Crestline Soaring Society

Who: Organizer: Grant Groundhog Hoag & Hungary Joe
Participants: 30-40 pilots,and you!
What: Driving, flying, eating & drinking – Repeat daily for 3 days!
When: Fourth of July Weekend -- Saturday July 1 thru Tuesday July 4
Where: Hurricane Ridge & Cedar City near Zion National Park in Utah
Why: Fun flying the last six times we did it!

Qualified pilots are invited to join us on the Winds of a Hurricane Seventh Annual Fly-in. To be held on Independence Day weekend (July 1-4 Sat-Tue), last year 27 of the USA’s finest got high (14K) and went far (80 miles) in pure recreational flying. We always have a blast! Many pilots have made the trip 6 times. Most of the pilots are from Sylmar’s SHGA and Crestline’s CSS.

This free trip attracts intermediate and advanced HG/PG pilots and their non-flying companions (yahoos and wusses can stay home). Located 130 miles northeast of Las Vegas, we’ll fly Hurricane Ridge and Cedar Mountain. This is the place for first time XC, ‘cause Hungry Joe’s Flying Circus will open gates and point to green pastures, red cliffs, cool rivers, sandy fields, dust devils, farmlands and friendly ranchers.

Cedar Mountain is a morning site with easy XC flying over wide-open fields. Hurricane Ridge is a 15-mile windy escarpment jutting 400 feet above the desert. With afternoon ridge and thermal lift, you have got to fly over to the Zion River. Sinking out is a no brainer with road along all routes outta there. A 4-wheel drive vehicle isn’t needed for either (but is helpful – and that’s what friends are for)! Masochists can fly both sites in one day.

If flying bites, then Zion National Park is nearby (check out their IMAX movie with hang gliding in the Park). There are lots of rivers, bike trails and restaurants nearby.

Many will be camping at Red Ledge Campground in Kanarraville near the morning flying site at Cedar Mountain, with hot showers, picnic tables at a grassy camping site (and 3 cabins available through Grant). There are hotels around, which are a little antisocial, a lot more expensive, but cooler and cleaner.

We will have an orientation meeting on Sunday June 18th in the SHGA LZ at 6 PM. Want someone to share gas? Need a ride? Speak up at the meeting. Two weeks later on Saturday July 1 we will meet in the center of Hurricane at 9 AM near the Chevron station. Spend the prior night in Vegas to chow down, sleep in a cheap bed, and cut the drive in half. Don’t be late (and someone always is) -- we don’t wait for stragglers.

Send an email to Grant to let him know you are coming. He doesn’t need your reservation, but he will send you a bunch of maps, photos and info.

Grant: (h) (949) 387-5976, (c) (949) 370-8446
Red Ledge Campground: (435) 586-9150 http://www.redledgervcampground.com/