North County flying

[ScottM]

I got my P2 rating a few years ago through Fly Above All, but I've never been able to get in as much flying as I'd like. I'm in Santa Maria, and it's an hour drive each way to get to the training hill. Maybe the situation has changed now, but I was never sure when and for how long the hill would be open. I understand a lot of that depends on the weather, but with the long drive it's discouraging.

Is the Guadalupe Dunes site still open? Does anyone fly there? And would it be a good practice area for a novice like myself? If the answer is 'yes' to all of the above, who should I talk to about an introduction to the site?

I'd love to go on one of the Pine Mountain campouts or something some time, but I really need to get my skills up to snuff first, and the only way I'm going to do that is just by spending a lot of time practicing. Any suggestions on how I can get in more practice without quitting my day job would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Scott

[JimmyZ]

Hey Scott,
I live in Lompoc. Unfortunately, the Guadalupe Dunes are kind of iffy as the flying dunes are on private land. You could get a trespassing ticket for flying there if you aren't careful, but it is a fun place to fly. You are also close to Plowshare (on the 166). Not the place to go fly by yourself, but a great summertime flying site. The Zaca fire might be interfering with that area, but it might be open. Also, there are some great sites in the Cuyucos/Morrow Bay areas.

**I've been wanting to check out the hills at the end of Main St. to see if there is access up there. Maybe you might want to give it a look-see to see if they are accessable. They look like a great ridge soaring place. Give me a call for some ideas. 805-451-5697 James Z.

[ScottM]

Who owns the land? Which part is the flying dunes? It's been awhile since I've been out there. And to be honest, for most of the hiking I did out there I was wearing a Search and Rescue uniform and we didn't worry about whether it was private property or not.

Plowshare would be fun. Reminds me of another SAR 'hike' some years back, to an... uh.. 'unplanned hang glider LZ'. At 2 in the morning. Good times. But anyway, I still need to address the issue of just getting enough flying time to feel comfortable before I go and hit some place like that.

Which hills are you talking about? I thought the ones at the west end of Main were the Guadalupe Dunes. Or do you mean out at the east end, across the river? I'm not sure they're angled well with respect to the prevailing winds.

[Kelly S]

I am also a P2 but have only been flying since march. I was recently introduced to a site at Deer Creek Rd on the north end of Malibu. It is about a mile north of Neptunes Net on the 1. It seems that there are always pilots there on the weekends. You might want to check it out.