After crossing over Los Angeles Airport, I descend - very - quickly toward the left downwind for runway 21 at Santa Monica. Just like in real life, the descent is very rapid after passing through the VFR corridor at 4,500 ft “Los Angeles Special Flight Rules Area”. You need to join the downwind at around 1,300 ft! That’s a lot to lose in a very short amount of time. In real life, Santa Monica tower usually asks to descend via the right downwind, on the other side after crossing over.
My real pic, joining right downwind 21 KSMO:
On the sim pic, the CDI is still set on the 312 radial from SMO VOR that the procedure requires to follow. I should have set my transponder to 1201 and switched… to advisory to be as realistic as possible. Unfortunately, SayIntentions is not aware of this VFR corridor procedure. Don’t know if it knows the Mini Route…
MSFS2024 conditions: last night around midnight (Paris time), real MSFS weather, live traffic, SayIntentions for ATC (OK’ish experience, far from being impressed), WB-Sim C172.
PS: quiz of the day, there’s one thing you can only do in the sim in the cockpit image ![]()
Here’re some pic of the full flight from KSEE to KSMO.
Taking off San Diego Gillespie (KSEE), testing my scenery and MSFS real time traffic:
SayIntentions forgot me existing Gillespie Class D, need to ask, it messed up clearing me again for take off ;(, I requested (again) to leave and to contact Montgomery for westbound transition…
https://i.imgur.com/tQc51ig.jpeg
Westbound, Mount Soledad. Too many trees but the photogrammetry is awesome here:
Below the San Diego Bravo, right turn, north along the Pacific shoreline:
The full flight as seen from Foreflight:
Passing abeam Torrance, LAX is in sight:
Approaching overhead LAX, a lot of MSFS real time traffic on ground. Didn’t notice to catch a AI traffic airborne.
Above LAX, with real time MSFS Traffic, seems to be facing west:
In case, you’ve never seen the Los Angeles Special Flight Rules procedure, as seen on the LAX TAC chart inset :
Too high! Catching up the glide path, with the sun in front view and taking a picture… and zero fuel in tanks! Time to end this sim. session at Atlantic FBO ![]()




