Hello Everyone,
The following is the information for flights out of Big Sur for the residents in the area:
Thank you for all your calls to organize your flights in and out of Big Sur. Below is the information for you to directly contact the company for your needs. We have permission from Post Ranch to use their LZ but we still need to secure a LZ on the north side. As mentioned before, the ball field will probably not be an option due to the condition of the day use road since the fire. It will most likely be at Andrew Molera with State Parks permission. The cost for the short hop between the PR LZ and Andrew Molera or wherever we set up the LZ will hopefully be quite reasonable. Maybe a shuttle could be arranged back and forth.
Post Ranch LZ to Monterey Regional Airport will be $780. The helicopter seats up to three people, however there is no separate baggage compartment, so bag space is limited with all three seats filled (essentially whatever fits in each passenger’s lap, weight permitting). As of right now, flights will be flown as requests come in. We will do our best to line up multiple flights in order to amortize the ferry costs across all parties, which will in turn lower the total cost for each customer. Please contact Specialized Helicopters at (831) 763-2244 with any additional questions or to book a flight.
Also, we will be utilizing the facebook page, Big Sur Information to disseminate information on flights, open seats, price updates, landing locations, etc.
—
Martha Karstens
Chief
Update from Specialized Helicopters:
Specialized Helicopters will be providing flights in and out of Big Sur tomorrow, (Wednesday) from 8am to about noon or as needed. The only 2 authorized locations at this point are Monterey airport and Post Ranch Inn. So please plan your route from one of this locations to the other for now. The more seats we fill each way with persons or supplies the lower the per seat cost. Currently it is about $780 for us to fly round trip from Watsonville to Post Ranch Inn and back to Monterey. We are trying to keep the costs down for all involved and that takes coordination. So please be flexible if you can so we can accommodate as many as possible at the best possible price. Please call our office starting at 9am to coordinate a flight. We have several morning flights booked and have 1 or 2 seats to fill. (831) 763-2244
AMR is flying in two people and supplies on one flight and a second flight is flying in a water tech so there are two seats available to fly in on that flight. If the helicopter is full the price can be around $130/leg. I know there are homeowners trying to get back to their homes and there may be other unique needs and we are trying to accommodate these needs. We are still working on getting a landing zone closer to the north side of the bridge to bring the shuttle flight cost down to move people north over the bridge but at this point Highway 1 is closed at Granite Creek Bridge (PM 65) which puts it at Garrapata State Park.
You cannot leave your vehicle at Post Ranch Inn so if you are flying out you’ll need to make plans to be dropped off.
In layman’s terms….(amortize) regarding the Helicopter flight to Monterey? That is not a term commonly used, unless you are talking about a loan. Would it be safe to say, that since the chopper holds 3 passengers that $780 per ride (one way) would be divided by 3? That is a more reasonable $260 per rider…if all 3 seats are filled. If not, thats an expensive ride. Take care down that way.
Some of the isolated folks may need helicopter food drops before long.
from CPOA:
Hello Everyone,
Sorry, I missed the first part of Chief Karstens’ information about the Helicopter service in the last email. The missing section follows.
All,
Thank you for all your calls to organize your flights in and out of Big Sur. Below is the information for you to directly contact the company for your needs. We have permission from Post Ranch to use their LZ but we still need to secure a LZ on the north side. As mentioned before, the ball field will probably not be an option due to the condition of the day use road since the fire. It will most likely be at Andrew Molera with State Parks permission. The cost for the short hop between the PR LZ and Andrew Molera or wherever we set up the LZ will hopefully be quite reasonable. Maybe a shuttle could be arranged back and forth.
Post Ranch LZ to Monterey Regional Airport will be…
This po’ folk is stayin’ home!!!
No Uber/Lyft personal travel pods available for service?
specialized helicopters is out of Watsonville. I am assuming (I hope incorrectly) that the $780 air fare is per person and not per plane load. If so, without luggage that is ridiculous and gouging of a group of people who need to get out of their marooned life. How about the National Guard or someone with larger choppers who could fly out larger groups at a time? There has to be another alternative.
Could Search & Rescue teams expand its scope and aid in this manner for transportation needs? I would suppose some would frown on this, IDK?
Or could a Coast Guard vessel make a marine mission and ferry folks to a safer spot in Monterey?
Andrew-
Coast Guard wouldn’t dare venture a land rescue via CG vessels at this time of year on the Big Sur coast. Partington Cove was once used as a ship loading site, but was always risky, even in summer with low surf….Mill Creek, Big Creek and Limekiln Creek on the South Coast are the only other shore accesses that I can think of with even a chance for access, and only in calm surf/weather.
Shocking price point. Simply shocking.
Plenty of helicopter traffic has been happening all day near the river and upwards to Cachagua or beyond.
it is per plane load, but only holds 3 and whatever “goods” one can hold on one’s lap, subject to weight limits.
Hey, Suzi, thanks for your reply just was searching inside my novice head to come up with suggestions/ideas or have a board discussion on future solutions to solving this segmented, multi- stranded, residential rescue plan or design a universal central plan the next time this multiplicity of hazards comes around.
I love the old man mountain regular resident who stated, mother nature has finally returned Big Sur to the way it always was meant to be this winter or something close to it.