John Wayne Airport (KSNA) | The ULTIMATE Pilots Guide

Fly with us in our Piper Arrow into busy John Wayne Airport (KSNA) onto Runway 20L. We’ll talk about John Wayne Tower, why reverse ops days is super stressful and give you glimpse into ACI Jets South and show you why we love it so much!

TRANSIENT PARKING
You won’t find any transient parking at John Wayne Airport. You have a choice of two FBOs: ACI Jets and Clay Lacy Aviation.

FBO
There are two FBOs at John Wayne Airport: ACI Jets and Clay Lacy Aviation. As of 2025 Clay Lacy is currently undergoing an expansion but is still open for business. We will provide a review of Clay Lacy Aviation once the renovation is complete. On this trip to John Wayne we opted to use ACI Jets South. ACI Jets was incredible, from the linemen to the front desk everyone was friendly and helpful. They have two crew cars available for a 2 hour limit. Hang out in the Pilots Lounge or Flight Planning room for a quieter experience. Grab a drink from one of three well stocked refrigerators or a coffee from the main lobby. Limited snack are also available. ACI Jets does not charge fees for stays under 3 hours. We only paid for fuel and were treated extremely well on a busy Friday despite the ramp being filled with big private jets.

Breakdown of Fees for Our Piper Arrow III (March 2025 3 Hour Visit)
$0 Ramp Fee (Free under 3 hours)
$0 Single Engine Piston Fee (Free under 3 hours)
$94.11 Avgas (14.9 gallons @ 6.31/gal)
$2.89 Federal Gas Tax Fee
$97.00 TOTAL

FUEL
Full-service fuel is your only option at this airport. ACI Jets and Clay Lacy Aviation both provide 100LL avgas and Jet A. We paid $6.31/gal for 100LL in March 2025.

RESTROOMS
Restrooms are located in the FBOs and main terminal.

CREW CAR / CAR RENTAL
ACI Jets and Clay Lacy Aviation provide crew cars with limits. Crew cars are typically on a first come basis so please call ahead to verify availability. Rental car reservations can be coordinated through your FBO of choice. Rideshare is another good option for getting around John Wayne Airport.

FOOD
You won’t find any food options accessible through the FBOs. There are food options in the terminal accessible through the OC Air Pass. If you take the crew car you can find plenty of food options within a 5 minute drive of the airport. Sgt Pepperonis has great pizza,

Lyon Air Museum is a must visit! The museum has a large collection of restored planes that all fly in addition to an impressive fleet of vehicles. On event days you’ll get glimpse of the ramp and during special events you’ll even get to step out onto the ramp – a truly incredible way to plane spot! https://lyonairmuseum.org/

John Wayne Tower provides tour towers. We have visited tower here several times and each time have enjoyed our visit. Controllers are friendly, funny and gladly answer all your burning questions. We HIGHLY recommend doing this!! Find KSNA Tower on IG: @JohnWayneTowerNATCA

If you’re looking for a unique plane spotting experience – go the main terminal and get an OC Air Pass. This will allow you access into the terminal. Find a quiet spot to sit and watch both GA and commercial airliners come and go. PRO TIP: Bring your radio to listen to tower while plane spotting. Don’t forget your ID and be aware that you will still need to go through TSA so the typical rules apply. Experiencing the airport like this will give you a different perspective on the airport.

Make sure to review the Pilot's Guide before going: https://www.ocair.com/business/genera...

Thanks for watching!

See you next week as we explore a new airport!

Until then, Go fly, Go discover! 🛩️

00:00 Intro
00:36 METAR
01:54 A Little Bit of History
03:19 Tower
03:25 Over to KSNA Tower & Flying Over Midfield
05:17 Tustin Hangars
06:08 KSNA Info You Need To Know
07:17 Weather & Santa Ana Winds
08:38 Over to Ground
09:10 Taxi Instructions
09:32 Reverse Ops
10:28 Ground Chatter (Great Job Cal!)
11:23 How to Get A Tower Tour at KSNA
13:06 KSNA Unfazed by High Speed Chase
14:07 FBOs (ACI Jets & Clay Lacy Aviation)
15:31 ACI Jet South Walkthrough
18:35 Clearance Delivery
20:07 Over to ground
20:24 Know Your Run-Up Locations (KSNA Pilots Guide)
22:21 Presidential Visits
23:19 Pacific Airshow Planes at KSNA
23:44 Run Up Complete
25:12 Student Pilots & Radio Calls
25:48 Lyon Air Museum
26:11 KSNA Pilots Guide, VFR Departures & Curfew
26:50 Thanks Tom for the Request!
27:20 Line Up and Wait
27:48 Cleared for Takeoff
28:18 Our Love for KSNA & YOUR Stories

IG: /outsidethecockpit

🎵 Music by Epidemic Sound Get your free 7 day trial:
https://share.epidemicsound.com/rb4bei

DISCLAIMER:
This video is NOT intended to be instructional. We are not CFIs. This video has been edited for brevity and clarity and is for informational purposes only. We are sharing our experience flying into this particular airport. Your experience may vary. When in doubt ask ATC and your CFI.
#flying #airport #orangecounty