“Hang Gliding in LA” by Arnie Quast
For many years I have enjoyed bike riding along the beaches of Los Angeles during my airline layovers. Near our crew hotel lies a stretch of city beaches known as the “Strand”. This beachfront extends from Redondo Beach northward up toward Marina del Rey. A bike path runs along the Strand that provides for a relaxing bike cruise, and a perfect view of Southern California beach life. Along the way one can see the Hermosa and Manhattan Beach piers. As the trail winds northbound, it passes under the extended runway centerlines of Los Angeles International Airport, and into an area known as Dockweiler State Park. While I was bike riding through the park, I noticed a very unique site. There were people hang gliding off the tops of sand dunes. I pulled over and had to watch this facet of aviation that I really know nothing about. As I got closer to the dunes, I realized that this was a hang glider training site operated by a company called Windsports. I sat and watched in fascination as folks launched off the dunes gliding to the sandy beach below. This site obviously provides for an entry level area for folks exploring hang gliding. It looked peaceful, yet challenging. Would this be something I would ever want to try? On this visit, I chose to just sit and watch. I’ll have to admit it got some juices flowing, and perhaps sometime in the future I might ponder trying this. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few pictures, and some interesting links. Check this out!
