Marshall Info
Waypoints
- Overview of the Site (including waypoints) - KML, JPG (image of waypoints)
- WPT - Official waypoints for SoCal XC League
- KML - 2016 Google Earth list of all waypoints for SoCal XC League
- San Manuel Reservation (KML LZs, KML Cylinder - 1.63km radius, JPG1, JPG2, FAS - airspace file)
- Redlands Aerobatic Corridor - (KML, FAS - airspace file)
Launches
- Marshall: Main launch, works from SE to W, possible to get off in East
- Crestline: Upper launch, mostly used for hang gliders, can get nice sunset glass-offs in the summer. Blown out mid-day for PGs. Works from SW to SE
- 350/400: Training hill launches accessible by hiking or ATV. Possible to climb out on good days in the afternoon.
- 750: Training launch accessible by hiking from LZ or 2wd drive up fire road from LZ.
- Regional: Useful when highway road is closed. Access is by same road as 750 but high clearance is suggested.
Main LZs
- Andy Jackson Airpark: Nicest piece of grass in all of SoCal for landing with many amenities for pilots.
Out Landings
Borea Canyon
- 34.166215, -117.244906
- Located about halfway between Arrow and the Casino this small unassuming LZ is a great place to land that isn't on reservation land! We've had several pilots land here and there is a friendly home owner that will often greet you with a cold beer and even let you take a quick dip! This will be added as a waypoint for 2015!
Redlands Airport/Hanger 24
- Listed as "HANG24" in Marshall Waypoints
- A great place to land rather than the dam but there are a few things to know!
- We aren't required by law to use radios and we are allowed into the airspace around Redlands airport. Note that other than hangs and pg's flying into that place pretty much ALL traffic have and use radios. The main reason is the fast approach speeds and limited visibility most planes have. They have found that communication has important safety benefits.
- We are by law required to yield right of way to ALL traffic except to powered ultralights. This is where it gets sticky. Effectively yielding right of way implies some sort of communication. If you see traffic approaching and decide that you will do a 360 to delay crossing the path of that approaching traffic until it passes, but the pilot of that traffic doesn't know you plan to do this and is consequently sweating, wondering what you are planning as he is approaching at 100 knots toward you, perhaps even deviating his flight path and perhaps even making things worse for both of you, then in effect you have not yielded right of way. It all comes down to communication.
- I recommend that anyone planning to fly to the brewery have and use their aviation handheld set to 123.05 but check a sectional for the latest CTAF for Redlands. It is such a simple solution. No advanced planning is required and it conforms 100% to the way the traffic already communicate with one another. It is legal to do without the need for an FCC license. They are cheap and the protocol is easy to learn.
- Do not go on glide towards Redlands airport before Harrison as you will enter San Bernardino airspace
- My recommendation for the league is that we use a shared radio by a retrieve driver that also has a HAM. As pilots leave Harrison to go on glide they can radio over the league channel and have the retrieve driver repeat on the air bands.
- Dual use HAM and Airbands don't exist, these are your current options: Aviation Radio Comparison
Weather
Likely the most flying days in SoCal if not the USA. The only thing that shuts it down is North wind in the Winter and thunder storms in July/August. Most launches happen after noon due to the slight SW facing slopes. The predominant factor for day quality is the inversion which typically caps out most days at 5,000', look for pre/post frontal days or North/South switch days to eliminate the inversion.
Rules
- Must be USHPA members with P3 or similar. May fly here as a P2 with sign-off from a local instructor and not in mid-day conditions.
- $10/day or $100/year membership can be paid on site at the club house.
- No aerobatics below 700'
- Be familiar with differences between PG and HG landing patterns.
- When the white X is out on the LZ land immediately, a helicopter likely needs to come into the area for a medical emergency.
- No dogs on the LZ grass
XC Details
- Marshall is a fantastic spot for first XC flights with lots of flyable days and ample bail outs in most directions. Best times of year are late Sprint and early fall (like most places in SoCal). Summer can get shut down by inversions and thunderstorms. Winter time is often shut down by very strong North winds.
- EAST: The most common direction, taking pilots down to the Seven Oaks dam with an easy SW tail wind. The two paths are either out front on the foot hills or on Crestline ridge deep in the terrain. Hang gliders tend to frequent the back ridge more often since they can handle the strong winds better than paragliders. An option for the back ridge is to visit Keller Peak or attempt a deep push to Big Bear Lake.
- The main restriction to the East is the San Manuel Reservation. They have asked pilots not to land here but since McKinley, directly behind the reservation is such a key trigger it can be stressful to go low into this area. Best bet is to fly slowly over the lower terrain and tank up before hititng McKinley. If you don't find a thermal at McKinley and are sinking out, push out to Walmart or East to a bailout just past the reservation. See the jpg and kmls linked at the top for landing details. Putting a 1.63km radius cylinder around 34.149465, -117.220980 will keep you outside of reservation land. This cylinder extends much further South than actual reservation land and is only meant as a guide for LZs over deeper terrain.
- McKinley Mtn, directly behind the San Manuel reservation is the best thermal after Arrow but for some reason it can be extremely turbulent. Often times the thermal can be further out front than one would normally think.
- Harris is the next mountain after McKinley and for pilots flying South to Redlands airport and the brewery is the last stop. Keep in mind that the Redlands airport has asked us not to fly over them since they are doing helicopter training there. I will be communicating with the airport to see what compromises can be made here so that the league can attempt a flight there one day. Heading South before Harris will put you in Class D airspace.
- After Harris, the terrain gets low again and you are only a short glide to the Seven Oaks Dam. On good days with not too much West wind it is possible to fly back from this point and makes for a great out and back flight
- See the section on the Redlands Aerobatic corridor for details, this is located over the Seven Oaks Dam with a 2 nautical mile radius.
- Beyond the Dam you have the entrance to the San Gorgonio valley and the city of Yucaipa. It is not recommended to head South or East past Yucaipa since the Banning pass funnels the wind in and creates very dangerous conditions. Only those with intimate knowledge of local weather attempt this crossing to the South and I have only heard of it on hang gliders. Some pilots also try to push up the valley to San Gorgonio which is possible but requires good weather knowledge to make sure the winds above 10,000' are not excessively strong.
- NORTH: Reserved for big air days with heights above 10,000' to clear the Crestline ridge, only a few days a year make this a viable option and generally only hang gliders take this option due to strong desert conditions behind launch.
- WEST: This direction is generally limited to a few KMs due to increasingly strong winds funnelling up the pass on most South or West wind days. This option becomes viable on N/S switch days when the convergence keeps the wind moderate in the pass or on light East days which are few and far between. The other option to the East is to jump the pass and fly the front range. This was accomplished by one of the leagues more daring pilots during thunder storm conditions and with a gust front blowing from the East to provide a tail wind and ample lift!
- SOUTH: Mostly blocked by airspace but on a high day one could surf over the airspaces, very uncommon route, though some hang gliders have flown to Marshall from Lake Elsinore
Redlands Aerobatic Corridor
- Forthcoming - 2 nautical mile radius around Seven Oaks Dam from 1500' AGL to 7000' MSL
- http://flytandem.com/radio/index.htm
- http://flytandem.com/xceast/index.htm
Community Pages
Amenities
- Camping
- Limited a/c power
- BBQ and drinks
- Limited internet
- Swimming hole
- Showers
- Port-a-potties in LZ
- Varitey of training hills for kiting and first flights
- Large ATV for rides to 350'/400' launches
Contacts
