Sandy Shores Airfield

Sandy Shores Airfield
Appears in	Grand Theft Auto V Grand Theft Auto Online
Location(s)	Grand Senora Desert, San Andreas
Occupancy
Owner	The Lost MC (formerly) Trevor Philips
Airport Specifications
Runways	3
Accessibility & Storage
Hangar capacity	1 Plane, 1 Helicopter
Unlock Requirements
Unlocked after	Nervous Ron

See also McKenzie Field Hangar, another nearby airstrip.

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. For most of Grand Theft Auto V, it is owned by Trevor Philips.

Description

Airfield as seen on the map

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 in-game plane (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 a Globe Oil gas station called Flywheels Garage which is not interactive. Parallel to the runways is a freight train line that runs through the north and leads to Paleto Bay. It is accessed directly by Panorama Drive and by dirt roads connecting it to Joshua Road in the north and Route 68 in the south. Directly in front of its main entrance, across the street from Panorama Drive is the Senora National Park. On the south is a hill with a small shed, some RVs and a radio mast.

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 turns it into a personal airfield, unlike nearby McKenzie Field, which is a purchasable property not involved in the main story and is used specifically for air and ground drug trafficing by Trevor Philips Enterprises. 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, although the delivery usually takes a while. This also works for Michael and Franklin if they buy a private hangar from the airport for planes and military vehicles, or the Vespucci Helipad for helicopters.

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.

Events of Grand Theft Auto V

The Sandy Shores Airfield was run by The Lost MC at the beginning of the game. However, Trevor Philips and Ron Jakowski both infiltrate the airstrip quietly during the night. Trevor manages to snipe several guards, before deciding to attack the airstrip loud and clear. The two men manage to steal two Cuban 800s, all the while blowing up several structures and gunning down many The Lost bikers. At this point, the Sandy Shores Airfield is now property of Trevor Philips Enterprises. Unlike other properties, Trevor acquires the airfield at no cost; it does, however, disqualify him from purchasing a hangar at the Los Santos International Airport.

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. 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.

There is also a McKenzie Field side mission where Trevor's rival drug cartels take over the airfield and move in their own aircraft and equipment. Trevor has to bomb them with his Cuban 800.

Events of Grand Theft Auto Online

In GTA Online, the Sandy Shores Airfield does not appear to be controlled by any faction for one time. This could explain why various missions take place at the airfield, even though those missions are given by many different people. The airfield is used to deploy aircraft for the GTA Online Protagonist along with being used to store stolen aircraft from enemies. In Free Roam, there will be a plane and a helicopter spawned at the airfield. Occasionally, there will be a Gang Attack on the airfield. The factions that are seen at the airfield are usually The Professionals or Merryweather Security.

The Airfield is used during the Heist, The Prison Break, 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.

Mission Appearances

Grand Theft Auto V

• Nervous Ron
• Minor Turbulence
• Cargobob
• Sidetracked
• Predator
• The Merryweather Heist (offshore approach only)
• Monkey Business
• Bury the Hatchet (if playing as Trevor)
• Surveying the Score
• Delivering the Truth
• Random Events#Abandoned Vehicles
• Stunt Plane Time Trials (Special/Collector's Edtion and Enhanced Version only)

Grand Theft Auto Online

• Landing Strip
• A Titan of a Job
• On Maneuvers
• Base Invaders
• Landing Gear
• SEAL Team Six
• Crystal Clear Out II
• Pickup Sticks
• Effin' Lazers
• Defender
• Chop Chop
• Terry's Hangout

Heists

• The Prison Break
• Humane Raid - EMP

Vehicles

NPC airplanes

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 themself 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.

Trevor's aircraft

Trevor's custom Frogger.

• 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 themself.

Grand Theft Auto Online

• Velum - Sometimes spawns next to the helipad or in the hangar. However the rudder will hit the roof of the hangar if it spawns in it.
• Buzzard Attack Chopper - Spawns after Rank 43.
• Cargobob - Spawns after Rank 20.
• Maverick - Commonly spawns on the helipad.
• Mammatus - Commonly spawns in front of the helipad and inside the hangar.
• Luxor - Spawns after Rank 50.
• Titan - Commonly spawns outside the helipad.
• Due to a recent glitch, a large quantity of sedans will spawn and drive across to the hangar before stopping to the left of it, if the player remains there and prevents them from de-spawning they will line up creating a large queue. This glitch also causes multiple Mammatuses to spawn several times.

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

Sandy shores airfield 1.jpg

Sign at the entrance.

Overview.

In Grand Theft Auto V, the player can store a P-996 LAZER in the hangar.

Interior of the control tower.

Satellite view.

Trivia

• The original beta 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 he can't make a landing at the "Alamo Sea Airfield".
• The airfield is loosely based on George Air Force Base in Victorville, California.
• In Grand Theft Auto V, a dog may occasionally be seen being walked by a man during daytime in front of the hangar. If the dog is killed, it will be back the next time the player comes. 
• 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 considered as an airfield, the location is referred to by Weazel News as a "local airport" in their report after Nervous Ron.
• The sign in front of the airfield by the road is not solid, and can be shot through with any weapon. This is most likely a glitch.
• Despite being an active airfield, the runways are not numbered.
• The Harmony branch of Los Santos Customs along Route 68 is nearby, which makes the airfield a good testing place for customized vehicles. That branch is also purchasable property and once bought, all vehicle repairs are free.
• Due to its large area and lack of dangerous wildlife, the airfield is considered an ideal location for undertaking Michael De Santa's side mission, Exercising the Truth.
• One of the "abandoned vehicles" Random Events takes place along the southern perimeter of the airfield.