Tehachapi Loop - pointers?

[ChrisA]

Hello. I'll be flying in Tehachapi Loop area this Saturday hoping to catch some train videos.
I've never been there, has anybody here flown there before? Is there a preferred spot you know about? thanks in advance.

 

[John Locke]

Here's some pointers for the ideal launch spot for Techachapi Loop. This knoll vantage point lets you see a mile up and down the canyon to see trains coming. I've been there 4 times and it took me 3 trips to figure this out. El Guapo and I were there today. Right now (early April) is a great time to fly there since it's all green from the rain. In another month it will likely be brown again.

When you drive there it's nice to first see the monument and read it. There's a small turnout at the monument for this purpose, the roads are pretty narrow. Then, about 500' east of that monument there's an dirt road that's chained off from travel, but you can hike it. You can park in front of the chained off dirt road, there's enough room for 3 or 4 cars.

There's no food for 10mi, so bring an ice chest with food and drinks. A folding chair, hat and binoculars are nice to have. If you like trains, this is an epic flight area.

 

[finlayson]

Sadly, as of February 2021 at least, this area is part of the "Isabella MOA" controlled airspace: AirMap Web App