High flyers drop in to celebrate New Year's holiday

Sky sailing: Paragliders and hang gliders fill the skies for Elings Park Fly-In

1/5/01

By LEAH ETLING

NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT

About 140 paragliders and hang gliders took advantage of beautiful New Year's Day weather to hold their annual fly-in at Elings Las Positas Park.

The 28th consecutive gathering was hosted by the Santa Barbara Soaring Association, but visitors from San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, and San Bernardino got in on the fun too. Past association activities director LeeAnn Norris said Santa Barbara is the "very, very best" destination for those who fly without planes.

"I'm biased, but I believe that's really true," said Norris, who works for a local gliding instructor. "It's because we are located so close to the ocean, the air comes out over the ocean and gets very, very smooth. Santa Barbara weather is so amicable. Winter is our best time for big flights, which is the opposite of other places."

Most of the fliers who descended into Elings Park launched from West La Cumbre Peak, about a 10-mile trip from the park in the air. Other popular local launch spots include Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo. Many gliders enjoy flying between Santa Barbara and Ojai along the coastal mountains. Altitude wise, heights of between 4,000 and 15,000 feet can be obtained from various county jump points.

Turnout among paragliders and hang gliders was evenly split Monday, but Norris said hang gliding is much more established among the association's general membership.

That's because paragliding hasn't been around as long -- the sport has been on the rise in the U.S. since the mid-1980s.

"Paragliders are similar to hang gliders in that they are foot-launched and foot-landed. The pilot lays the canopy out on the ground, puts on the harness, launches by running down a slope, and quietly glides down to the landing area below," wrote Chad Bastian, a certified instructor, on the Fly Above All website.

In contrast, hang gliders are bulkier and constructed with metal struts, but they fly faster, and can handle more diverse weather conditions.

Protocols of the air are similar to driving down the street in your car, Norris said. The glider who enters a thermal (a column of air rising from the earth) sets the direction gliders behind them will turn.

Those who are lowest in the thermal have the right of way, because their visibility is limited and those above them have more leeway to see them and move.

Landings at group events like the New Year's Day Fly-In aren't a problem because launch times are spaced out.

Professional instruction is required before you can fly on your own. Novice certification usually takes a beginner six-to-10 lessons.

"The most wonderful thing about flying is that it attracts a wide range of people," Norris said.

Most are in their late 20s through mid-50s, and generally have disposable income -- getting set up with your own equipment costs around $3,000. Purchasing the requisite materials, new or used, isn't recommended until you are well into a training course.

"There is no age limit," Bastian wrote. "The bulk of the active pilots seem to be a little under 30 through a bit over 50."

"There are a lot more men than women, but there are those who will tell you that women can do better at it because most of the flying takes more finesse," Norris said.

Powering a paraglider successfully is dependent on technique, rather than brute strength. Knowledge of weather patterns is one of the most important skills required.

"We encourage flying with other more experienced flyers for awhile," Norris said. "Understanding the subtle things that can tell you it's not a good day is important."

There are about 300 local members of the Santa Barbara Sailing Association. Other events besides the New Year's Day fly-in include group trips to fly around the state.

"I guess our resolution is it's a wonderful day and a wonderful thing to do," Norris said.

On the ground after their New Year's flight, arrivals to the park enjoyed live music, food and conversation with other airborne aficionados.

"It's nice to be able to tell stories of all the flights you took to people who might actually want to listen," Norris said.