DESCRIPTION

Local Contact Jon Stallman is the site administrator. Contact Jon (cell phone: 530.864.5110 or home phone: 530.809.1081) to arrange a site intro prior to flying. Because this is a newly-opened site, everything we do will be scrutinized. We must go out of our way to make a positive impression -- follow all the rules and regulations and be respectful of the park's natural resources as well as the general public. Requirements You must have an official site intro before flying at Bidwell Park. Contact Jon ahead of time and, if he is not available, he will arrange a site intro with another qualified pilot. You must obtain a permit from the Chico City and Parks Department, during regular business hours. Jon can give you directions to the office. You will have to sign a USHPA waiver and show your current USHPA card as well as a drivers license or photo ID. The permit is good for one year and you must keep it with you while flying in the park. You must contact the Chico Municipal Airport tower between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM to open a soaring window in the Class D airspace. They prefer that you contact them via cell phone (530.345.8828), but you can also contact them via an air-band radio (121.00). Two-meter radios will not broadcast in this range, however, Jon has an air-band radio. There must be communication with the tower before anyone leaves the ground. Notify the tower, on the tower control frequency, and inform them in as few words as possible: 'Tower. Paragliders departing from Bidwell Park. Tower. Confirm.' Wait for a response from the tower to confirm the departure or restrictions. Flying at Bidwell Park Flying in the park offers beautiful views and great soaring opportunities. There are two rims: the North Rim and the South Rim. The best flying is usually along the North Rim. The South Rim can also be good, but it is currently closed, due to legal issues with a Disc Golf course. The flying is best with a south wind (5 - 15 mph), typically from March through October. There are many unique features of the park that make it soarable. There is a long ridge that faces south, offering ridge soaring in the prevailing wind. The wind comes from the flat Sacramento Valley, and has an oragraphic lift off the North Rim. There can also be fantastic glass-offs in the evenings that can last for hours (generally from 7:00 - 9:00 PM) in the summer. In the valley, below the ridge, there are some terrain features that can act as good thermal triggers. Pilots have experienced multi-hour flights, with thermal climbs to 3000' over launch. There can also be a convergence when there's a low sun angle in the evening that heats the valley on the back side of the ridge. With a light prevailing south wind (ridge soarable) and the heated backside a convergence of the heated air on the western slope, the prevailing south wind creates a smooth convergence that can send you to thousands of feet over the ridge. There are several cross country routes to the north, but they have their limitations. If you want to explore cross country routes, you should be prepared for a long hike out after landing. Your retrieve driver can meet you along Richardson Springs Road and Cohassit Road, followed by Ponderosa Way, which links Chico to Lassen Park. When the flying is good, there can be as many as 50 turkey vultures in the air, mapping the thermals. Watch the birds -- by observing their flight, you can see how strong the wind is or if there is turbulence. Other Considerations Avoid the power lines. They roughly mark the Class D air space. If you go cross country, stay to the east and you will be clear of Class D airspace. You will need to be at least 1000’ over launch to cross the high-tension power lines to Horseshoe Lake. We do NOT encourage crossing the power lines, as they have with large spans between the towers and are hard to spot from the air. Always be aware of horses and give them lots of space. Do not kite your glider around them and avoid landing near them. It can be very hot during the summer, so bring plenty of water for the hike to launch. Carry a first aid kit with you and know how to treat rattlesnake bites. Pull out Star Thistle while para-waiting at launch and in the LZ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1h3ak_jvn8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w9AYojNXVs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fa7SoijAjI

ACTIVITIES

- paragliding
- flatland
- hike
- soaring
- thermals
- xc

weather

Wind Conditions for Flying Call the Chico Municipal Airport's automated weather service (530.879.3850). The ideal wind conditions are, on average, are from 130° - 170° at around 10 mph, with no gusts. The site will often work with 180° - 190° winds, but the turbulence on the ridge in these conditions is dangerous. Monkey Launch: No more than 15 mph. At 18 mph, the lift band flattens. At less than 12 mph, it will be difficult to make it to the primary LZ. Julian's Launch: This is a cliff launch and is about 300' lower than the Rattle Snake launch, so you will need to bench up to get high. It has an open area, with no rocks, and a house thermal right at launch. Look for 170° at 10 mph, on the airport phone, and 160° at 15 mph on top. Rattle Snake Launch: Look for 130° - 170°, from 9 -16 mph. 12 mph is perfect. 16 mph is pushing the limits, with the steep gradient. Weather.com is the most accurate basic weather site for this area. If the weather forecast predicts that the wind will be south from 5-12 mph, then the winds will actually be southeast from 5-18 mph. Below 200', strong winds blow through the canyon from the west. When parking at Bear Hole, the wind may appear that it's coming from the west, but upon cresting thermal hill, and higher, the wind will be southeast. Avoid the south-wind rotors on the opposite rim wall. In the summer, there is usually an inversion between 3,000' - 5000'. Mid-day thermals can be like bullets shooting out of the LZ, especially on low inversion days. Always be aware of the wind speed and direction and don't push the envelope. There can be a strong rotor if the wind is too far from the east. For ridge lift: Look for 130° - 170° at 9 mph (reported from the airport phone). For ridge lift with thermals: Look for a good skew T lapse rate, with south winds from 130° - 170° from 4-9 mph. For convergence with ridge lift: Later in the evenings, the sun shines on the west slopes of north rim, while the prevailing wind is from the south. If you get up with ridge lift and then then manage to drift back on the rim, you can enter the convergence zone between the heated lee of the rim and the prevailing ridge lift. In these conditions, you can gain from 1,000' - 3,000' of altitude. For a glass-off: In the summer, the daytime heating transitions to glass-off conditions at around 6:00 pm. Even if the winds are 20-30 mph on launch, the delta breezes and central valley winds decrease and the latent heat lifts off until dark, making for magical, smooth flights.

access

Hiking to Launch (Note: This is a walk-up site. You should be in good physical condition, especially during hot, summer days.) Access to the lower launch (#1 or Monkey's Launch): Park your car at the Bear Hole LZ. It is .67 miles (as the crow flies) between the launch and the LZ and about 800' vertical. The trail has several switchbacks in the middle and one steep climb at the end. Walk across the trail on the open, relatively flat field, for 100 yards. Head up the main trail, which has a moderate grade for another 50 yards. Turn on another trail with a steep section for 50 feet. Walk across a small, nearly flat plateau for about 100 yards. The steepest climb starts at about 100 yards from the top and then there's a short walk through the grass to the launch. Access to the middle launch (#2 or Julian's): This hike is shorter, less steep and not as high as Launch #1. The trail leaves the parking lot and meanders through an oak woodland. It starts to climb the slope of north rim gradually. At the end, there is a small steep section to the top. It takes about 15 - 20 minutes, at a brisk pace, to hike to the top. Access to the upper launch (#3 or Rattle Snake): From the Bear Hole parking lot, take the trail heading toward the ridge, across the open field. There are three sets of trails that parallel the rim, located on the slopes of north rim lower trail, the middle trail and the upper trail. Take the lower trail up the canyon, until you reach a sign post labeled 'Live Oak Trail.' Take Live Oak trail up thermal hill, until a steep trail turns to the right. Climb to the top of thermal hill, cross the top on a relatively flat field and begin the final climb to the top of the rim. The last climb is steep and rocky and rattlesnakes are frequently seen in this stretch. Upon cresting the rim on the Live Oak Trail, turn to the right, into an open field after the small oak trees. This is the layout area and the initial launch for kiting over the edge of the rim to the main launch.

regulation

Other Considerations Avoid the power lines. They roughly mark the Class D air space. If you go cross country, stay to the east and you will be clear of Class D airspace. You will need to be at least 1000’ over launch to cross the high-tension power lines to Horseshoe Lake. We do NOT encourage crossing the power lines, as they have with large spans between the towers and are hard to spot from the air. Always be aware of horses and give them lots of space. Do not kite your glider around them and avoid landing near them. It can be very hot during the summer, so bring plenty of water for the hike to launch. Carry a first aid kit with you and know how to treat rattlesnake bites. Pull out Star Thistle while para-waiting at launch and in the LZ.