Prevent Water Landings | Launch Location Information | Avoid Blowback
Rotor Awareness | Dumps Site Checklist | Emergency Contacts
Launch Specifics and Bailouts
Launches at Mussel Rock Park
Landing Areas and Bailouts at Mussel Rock Park
Lemmings
Lemmings Launch, Primary LZs / Bailouts
View from Lemmings Launch
Please note, the knob is no longer there, it fell into the canyon!
From Lemmings Launch, most pilots get up soaring the steps area between the launch and first slide area. More experienced pilots will cross straight to the Westlake cliff. In winds of about 10 MPH+, but their experience to know how high to be will be better than the newer pilot. Newer pilots should hedge their bets and get a little higher before heading north.
While trying to get up from Lemmings, pilots will need to get a little higher than the start of the “old Highway 1 ledge” on the larger cliffs. When pilots approach the first canyon and are more than or 15 ft above the road, there is a good chance they will be above launch when they head back. If a pilot returns from a first pass and is near or below launch level, it becomes prudent to plan a landing at the best bailout for this launch, the saddle area.
Bailout LZs from Lemmings:
Between the saddle and lemmings, if the pilot has enough altitude, pilots can crab to the area just downwind of the saddle, execute an approach, and land at the saddle. If they are high, they can continue, past the saddle, south on the upper road.
Newer pilots should not fly below the blue line in the below photo. If they somehow end up below this line, they would then need to plan a landing either on the middle road, steps, sidehill (where possible), or lower road.
When a pilot is not high enough to bail to the Saddle or upper road, it is often possible to land on Gusto launch. On a NW day, landings will require a bit of a run out after mellow crab into the wind at the start of the flare.
Further bailout options include landing on the lower steps or lower road. These are on the list ahead of landing on the beach, but the above options (Saddle, Upper Road and Gusto) will be easier and safer.
Walker Launch
Walker Launches and Walker Ridge
Bailout LZs from Walker Launches:
Any of the upper LZs on the plateau are easy to reach from Walker Ridge.When pilots attempt to go around the corner and soar the Westlake cliff face and need to bail, it is prudent to do so with enough height to make the upper LZs (The Plateau, Saddle or Upper Road). If a mistake is made and altitude is not there to land somewhere in the upper LZs, then the other bailouts should be used (The Steps, Middle Road / Gusto and lastly, The Lowest Road).The beach should be the final option only if the tide is low enough to make this suitable.
Walker Launch, facing the corner
When venturing around the corner on a light day, the Old Hwy 1 is a bare minimum threshold to indicate if you are staying up. The corner is part of the ledge that was the old Highway 1. If you round this corner and are not above this road level and maintaining or climbing, you should turn back immediately and set up and keep enough altitude to land at any of the primary LZs (The Plateau Area, The Saddle, Upper Road or Gusto). If you continue and reach the first slide and are not ascending above the road, you should head back to ensure you can reach one of the upper level landing areas.
After turning north, around the corner, the only bailout is the beach. On days when there is no beach, pilots should stay well above the road level.
View Looking North Past the Corner
Bailout LZs from Walker Launches:
Any of the upper LZs on the plateau are easy to reach from Walker Ridge.
When pilots attempt to go around the corner and soar the Westlake cliff face and need to bail, it is prudent to do so with enough height to make the upper LZs (The Plateau, Saddle or Upper Road).
If a mistake is made and altitude is not there to land somewhere in the upper LZs, then the other bailouts should be used (The Steps, Middle Road / Gusto and lastly, The Lowest Road).
The beach should be the final option only if the tide is low enough to make this suitable.
Jungle Launch
Jungle Launch
Some pilots use Jungle Launch when the wind is SW. This launch is trickier than Walker, as the ledge in front requires the pilot to kite up about 30 feet to take off. Because of this, this launch is more for P3 +. Pilots launching at Jungle Launch fly out first and then soar to the south along Walker Ridge.
Bailout LZs from Jungle Launch:
Any of the upper LZs on the plateau are easy to reach from Jungle or Walker launches. If a mistake is made and altitude is not there to land somewhere on the plateau, then the Middle Road/Gusto areas, The Steps and even the Lowest Road bailouts are there. The beach can be an option only if the tide is low enough to make this suitable.
Tomcat Launch
Tomcat Launch
Tomcat Launch works with winds from WSW to NW. Since the shallow sloped cliff mainly faces WNW – NW, winds with a north component (WNW and NW) are best. Pilots with more skill and experience at Mussel Rock will launch on WNW and NW days and attempt to either cross to the Steps area and soar up from there or sometimes jump all the way to the Westlake cliffs past the corner.
Hazard:
On SW and WSW days, the wind passes over Mussel Rock and creates a rotor at Tomcat Launch. Launching and landing at Tomcat are not recommended when winds are from this direction and moderate to strong in velocity. On such days, just hike to Lemmings or Walker launch and avoid this.
Continue to next page (Avoiding Blowback)
