Expanding Your Fishbowl

Flying in the CSS “Fishbowl” is loads of fun, and there are a lot of lessons to be learned here just from standard site flying. Experienced pilots are advised to try the progression below when they are ready to expand out beyond the fishbowl and execute their first XC flights:

  • Check out the Paragliding Thermal Maps or download the Google Earth file to find nearby thermal hot spots
  • Study the bailout LZs below to give yourself safe options for landing out
  • Fly to a new hotspot and return
  • Maintain sufficient altitude for a safe glide to a bailout landing zone
  • Repeat until your comfortable zone includes the new hot spot
Download Thermal Map

Airspaces

If one stays over the mountain range, it is fairly easy to stay out of restricted airspace, but there are a few airspaces in the area to consider when venturing out:

  • San Bernardino International Airport
  • Ontario International Airport
  • Redlands Municipal Airport (we are allowed to fly over, but before pushing out away from the mountains, ensure that you have adequate altitude to clear the middle of the runway with at least 500′. You must cross over the middle of the runway and avoid the approach and departure ends. Also be aware that between the mountains and the airport is a very active flight area, with many small planes and helicopters making their approach patterns. The area to the northeast of the airport is also an aircraft acrobatics box so best to avoid that area completely.

Do Not Land

There are many landing options going down-range to the east (as long as you’re out front), but it is best to avoid a few key places:

  • Avoid the San Manuel Reservation entirely. The local law enforcement is generally very friendly, but we are not supposed to land there and you may be written up and escorted off of the property. If you use Flyskyhy as your flight instrument, here is a custom airspace file that outlines the entire reservation so that you can avoid landing there.
  • Avoid landing in the forensic psychiatric hospital here. The big field is surrounded by a tall fence and you’ll be surrounded by state police before you can rosette your wing. Forum topic here.
  • If you’re in the area of the reservation, it’s OK-ish (provided it’s not a school day) to land in the Serrano Middle School field or the Belvedere Elementary School field.
  • Hangar 24 is a popular XC destination (fun to land and have a beer), but do not land on the road along Hangar 24 or in their parking lot. It is best to land in the fields at Redlands Sports Complex here, away from people. Hangar 24 is a very short walk from there so you can still have your victory beer and coordinate retrieve.