Sand Hill Road's Private Airfield — VC & Tech Executive Service
Palo Alto Airport is the closest airfield to Sand Hill Road, Stanford University, and the heart of Silicon Valley's venture capital community. With a 2,443-foot runway and the same 12,500 lb restriction as San Carlos, PAO serves turboprop and light piston aircraft. It's the departure point of choice for VC partners and tech executives who value proximity over runway length.
Runways
Single runway, 2,443 ft
Aircraft
Light piston and turboprops only
Best For
Venture capital partners
Address: 1903 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone: (650) 856-2200
Hours: Business hours
Aircraft management, fuel services, and ground support. Located on Embarcadero Road near the Baylands.
Ideal for Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Mountain View destinations. US-101 northbound to SF can be heavy during rush hour.
| Destination | Distance | Drive Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sand Hill Road | 3 mi | 5-8 min |
| Stanford University | 2 mi | 5 min |
| Downtown San Francisco | 33 mi | 35-50 min |
| San Jose | 15 mi | 20-25 min |
| Napa Valley | 75 mi | 80-100 min |
Small GA airport with straightforward access. Chauffeurs pull up directly to the terminal/ramp area. No commercial security to navigate. Quick in-and-out.
Operational details specific to Palo Alto Airport.
PAO is a small general aviation field with no commercial terminal infrastructure, no security gates, and no badges required, so arrival timing is driven by the aircraft schedule rather than FBO procedure. Chauffeurs arrive 10 to 15 minutes before block-in and stage curbside at the Rossi Aircraft ramp at 1903 Embarcadero Road. Rossi's operating hours are not published in our verified sources, so we coordinate timing directly with the operator on each booking rather than assuming a fixed window. Door-to-car typically runs under two minutes once the passenger steps off the aircraft because there is no terminal to walk through and no security to clear.
PAO's 2,443-foot runway and 12,500 lb weight restriction rule out jets entirely — pickups are single-engine piston, light twins, and turboprops, with the Pilatus PC-12 and King Air 90 being the typical aircraft. Operators like Surf Air and Wheels Up's turboprop arm favor PAO for short-range VC and tech executive shuttles. Group sizes match the aircraft: one to two passengers off a PC-12, sometimes three to four off a King Air. The Cadillac Escalade handles a solo or paired VC partner heading to Sand Hill Road cleanly. The Cadillac Vistiq covers the same range with a different cabin feel. No Sprinter use case exists because the aircraft do not bring crews.
Three runs dominate from PAO. Stanford University at 2 miles and 5 minutes is the shortest, typically a faculty or board member transfer in a single Escalade. Sand Hill Road at 3 miles and 5 to 8 minutes is the signature PAO use case — VC partners landing for a partner meeting or pitch, Escalade or Vistiq. San Jose at 15 miles and 20 to 25 minutes is the southern alternative, usually a tech executive heading to a Silicon Valley campus. Downtown San Francisco at 33 miles and 35 to 50 minutes is the long pull, where US-101 timing determines whether we leave on the early end of the window.
PAO sits adjacent to US-101 with surface-street access to Sand Hill Road and Stanford, so most local pickups stay close to off-peak times regardless of hour. The exposure is on US-101: mornings 7 to 9 AM clog northbound toward San Francisco — Downtown SF runs slide toward the upper end of the 35 to 50 minute window. Evenings 4 to 7 PM mirror that pattern southbound and add pressure to the San Jose run. Sand Hill Road and Stanford pickups are essentially traffic-immune because they are short surface-street pulls. The Napa run at 75 miles is the long outlier and we pad heavily during commute windows.
PAO is three miles from downtown Palo Alto and Stanford and is the closest airport to Sand Hill Road — the venture capital epicenter — which is why it gets the foot traffic of VC partners and tech entrepreneurs flying turboprop shuttles. Rossi Aircraft at 1903 Embarcadero Road provides 100LL and Jet-A fuel, aircraft maintenance, flight planning, tie-downs, hangar space, and a pilot lounge. There is no commercial terminal infrastructure, no security gates, and no badges required, so door-to-car runs under two minutes. Our chauffeur pulls up to the ramp area, loads luggage curbside, and departs without navigating any of the procedures that slow SFO or SJC pickups.
Call us or book online. Available 24/7 for private aviation clients.