About 140 paragliders and hang gliders took advantage of beautiful New Year's Day weather to hold their annual fly-in at Elings Las Positas Park. The 28th consecutive gathering was hosted by the Santa Barbara Soaring Association, but visitors from San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, and San Bernardino got in on the fun too. It's because we are located so close to the ocean, the air comes out over the ocean and gets very, very smooth. Santa Barbara weather is so amicable.
Winter is our best time for big flights, which is the opposite of other places.
Most of the fliers who descended into Elings Park launched from West La Cumbre Peak, about a 10-mile trip from the park in the air. Other popular local launch spots include Gibraltar Road and East Camino Cielo. Many gliders enjoy flying between Santa Barbara and Ojai along the coastal mountains. Altitude wise, heights of between 4,000 and 15,000 feet can be obtained from various county jump points. Turnout among paragliders and hang gliders was evenly split Monday, but Norris said hang gliding is much more established among the association's general membership.