I'm a crazy high hour H3 HG pilot. Many flights in the owens, funston, Utah-xc, Nevada-xc, Illinois tow, Wisconsin tow, Texas nationals and world record encampment WRE; mostly so-cal (sylmar).

How do I go about flying torrey? I can't make it straight how to exactly fly there. If I can rock funston on a light day to westlake and back, can I handle torrey?

With your skills, you should have been flying Torrey long ago.

I learned to HG at Torrey back in 1975 BC. Before Concessionaire.

It was my first ridge soaring flight and first flight at Torrey. 5 or 6 passes on the north face, followed the suggested landing pattern and top landed.

I remained in the upright position for the entire flight.

Granted, there wern't any PG to dodge. But in those days you could fly north to the point and south of the pier.

If it's too cross, wait. Don't worry about some special skill that's needed to fly Torrey.

P-0 fly there right?

What's the hold up on your H-4?

I agree with everything Sam has said. Torrey should probably be an H3 site with a windy cliff launch sign-off. Many paraglider pilots make their first flights there ... P0!!

With your experience, I suggest contacting someone to sign off your H4. Please send me a PM if you want any suggestions.

If you didn't have so many hours, I might suggest going through Steve Stackable. You'd end up taking lessons from Steve which would eventually end up getting you an H4 (some call it a "Torrey 4"). But with your experience, you should be able to just get your H4 (as Sam has also suggested). Then you can come fly with us whenever you want.

Word up Bob and Sam.

Basically at Sylmar the H3 requirements are doubled. Time is so easy, you must have double the flight time and # of launches to get a H3 rating. We've got a tiny LZ carved into a dense urban area. For the H4 they want you to complete the observation requirements on the most complicated glider they've seen you fly. I rock an early T2-nonC. Some have called it a boat. I'm sure I could complete the landing observations on this machine, but I haven't even begun the process yet.

It's just weird that at Funston I can just chat with a local about my experience, and i'm stickered. Fly the entire deal make 20 landings per day at the site. 5 + days there. Fly almost to the Zoo to down past the mussel rock.

Yet I can't fly Torrey.

I guess it's all on me. I've got to get that H4 from my local crew.

tl;dr I guess I'm just complaining.

Hi OP,

I'm sorry that I've been busy and didn't get a chance to respond until now...

I got my H3 through Joe Greblo at Sylmar myself. I have tremendous respect for Joe, and I wanted his name on at least one of my cards. His standards were tough, and that's what made my H3 my most valued rating - even more valued than my H4. Thanks Joe!!

It sounds like you'd have no problem passing the H4 at Torrey. They do have a "program" there (Torrey) that's designed for highly qualified H3's to get their H4, but it costs some money. Please feel free to send me an email or PM if you want more details.


What's more weird (almost criminally "weird"), is that you can show up at Torrey with no flying experience at all (NONE) and be flying a paraglider there the same day. That's what has turned San Diego into a paragliding town. If it weren't for dedicated hang gliding instructors like John Heiney ( ), we'd have almost no new hang gliding pilots at all in San Diego ... even though we have one of the most famous hang gliding sites in the world!!