Sandy Shores Airfield is a private airfield located on Panorama Drive, southwest of the namesake town of Sandy Shores, Blaine County, in the middle of the Grand Senora Desert. The airfield appears in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
Description[]
The airfield is bordered to the north by the main train line that leads west to Paleto Bay. On the east side it is bordered by Panorama Drive where the main entry and signage is located. Unnamed dirt roads connect it to Joshua Road in the north and Route 68 through Harmony in the southwest. To the west is the Senora Desert Oilfield. Directly east of its main entrance, across Panorama Drive is the Senora National Park. To the south is a hill with a small shed, some RVs and a radio mast.
The airfield consists of three unnamed and unmarked runways: two large parallel runways that run east to west and a smaller runway that runs northeast to southwest. The runways are large enough to easily land any controllable aircraft (with the exception of the Cargo Plane, which can be landed here but with much difficulty). The airfield also contains a hangar large enough for one plane that is equal to or smaller in size than a Shamal. Additional structures include a helipad, a small control tower, and Flywheels Garage, a Globe Oil gas station.
In GTA V, NPC-controlled airplanes (usually rednecks) can be found landing or taking off from the airfield in the day. Landings happen only once a day in clear weather; if the player stations themselves at the west threshold of the runway, they are somewhat guaranteed to spawn.
- Cuban 800 - Spawns most frequently.
- Mammatus
- Mallard - Typically the Sprunk variant, though Mallards of other colours may spawn from time to time.
Influence[]
The airfield is loosely based on George Air Force Base in Victorville, California. It may also be based on Holtville Airport in Holtville, California.
Events of Grand Theft Auto V[]
At the start of Grand Theft Auto V, the airfield is run by The Lost MC. However, it is soon taken over by Trevor Philips, who lives in nearby Sandy Shores, in the mission Nervous Ron and he turns it into a personal airfield. When playing as Trevor, airplanes and large military vehicles brought inside the hangar and helicopters landed in the helipad will be saved. Orders from Elitás Travel and Warstock Cache & Carry will also be delivered and automatically saved.
For owners of the Special and Collector's Edition and Enhanced Version, the Stunt Plane Time Trials can be found at this airfield. The player can trigger them by entering the Mallard in front of the smaller hangar. The Mallard cannot be flown for any other purpose without using an exploit by pushing the vehicle away from its spawn point.
Trevor can access his own aircraft at the helipad.
- Frogger - A Frogger bearing Trevor Philips Industries "logos" can be found on the helipad after the mission Three's Company.
- Cargobob - Between Cargobob (mission) and The Merryweather Heist (offshore).
- Any other aircraft/vehicles saved or purchased by the player themselves.
As the story progresses, the airstrip is used many times. For The Merryweather Heist, if the offshore method is chosen, Trevor uses a Cargobob to deliver a Submersible to the Pacific Ocean. The submarine is then brought back to the airfield, where it is discovered that they stole a super weapon. The Submersible will also spawn permanently at the airfield after completing the offshore method, although it requires a Cargobob in order to lift and drop it into water. During a raid on the Humane Labs and Research, the crew uses a Cargobob to extract Michael and Dave out of the area. The Cargobob lands safely at the airfield.
In Arms Trafficking Air 5, Trevor's rival drug runners take over the airfield and move in their own aircraft and equipment. Trevor has to bomb them with his Cuban 800.
One of the "abandoned vehicles" Random Events takes place along the southern perimeter of the airfield.
Events of Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The property cannot be purchased in GTA Online, but still serves as a location for helicopters to spawn. Several vehicles can spawn on the helipad, or just to the south of it. These will be unlocked as the player progresses through Ranks:
Several aircraft can spawn on the runway just in front of the helipad:
Several aircraft may spawn inside the hangar itself:
Alongside pre-spawning aircraft, aircraft requested through Pegasus Lifestyle Management may be delivered here if the player is nearby.
In the enhanced version, Personal Aircraft may spawn here if requested through the Interaction Menu.
In GTA Online, other than in missions, the Sandy Shores Airfield does not appear to be controlled by any faction for any length of time. This could explain why various missions take place at the airfield, even though those missions are given by many different people.
In the mission "Base Invaders", the player must pick up Ron's Velum from the airfield before flying to Fort Zancudo to steal a Cargobob for TPI. The player must return the Cargobob to the Sandy Shores Airfield.
The Airfield is used during The Prison Break heist, where the player must destroy a Prison Bus. It also appears during Humane Raid - EMP, where the player must land the Hydra and park it in the hangar, where the EMP is removed.
During The Doomsday Heist Act 3, The Doomsday Scenario, the Airfield is taken over by Cliffford Mercenaries, using it to store weapons and vehicles. In Setup: Barrage, the players attack the Airfield in a Barrage, killing the mercenaries present and destroying their weapons. Later on, in Setup: Air Defenses, the Airfield is where the players take off from in the Volatol. After the S.A.M. batteries on Mount Chiliad are taken down, the players land back at the Airfield to meet with Phoenicia Rackman and Agent 14.
During The Diamond Casino Heist, the player is required to steal unmarked weapons in Heist Prep: Unmarked Weapons. In the Smuggler Variant of the mission, the players must steal a Tula being used by smugglers to import unmarked weapons and take it to the Sandy Shores Airfield. In Heist Prep: Getaway Vehicles, in one of the Drag Race variants, the player will be required to steal two cars currently being raced on the Sandy Shores airfield runways and the adjacent dirt tracks.
During Heist Prep: Velum for The Cayo Perico Heist, the player is required to steal a Velum 5-Seater from one of Juan Strickler's smugglers so that they could use it as an approach vehicle for the heist.
During the Last Dose mission "BDKD", the player must control Isiah Friedlander's Cargo Plane and fly all of the shipment of his corporation to the airfield.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto V[]
- Nervous Ron
- Caida Libre
- Minor Turbulence
- Cargobob
- Sidetracked
- Predator
- The Merryweather Heist (offshore approach only)
- Monkey Business
- Bury the Hatchet
- Surveying the Score
- Delivering the Truth
- Sidetracked
- Arms Trafficking Air 5
- Random Events
- Stunt Plane Time Trials (Special/Collector's Edtion and Enhanced Version only)
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Gang Attacks (removed)
Contact Missions[]
- Landing Strip
- A Titan of a Job
- On Maneuvers
- Base Invaders
- Landing Gear
- Crystal Clear Out II
- Pickup Sticks
- Effin' Lazers
- Chop Chop
Deathmatches[]
Air Freight Cargo[]
- Air Freight Cargo: Setup - the first setup mission will encounter a Mogul parked up within the rocks and foliage in the center of the two runways, guarded by Lost MC members.
- Air Freight Cargo: Mexican gangsters - a Pyro may spawn in the hangar heavily guarded and needs to be stolen.
Heists[]
The Doomsday Heist[]
- Setup: Barrage
- Setup: Air Defenses - the Volatol spawns on the airfield's runway.
After Hours[]
The Diamond Casino Heist[]
- Heist Prep: Unmarked Weapons (Smuggler Variant)
- Heist Prep: Getaway Vehicles (Drag Race Variant)
The Cayo Perico Heist[]
- Heist Prep: Velum - The airfield is one of the two possible locations for a Velum 5-Seater to spawn; it is needed if the player wants to approach Cayo Perico with a Velum.
Los Santos Drug Wars[]
Collectibles[]
- Letter Scrap - Atop a large, three-tiered rock located to the southwest of the airfield. The player must climb to the top of the rock.
- Health Pack - Inside the hangar.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The original development name for the airfield was "Alamo Sea Airfield". This name can still be heard mentioned by characters in early missions. This is further referenced in the mission Caida Libre, when the pilot states that he can't make a landing at the "Alamo Sea Airfield".
- The airfield is similar to the Verdant Meadows Airfield from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, both located in a desert and owned by a protagonist (CJ and Trevor respectively).
- Despite being called an airfield, the location is referred to by Weazel News as a "local airport" in their report after Nervous Ron.
See Also[]
- McKenzie Field - a smaller rural airstrip in Grapeseed.
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