Looking for help with a HG trip to Santa Barbara

[franko]

Hi,
I'm looking for some guidance. I would like to take a trip to Santa Barbara to do some flying. I fly mostly in Florida and I'm getting the flatland blues.
Is May a good time of year to fly there?
Is it possible to find a hanglider to rent?
Who should I contact when I get there?
I would love to fly Big Sur is that easy to arrange?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Skippy]

Hey Franko,

May is kind of the tail end of our local flying season, but we often get some good days still. Then, it's better inland.

We have a club trip to Big Sur the last weekend in March. This is one not to miss.

Renting a glider? Not sure, but contact James Gardner at Fly-Away HG, our local instructor. His link is on our website. Also, if you haven't done any mountain launches yet, you definitely want to practice it first. We have a great training hill locally, and I'm sure James could get you up to speeed quickly. He's a great instructor.

Once you get here, you definitely want to be introduced to the local sites, walk the LZs, as we have some very sensitive sites, with specific guidelines to follow. Plus, for your own safety, you want to get a good briefing on how to maximize your flying experience here. Flying here can be challenging, but very rewarding and fun at the same time. It's all about knowing where to go, and situations to avoid. When you get here, or beforehand, contact one of the guides listed on our websites (free service), and you'll be in great hands.

We hope to see you out here!
Take care,
Skippy