5:30 pm – This afternoon, one of the hang gliders who have been using a non-approved launch site this week-end up here on Plaskett, managed to over shoot his land site and land in the drink. A helicopter has been out trying to effectuate a rescue. When I know more, I will post more.
A most dangerous pastime.
When we lived in Portland, OR, I used to drive out to the coast to walk those wonderful beaches and watch the hang gliders. Lovely.
Hi Kate
I was flying an approved launch site at that time along with 3 friends. Everyone had safe landings and big smiles. There was no hang glider in the water that I know of. There was a helicopter in the area at that time but it was not a search and rescue helicopter.
I suppose its possible that there was someone else flying, or another group but we did not see them. If there was a glider in the water it certainly wasn’t the guys I was with, 3 US team members including the current national champ.
I’ll ask around the hang gliding community and see if anyone knows anything.
Are you sure about this incident Kate? I found out there were some pilots from LA here last weekend. They said they didn’t know of or see any hang gliders landing in the ocean. It also seems like a next to imposable thing to overshoot the entire Pacific Valley landing zone and reach the ocean.
I am not 100% sure of this. It was Sunday late afternoon. My son was watching the helicopter from his place up here, and said that a hang glider landed in the ocean and that the helicopter was attempting a rescue, but I personally did not witness it.
What I did witness were 3 hang gliders taking off on Friday morning from the Buttle property, behind the barbed wire and no trespassing signs, a non-authorized launch point, last I heard. The fog was on the coast, and the LZ was not clear. By the time I got down, 3 gliders were in the sky and the fog was dancing in and out of the LZ. Seemed a little “iffy” to me to take off in those conditions, but I am not a hang glider.
Thanks for the concern Kate. I am 99% sure there was only the 4 of us up there flying (and one Paraglider pilot.) None from my group landed in the drink. God forbid that ever happen, a rescue down in that cold water crashing on those rocks would be extremely difficult, especially since there is no Cell service in the area!
There were somewhat “iffy” conditions at times, you probably wouldn’t launch a low air time pilot, but these guys are some of the best in the world. We were also lucky to get some absolutely breathtaking scenery! The place is so magical from the air, you really have to see it that way!
dave