It seems that one of life's great pleasures, and dreams, is flying high above the bluffs, beach, and ocean...at least at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla, CA. Humankind has dreamed of flying for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Indeed, we have the story of Icarus from Greek mythology, who fell to his death after getting too close to the sun and melting the wax holding his artificial wings together. Wilbur and Orville Wright dreamed of taking flight...and did so at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. So flying in the sky, for many, is now commonplace and something we just take for granted. Hangliding, or paragliding, is NOT quite the same (but that is based purely on my observation, as I have not yet ventured into the sky...but that's a distinct possibility). Powered by the wind, one is lifted high in the sky to float silently along the coast, much like the sea birds we see flying aimlessly in the breezes The Torrey Pines Gliderport offers a variety of opportunities for folks to experience the thrill of flying, powered only by the wind. They offer tandem flying with an instructor, USHGA individual lessons to earn certification as a beginner, intermediate, or advanced pilot, or you can sign up for private lessons. You can also buy your own equipment - a new paraglider costs $2700 - $3400; chutes are $495 - $675; harnesses are between $250 and $800; and helmets are $170 - $265. The on-site sport shop offers a range of equipment and gear, and there is a casual restaurant - one can enjoy being a spectator watching the pilots take off while enjoying a snack, and appreciate the fabulous views are up and down the Southern California coast for miles. There is ample parking for folks to enjoy the spectacular scenery and the hangliders; or be venturous and take a hike down a rather treacherous path to the beach hundreds of feet below. The views are incredible. Take note that there are restrictions on where you can fly - flying over the local mansions, estate properties or industrial/commercial buildings, as tempting as it might be, is forbidden and will result in loss of privileges (and no refund). Whether you are ready to take flight, or simply want to enjoy a great outing with amazing coastal views, the Torrey Pines Gliderport is a great outing for an afternoon. </ |
Paula - hmmm, wonder what that means? I have gone parasailing in the Caribbean so am seriously thinking about this. We'll see. But for now I enjoy watching from terra firma. :)
Jeff
Jeff - LOL. Yeah, I suppose I did. But it's so far down that unless you know about it you might not be aware unless you are really looking. :)
Jeff
Ah, Linda, there are no guarantees in life, are there? BUt the gliderport states they have an accident free 10 year, which I say is pretty impressive given how many I saw there (at least 30) when I was visiting.
Jeff
Jeff... some neat pictures. I was adventurous in my time, but I am not sure about hangliding. I did bungee jump twice though. How come you didn't get a picture from a view of a hanglider? lol "reporting live, from the air, this is Jeff Dowler".... lol
LOL, Jeff. Trust me, if I do go up in one of those contraptions I WILL have my camera and I will record my voice for posterity.
Jeff
Debi - LOL. Now did you ride UP the volcano too? That does NOT sound like fun! :) Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Jeff
I have begun a NEW segment of my life since I started "Powered paragliding". It is similar to the beach flying but with a motorized backpack fan to push you forward and let you 'walk' into the sky! Here in central Texas there are not as many opportunities to find those constant winds or hills needed to launch as mentioned above, so we employ the motor to push us into the sky. It is SUCH an AWESOME experience I recommend it to anyone that can carry a 50 pound backpack and has always wanted to see what a bird sees!! It is the safest, cheapest, most portable, exciting thing I have ever done and no license is required! While those folks on the beach and the mountains fly in higher, bumpier wind conditions, we powered paragliders typically fly in the morning and evening when the air is calmer and fly more "carefully" and thus safely. It is a bit more spooky to fly during the middle of the day when the heating of the ground by the sun causes 'thermal' air columns that can bounce you around up there and it is a little less fun when you have the backpack on, at least in my opinion.
I am so glad that I have added this experience to my life and look forward to retiring from my career in the fire dept and travel the country seeing the USA from high above! I work part time as a home inspector and try to schedule my days so that I have evening time to FLY! I'll put in some photo/video bits in a later blog.
Blue Skies!
Here's my 2 youtube videos to see what it looks like!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyD8Ij_uMH8
Enjoy! More to come.
Glen Kotulek
Home Critique Property Inspections LLC
www.HomeCritiquePI.com
Providing quality home inspections in Austin area and central Texas area!
GLen - thanks for stopping by and for sharing some information about your powered paragliding. I took a look at the videos - what fun. I may have to give that a try. But I haven't even tried paragliding powered by the wind so I may have to do that first.
Jeff
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