COME FLY WITH ME

There are MANY things to do in the San Diego area and one activity that I have on my bucket list is to visit the Torry Pines Glider Port. Many years ago, they launched gliders or sail plains from this location, but today they only launch and retrieve hang gliders and paragliders.

On a day with westerly winds of around 10 mph, I drove over to check out the doings. I just stood around and watched tandem paragliders take off from the cliff, sail around for a while and then gently settle back to earth.

After a half an hour of watching, I decided that I wanted to fly too. After all, what could go wrong? So after 12 pages of paperwork, I was a certified member of the United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Assn. I was what they called a Student Pilot.

Onto the field I went and met my pilot. There on the ground was what I was putting my faith in to lift us two guys into the air and fly around.

He instructed me as to how this tandem flying worked. The trickiest part is getting the parasail up in the air with us both harnessed together without putting us both on the ground. Once we had the dance routine down and the sail up we both walked off the cliff and were airborne. (see below)

It was nice to look UP and see this canopy overhead.

We flew around the area for a few minutes and then we headed up the coast a ways to Torry Pines Golf Course.

I checked out the beach as we headed back south and passed the Glider Port.

We kept going south until we came to the Scrips pier.

Along the way we glided over a High Rent district.

After turning back we spotted this little place.

We had spent 25 or so minutes gliding up and down the coastal cliffs at Torry Pines. Now it was time to come back to Earth.

Until Next Time