Torrey Pines Gliderport

Torrey Pines Pilot Association

Urban Bliss  Torrey Pines Gliderport (TPGP) has be one of the most conveniently located sites in the world (see driving map) .  It is a coastal ridge site with about four miles of flyable ridge (depending on conditions).  As a function of its accessible location, TPGP can get very crowded with paraglider, hanggliders, swarms of RC gliders and sometimes even sailplanes all having to share airspace.  Because of this crowd factor, TPGP requires a P3 rating with a minimum of 50 hours in order to fly as well as a thorough understanding of the "Ridge Rules".  Once your comfortable with the local rules, TPGP can be a really great site.  For details on the services provided by Torrey Pines visit the Torrey website

CURRENT WEATHER-courtesy of Richard Parry

The Launch Window:  This is the starting (and hopefully finishing) point for your flight about 300 feet above sea level.  It's real important for everyone that you understand the launch window concept.  The premise is real simple: Don't hang out in the window (between the flags), pass through quickly while blowing your whistle--only one glider in the window at a time. Sounds easy enough, right?  The other side of the coin is that while your down on the grass, be alert to other gliders landing--listen for whistles.  Once you launch you can right to the North Face or work your way south to the mansions.  Some people like to hang out and fly the corner on the south end just beyond the window.  This corner provides good lift, but there's not much space. (see photo)

The North Face:   is the easiest spot to fly and the one that works on the weakest conditions, so it's often the most crowded.  Tends to work better than most spots if the the wind is a little north.  It can get really crowded here with hangs, paragliders, tandems and Torrey student (on radio, so it's not too uncommon to see at least a half dozen or more devices flying in a 100 meter area.  But the upside is that when it is good, you can get good lift here and it's proximity to the water is appealing for maneuver practice. (see photo)

Golf Course:   is the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course as seen in the PGA tournament in the Spring.  It's not quite as high (maybe 200 feet), but it is set back farther from the beach making for a better thermal sources in front.  It is seperated from the North Face by a gap which can be problematic on the return if the conditions deteriorate.  This area favors a touch of southwest in the wind and the little bowl on the north end of the first ridge can develop a little venturi effect and is a good place to get some lift in the right conditions.  The more northern section of the golf course is a little more south facing.

Flat Rock (Bathtub Rock)/State Park:  The rock is a good landmark for explaining the trip to the State Park.  This is one of the more challenging flights as there are spots where the ridge is very small (less than 50 feet) and if you land out, you risk a $400 ticket from the Park Rangers.  If you have a hundred feet or more on the north ridge of the golf course and the wind is pretty much straight on (with a hint of south) than head straight for Bathtub Rock and then the State Park--don't try to milk any little lift you might find, just go.  If your less than 100 feet over the beach at Flat Rock, you might consider turning around and going back to the golf course.  Once you pass Bathtub Rock, you are at the point of no return--you have to make it to the State Park and regain your altitude on the bigger ridge there.  Once at the Park, you can work that face and sometimes the thermals coming off the parking lots.  It's a cool spot because you have all the tourists in the park right below you and the nice shape of the ridge means you can fly right next to them.  Once you've gained some altitude you can dash back to the north end of the golf course.  It's one of the nice challenges at TPGP.

Mansions:  If you head south of the launch you'll work your way past a rock outcropping called the rhinohorn (often a good house thermal) and into a bowl surrounded by oceanfront mansions.  This bowl works really well when the wind is more southerly.  If you pass through this you'll come to another nice cliff face right before another gap (the Black's access road).    This spot puts you directly over Black's beach (a classic California surf break) so sit back and enjoy the view.  This cliff face is great and there is a small parking lot below in the gap that is a great trigger.  The problem is the mansion at that corner is off-limits, don't consider flying over it. (see photo)

Burial Grounds:  Here is another nice cliff face (although the roughness of the face makes it a little rotory in cross conditions) that works well in a good wind.  The place is good to paly around on if the North face is really crowded, but it slopes slightly less than the better faces and doesn't usually get as big, but you can get good altitude here.  Once you get good altitude here your ready to try for the pier.

Scripp's Pier:  This is more of a goal than a soarable spot in that there is no real ridge lift to be found here.  If the conditions are good, you can fly all the way over the tip of the pier and make it back to the ridge.  There can be some good lift in the parking area of Scripp's Institute of Oceanography and on the really epic days, you can use this and fly up towards the Birch Aquarium (the hangs do it no problem)