I can finally cross Torrey Pines off my bucket list!
I would imagine that the majority of people who take part in the hobby have a “bucket list” of sorts. It could be aircraft that you want to build and fly, an event you want to attend, or a special place where you’ve always wanted to fly.
I was finally able to satisfy the latter with a fantastic slope-soaring experience at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla, California.
The triumphant feat was two years in the making. On my last visit to Torrey Pines the air was so calm that flying was impossible. Fortunately, just being there to take in the beautiful landscape and long history helped make up for the lack of flying — certainly a first for me!
This time, however, I would not be denied the opportunity to soar above the Pacific Ocean with the subtle sounds of waves cascading below. Having no aircraft to fly and never having had the pleasure of throwing a perfectly good aircraft off a cliff, I enlisted the help of Marty Dine, the president of the Torrey Pines Gulls. He provided all the pertinent safety information and some tips on how best not to lose my borrowed glider.
The airplane, a Multiplex Solius glider, and the radio, a Hitec Aurora 9X, were on loan from Shawn Spiker of Hitec, who also attended. I’m happy to report that I was able to gain and maintain altitude, powered only by Mother Nature, for my entire time at the sticks. Thanks to Marty and Shawn for such a memorable experience!
If you have never tried slope-soaring or visited Torrey Pines, I highly recommend it.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
