60 JULY 2016 MARIN
Is it mostly for thrill seekers? Despite the inherent danger of launching off a steep surface into the air virtually unprotected, the gliders of
Mount Tam don’t exude adrenaline junkie vibes. “There’s plenty of days
where the conditions aren’t right, and I don’t fly,” says Ernie Camacho,
a member of the Sonoma Wings club. Camacho, who’s been gliding since
the 1970s, drove up to the launch site with his dog to watch friends fly
and help bring their gliders up from the beach when they landed: “I don’t
have a case of the ‘just go for its’ anymore.” Time has also tempered other
members’ zeal. Beerman and Ray both recall launching several times a
day when they first got into the sport but nowadays are satisfied with a
single flight.
When is the best time to go hang gliding? From Mount Tam, the optimal
seasons are winter and spring, as the air instability from storms is good
for soaring. Even though as a site the mountain is ranked intermediate
in difficulty, at times conditions can become extreme. “Once, we had a
funnel cloud develop rapidly after what seemed to be good flying conditions,” says Beerman. “When hang gliding or paragliding any where, it is
important to check the wind direction/velocity, the visibility — including
clouds and fog — and the stability of the local air mass, which depends on
pressure fronts and the lapse rate.” For beach landing, gliders should first
check how much land is available, which depends on tides, sand volume
and how crowded it may be. And since Tam is in a state park, find out
whether the National Weather Service has declared a red flag fire warning, because the park will be closed when that happens.
Where do people go hang gliding? Locally, MCHGA launches from Mount
Tamalpais. Fellow Feathers on the Peninsula has a launch site at Fort
Funston; the East Bay club Wings of Rogallo flies from Mount Diablo,
Mission Ridge and Ed Levin County Park; and up north the Sonoma
Wings club glides from Goat Rock State Park, Mount St. Helena, Elk
Mountain, Hull Mountain, and Mount St. John in Stonyford. But hang
gliders fly all over the globe — from Yosemite to New Zealand.
Why should you give it a try? “Statistically, scuba diving is more dangerous than hang gliding,” Beerman says. In fact, since the club’s inception in
1976, only t wo injuries and two fatalities have been reported by members.
The perks of gliding from Mount Tam are obvious, given that it’s one of
the most picturesque peaks in the state, with panoramic views of San
Francisco, the Pacific, the Delta and the bay. “Hang gliding has always been
a serene feeling of absolute freedom for me,” Beerman says. “But as I’ve
aged, I find that just hanging out with my friends who fly is more important to me.” As a bonus, hang gliders sometimes might glimpse a “glory,”
a unique optical phenomenon resembling a circular rainbow, created by
sunlight interacting with tiny droplets in mist or clouds.
How do you get started? The MCHGA website has many useful links, and
instruction is available Bay Area–wide from schools like California Hang
Gliding in Pacifica, Bay Area Hang Gliding in Fremont, and Merlin Flight
School, which operates from various sites. mchga.org, californiahg.com,
bayareahanggliding.com, merlinflightschool.com m
This image: Soaring
above Stinson Beach.
Opposite: Phil Ray (top)
and David Beerman
(bottom right).
