus or eighteen wheeler avoiding the same pot holes. Had it happen to me there just two weeks ago. The hole took out the sidewall and bent the rim on a 36" x 12.50-15 Goodyear tire on my Jeep Rubicon. Took one whole day in PP to find a shit 15" useable spare for fifty bucks and get it back home to Yuma and buy a new set of tires.
The whole idea of that "airport" is a standard model resort investment fools pipe dream. When the airport was just outside of town it was rarely used by anyone but the military. I used to fly there often from Yuma with a friend and it was such a pain in the ass dealing with the military jerks and waiting an hour or more for Senior Aduana, then locating a taxi. The turnaround was even worse dealing with the same Mexican "officials" and even worse crossing the border and landing back at the world famous Yuma "International" Airport. The officials on both sides of the border were always convinced that we had a few mil worth or drugs or money hidden somewhere on the aircraft. Same thing dealing with the USA customs, wait an hour or more at the plane in the heat or agree to be put in a solitary room until the guy drives from his home. God forbid if we declared a bag of fish. That was another hour wait for the AZ Game & Fish official to come and do his brainless inspection.
JJ
The whole idea of that "airport" is a standard model resort investment fools pipe dream. When the airport was just outside of town it was rarely used by anyone but the military. I used to fly there often from Yuma with a friend and it was such a pain in the ass dealing with the military jerks and waiting an hour or more for Senior Aduana, then locating a taxi. The turnaround was even worse dealing with the same Mexican "officials" and even worse crossing the border and landing back at the world famous Yuma "International" Airport. The officials on both sides of the border were always convinced that we had a few mil worth or drugs or money hidden somewhere on the aircraft. Same thing dealing with the USA customs, wait an hour or more at the plane in the heat or agree to be put in a solitary room until the guy drives from his home. God forbid if we declared a bag of fish. That was another hour wait for the AZ Game & Fish official to come and do his brainless inspection.
JJ
Last edited:
brokenwave
Guest
On Sunday we took the road out to the Miramar beaches via Freemont connecting to Highway #3.
There are stretches where the road is OK.
But every mile of so there are areas of pot holes mainly in the middle of the road.
I saw some that were 6 inches deep by 3-5 feet wide and long. We drove 45-50 mph the whole way which gave me time to avoid them.
If you drive during the day, keep your speed reasonable and really pay attention it's not bad.
The beaches at Miramar/Dorado are beautiful, It's been years since we went out there exploring.
On our way back we stopped at the Oyster Farm run by Las Mujeres and had some food and a couple of cold cervezas.
As JJ said, if the boosters want the airport to be something good, Sonora really needs a road crew fixing the road every month vs
the 2-3x per year it's being done now. We went to Santo Tomas last year and the road was No Bueno.
There are stretches where the road is OK.
But every mile of so there are areas of pot holes mainly in the middle of the road.
I saw some that were 6 inches deep by 3-5 feet wide and long. We drove 45-50 mph the whole way which gave me time to avoid them.
If you drive during the day, keep your speed reasonable and really pay attention it's not bad.
The beaches at Miramar/Dorado are beautiful, It's been years since we went out there exploring.
On our way back we stopped at the Oyster Farm run by Las Mujeres and had some food and a couple of cold cervezas.
As JJ said, if the boosters want the airport to be something good, Sonora really needs a road crew fixing the road every month vs
the 2-3x per year it's being done now. We went to Santo Tomas last year and the road was No Bueno.
randy and patty
Guest
This is all good info to know! We have friends flying in on a private plane in mid June for a wedding. What would be the best way to get them to Sandy beach? I’m thinking maybe charter the fun bus? There will be max of 20 people. Hoping someday there will be flights from Las Vegas. We have family there that have never heard of Puerto Penasco.
Buffalo Marty
Guest
For me its always been a Catch-22; the main reason that PP exists as a major tourist destination is precisely *because* it is drivable from AZ (and to a lesser extent from CA and other nearby areas). But the fact that it is easily drivable for tens of thousands of people is *also* the main reason why there is almost no market pressure to develop cheap & efficient commercial air service (a la Cabo or Cancun). It seems to me to be *very* unlikely that PP breaks out of this paradigm.
Having said that, if PP *were* to improve plane service, it will *never* happen with the current airport location. I believe the current one was privately funded by the Mayan Palace group, which explains why it is located to their benefit. But its ridiculous to have it located 30 minutes from Sandy Beach on a horribly maintained road. The Mex gov't would need to step in (what's one more boondoggle?) and build a new airport in a more strategic location with clean & efficient access.
Having said that, if PP *were* to improve plane service, it will *never* happen with the current airport location. I believe the current one was privately funded by the Mayan Palace group, which explains why it is located to their benefit. But its ridiculous to have it located 30 minutes from Sandy Beach on a horribly maintained road. The Mex gov't would need to step in (what's one more boondoggle?) and build a new airport in a more strategic location with clean & efficient access.
GringoZona
Guest
Exactly! If you have California money, why would you drive or take a connecting flight to TJ, go thru customs there, then again at PP? Even if you're staying at Mayan, the amenities there are poorly rated by tourists who are used to similar resorts at Cabo, Cancun, etc. And add to the hassle at the airport, the ghetto ride into town...
Word of mouth will quickly kill any reputation as a bargain compared to Baja resorts. Unless your sole purpose is to check up on your property investments.
Last edited:
randy and patty
Guest
Would you still have to go through customs if you flew in from Mexico? Brother in law from Orange county CA is excited about it. He says easy peasy to just walk over the bridge to TJ airport from San Diego. Being out by the Mayan is a ways but pretty sure Cabo, Cancun and PV airports are at least that far from what I remember. Whether it “ takes off” or not, I’m ambivalent, we love PP just the way it is!
Buffalo Marty
Guest
I have also heard that it is a very cool setup in the TJ airport- you can park on the US side of the border in CA, then walk across the border *directly* into the TJ airport. Then, as you say, you can fly to anywhere in Mexico *without* having to go through customs. If I lived in Southern California this would be a *really* cool option.
Last edited: