Makin New Fun sites

[Jesse]

I just moved to Laguna Beach in southern California. I moved from Kitty Hawk in NC, where I taught basic Hang Gliding to tourists on a 60+ foot sand dune. I Had a blast on that dune and was able to fly several times a week. There seems to be a real shortage of fun beginner sites in this country and I think that is one reason for the sports small numbers. There are some beautiful grassy hills along the 405 where I watch hawks soar all the time. Is there anyone interested in helping me find new sites in this area. Sure mountain flying is tops but wouldn't it be fun to ridge soar for a half hour near your house after work, no long drive, no driver needed?

you can email me at hgfanatic@yahoo.com

[Guest]

Jesse, >>>>I hope your found some answers by return email since noone has replied here. We have the same problem here in New Mexico. Big mountain sites and almost no training hills. There must be a web page that people list sites but I don't know where to find it. Good Luck. Bill Cummings

[aviatorjames]

It's a tough situation in a litigous society such as ours.

It's so easy for a land owner or a park administrator to simply say "No" without thinking of the possible benefits! They are thinking "The less people get hurt on my land, the better" ..and they simply see hang gliding as a way for people to get hurt.

Our job is to educate them differently. As a group, we do have things to offer in return for access to flying sites. Hang glider pilots are an honest, fairly responsible bunch of citizens!! ..well, mostly!!!

It's always a curse to go to a potential individual or location with your glider!!! The first thing they will assume is that you want to fly "Right now!" ..and it won't happen!!!

I simpathize with you and I feel the same way. I believe that access to new flying sites is a critical element to growth and survival. We need to provide good information and learn some public relations skills in order to be taken seriously.

Hang gliding clubs often form around a site that's been in operation, or often a group of local sites. Beyond administering these established sites, maybe clubs could form a committee tasked with site acquisition?

I'm just thinking outloud here. Good luck and keep us posted!!
...and always fly safe so we can prove them wrong!!!

[Guest]

Personally ( and don't take my word for it, please) I think hanglider pilots should ridge soar any thing and everything, from the land fill hills to buildings, off houses and whatever will work. we should just go out and do it like some street skater jumping stairs at the police station. we should just do it and not even ask, but we can't. because we'll pobably get arrested or fined or something, plus not too many pilots are skilled enough to take the chance and not get hurt. Its probably not safe to set up a glider on top of someones roof any way. but if we were expert pilots we could do our soaring land and drive away before we got caught. some people might flip out and say, "that person is an idiot they're going to get killed" but then some people will say "holly crap I can't believe that guy is soaring the football stadium, That is so cool, I want to do that, I want to soar the hill behind the school". Because when we are soaring so close to the ground at public places, we're going to be seen and we will be promoting the sport. However this will only work an one condition, NO ONE CAN CRASH OR GET HURT, because if they do, everyone will no about it. and it will really hurt the Hangliding community.
So as long as accidents can happen (and they will happen) we have to play it safe and not make ripples. There are very few hills left for use as training hills and we have to do all we can as it is to keep those. I know I've always got my eyes open for more. The best one I know is the south side of the point of the mountain. I hope it will always be there.

[Jackflush]

I have a glider now and i want a chance to get hurt. I'm almost lost the heart for thrills. Society has closed in on us all. Litigation... Fines... Penalties... , these things are consequences for having too much fun... give your car a little throttle at the wrong moment, and johnny happens to spot you. You will pay at the courthouse. But it doesn't stop there does it. The insurance company gets to ride it as well. That is check my friend. My vote is for doing it like a drug addict. Take that wing up in the am. Go before the dawn to get yourself ready... then when the time comes... go home and waste away one more year. Let the grinding web of modern day money chess rub your last nerve off until that desperate day comes, as the ride of life is winding down, and you spread it all out as if it were a deck of cards, and point out that day when you turned around and went home. Noting that day as the point where the lies and the pressure won you over and we gave up.

Woo-ow! man I hope no one reads this!!!

[Davis]

Jack is of course a bloody idiot.

As well as an ignoramous.

But we won't have him to kick around for all that long.

Get high, fly far, pound in.

[RTylenda]

Geren?

[Scare!]

Get high, fly far, pound in.

Hah! I love it!!