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Flying Torrey |
Welcome to Flying at Torrey
Pines
Flying at Torrey Pines is Fun and Exciting
Flying at Torrey Pines provides some unique thrills and
pleasures – reliable summer lift, sweeping vistas of some of
the best coastline in the West, and the opportunity to fly
with some very accomplished pilots – to name just three..
The Torrey Pines Gulls always welcomes new or visiting
pilots to come and fly at the Torrey Pines Gliderport.
Some of the requirements for flying at Torrey Pines are
modified for beginner pilots or those visiting for a short
time, and these accommodations are described elsewhere on
the website.
What Do You Need?
For residents of Southern California who are non-beginners,
there are 4 requirements for flying at Torrey Pines – 1) AMA
membership, 2) Membership of the Torrey Pines Gulls or the
Torrey Pines Scale Soaring Society, 3) everyone must obey
the Flight Regulations, and 4) Pilot Certification.
Hopefully the first three requirements are givens, but you
may have questions about the fourth, and I want to address
some of those potential questions below.
How Long
Does It Take To Get Pilot Rating?
For a skilled pilot with many hours of flying at other
sites, obtaining a Pilot Rating may take no more than
several minutes. For a novice pilot, or someone not
experienced in flying a sea-cliff with multiple types of air
traffic, obtaining a Pilot Rating could take a bit longer,
but the process is not designed to be arduous, and is
conducted in a friendly, win-win manner, with safety and
enjoyment of the sport for all at it’s foundation.
What is
Involved in Obtaining a Pilot Rating?
The first step is to secure the transmitter frequency on the
frequency board. Then, we check out the plane to see that it
is airworthy, the controls go in the right direction, and
the linkages are good. We ask if the batteries have been in
recent use and are freshly charged, and then conduct a
range-check. We may hand-toss the glider in the landing
area, or we may just launch it at the cliff, either with the
owner flying it, or the check pilot flying it if the pilot
is unsure for the very first time.
Flying at
Torrey Pines can be Challenging Too
Torrey Pines also presents some significant challenges:
strange and unexpected lift patterns and turbulence along
the cliff, which vary dramatically with wind direction;
flying in the same airspace as full-size, manned gliders;
and flying with sometimes numerous Hang-gliders and
Paragliders of varying skills and abilities.
How Do We
Mitigate These Challenges?
A set of Flight Regulations have been arrived at to permit
safe flying of all these modes while sharing the same air
and ground space, and a good student can assimilate the
meaning of some of these regulations quite quickly. But
experience of flying in this mixed-mode environment is also
essential to everyone’s safety and enjoyment, and that is
why the RC pilots had to develop the Pilot Rating program.
Think Safety!
The objective of the checkflight is to verify that the pilot
has control over the glider, can perform some basic
maneuvers AND CAN ANTICIPATE AND GIVE SIGNIFICANT CLEARANCE
TO OTHER AIR TRAFFIC, sometimes in crowded situations.
It Can Get Crowded at Torrey Pines
We expect a pilot to be constantly checking not just his or
her own glider’s path, but all around, for other gliders,
slow-flying Paragliders, and fast-flying Hang-gliders, all
of which can show up unannounced any place and at any
moment. Constant adherence to the “blue sky rule” is a must.
We also look for a competent landing pattern and landing.
Its Pretty Simple!
We typically ask for two flights and landings, and in some
cases ask for two different check pilots to provide
certification sign-off, each overseeing a separate flight.
If you are a good pilot, you can be certified in minutes; if
you need to gain experience in this somewhat unique
environment, you can do that as well. Once you receive a
Pilot Rating, you are then cleared to fly on your own, and
perhaps even help others through this pretty straightforward
process.
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What You Need?
Money:
$7.50 a day
$150 a Year
How long does it take to get pilot
rating?
Pilot rating forms you will need:
Novice
Intermediate
Advanced
Senior
What is involved in obtaining a pilot
rating?
Flying at Torrey Pines can be Challenging
Too
How Do We Mitigate These Challenges?
Think Safety!
It Can Get Crowded at Torrey Pines
Flight Regulations
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