As a general rule of thumb, Elsinore is not recommended for “new” or inexperienced pilots (HG or PG), and it is advisable to hook up with (competent) locals or other visiting pilots that have experience there.  Doing sled rides early in the day from Edwards or within Edwards bowl and landing at the primary LZ usually should not involve much unusual risk, unless there are strong cross winds from (relatively) North or South winds. Strong Cross winds will result in rotor behind either of the two spines that make up the Edwards bowl.  Overall the entire Elsinore ridge has a lot of spines and irregularities that make it NOT a laminar flow ridge like much of the flying at Crestline or Marshall.  Edwards typically has morning updrafts from the valley that build up thru the morning, but then are reversed into a downhill (tailwind) launch conditions due to the normal onshore flow reaching Elsinore, and that typically happens mid-day, but can be affected by the bigger or overall weather or wind patterns that may be passing thru.  Despite this brief overview, I strongly recommend you hook up with someone with experience flying Elsinore for your first flight(s) there.  And later in the day beware of passing sailplanes, especially if they are flashing the Claw out of the side vent 😮.  See you in the air, Alan.

By the way we are just coming into the best months of the year for ridge soaring Elsinore due to off shor “Santa Ana”winds.  Great fun flying, but again seek out experienced pilots before you try to fly in Santa Ana conditions

A little “community notes” for the OP.   The Sailplane/Glider club (Lake Elsinore Soaring Club) has not requested these notifications.  The Glider Club sub-leases the land we operate on and access to the Skylark runways from the Skydive Operation and we do report to them on the days we are operating.  I am not aware of any legal requirement (FAA or otherwise) requiring foot launched gliders from Elsinore checking in with the skydive operation, but as stated, with the oftentimes increasing aerial congestion, it would be prudent to comply with their request.  I would say anyone flying the Elsinore area and out to Soboba (and beyond) should have their head on a constant swivel for sky dive planes (Elsinore and Perris and even HMT airports), for sky dive planes and skydivers, power planes (especially ones following the freeways), military planes, sailplanes, hang gliders, paraglider, ultralights (and even fresh water pelicans at times😮).  If you have an air band radio you should monitor 122.9 around Elsinore airport, 122.775 at Perris airport, and 123.0 around Hemet airport.  Those frequencies are not for idle “chit chat”.  Most sailplane pilots going XC out of Elsinore or Hemet will be on 123.3 or 123.5 once they get away from the airports.  Traditionally the few HG and PG pilots that actually use radios and flew out of Elsinore have used 144.120 on the 2 meter or Ham radio frequency.  Of course visiting groups of foot launched pilots may be using their own group frequencies or often frequencies from their home flying site, so it can be “hit or miss” (pardon the term)  trying to reach folks on the radio.  Additional fun fact:  if you want a sailplane to buzz you around Elsinore look for a SGS 1-34 or a Pilatus and make it obvious that you are filming with a Go Pro  🙄.  That may apply to an all white fiberglass CZ-304 glider now that Smoking Joe has one.   By the way anyone interested in learning more about the Elsinore Sailplane Club,  here is a link to their website:

http://www.soarelsinore.org    Or   http://www.lescsoaring.com

see you in the air, Alan

So any PIREP of how the flying was at the fly in.   Is it too early to ask when the next one will be?

😢

Hello Tom, or anyone else interested in “air chair” style gliders like the GOAT.  Floyd Fronius sold his Red Goat glider a while back, and was planing to build another one.  I don’t know if he has done that yet.  Tom, I will text you his email address.  There are a couple of CSS members that along with me, own a Super Floater glider that we keep at AJX.  I also have my own Super Floater as well as a GOAT glider, and we have a partially restored BUG air chair glider.  We have not been flying them much lately and I have only flown mine recently (well not that recently) at Crestline, for fly-ins, and at Torrey pines as they are better suited for ridge lift type of days, although we have, and you can, winch launch and aero tow them.  I believe we could take on a new partner or two on the Super Floater at AJX and it would be great to have some “new blood” which would hopefully motivate the 4 of us to fly them more.  Alan Coffield

Still have the Pilatus, and looking forward to some more “glider tag” (Jonathan) now that we are coming into our Santa Ana season with the spells of good ridge lift and occasional wave.  I usually have my 2 meter radio on at 144.120 when flying Elsinore if anyone wants to say allo.

only pic I could grab with a quick look was this: