Best Hang Gliding Center Escondido Near Me

4worldlovers: The Black Mountain Open Space Park Glider Port / Little Black / LB has a Long and Rich History of Glider Free Flight dating Back to the 1930's and that tradition Lives today! See: SDHGPA Free Flight History & Black Mountain Open Space History Article


The Black Mountain Open Space Park Glider Port is commonly referred to as "Little Black" or "LB" to differentiate the site from the other San Diego county Black Mountain in the Cleveland National Forest north of Ramona.


Little Black is a small mountain site located in the Rancho Penasquitos community and offers great soaring conditions from late fall through spring. There are occasionally good glass offs at this site during summer. While not always as consistent for easy soaring as some other sites in San Diego, Little Black offers challenging technical thermal and ridge soaring, with lots of lessons to learn. Little Black can provide many pilots a very short sledder and leave them scratching their heads, while others that have paid their dues will sky out. Little Black often is the best post-frontal site in the county and several good XC routes exist. This site is also a great training hill due to the variety of launches available and easy open LZ.


All pilots (including tandem passengers) must have a valid USHPA membership.


All pilots must be current SDHGPA members and stay informed of site protocols.


Soaring and Gliding is regulated in City Parks under SD Municipal Code 63.0201 and requires a permit. SDHGPA maintains a permit on file and all permit requirements for SDHGPA members.


Vehicles Parked in the LZ must display Current SDHGPA Vehicle ID/ Gate Pass. This also helps to account for all pilots at the end of the day.


Starting June 1st 2016: Each School and Instructor must also clearly display the SDHGPA Verified School Vehicle Pass in all vehicles at Little Black with Little Black ​on the Vehicle Pass and School Card. Schools are required to have a City Business License for operation in SD parks and meet those requirements. See Instruction Protocol.

It is a good idea to display your SDHGPA Parking Pass to ID your car at the end of the day and account for all pilots


Helmets are required while ground handling, kiting, or using the training hill.


After a rain: Please respect gate closures by parking across the street in the Black Mountain Ranch Park (Ball Fields). Do not park at the Gate if closed to allow for unrestricted emergency vehicle access if needed . . .


Do not walk up the face. This is a sensitive rehabilitation project. Hike only on the "Glider Point Trail" to the east of the parking lot north end (this trail begins at the kiosk).

Be mindful of rattlesnakes on the trail, launch, LZ, and parking lot throughout the year.

Under no circumstances should you land near or on the water storage property immediately west of launch


Ensure you know the airspace restrictions around Miramar and the Ramona Airport if you plan to go XC

All flights, including kiting, from SDHGPA Little Black launches and LZs must be motorless "Free Flight"

Formal instruction in the Black Mountain Open Space Park requires a San Diego city business license.

All participants in setup, launch, launch assistance, flight, and landing activities should be current members of USHPA, having signed the current USHPA Release, Waiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement.

All participants must comply with all FAA Rules and Guidelines applicable to the setup, launch, flight and landing activities at the site.