"Hello, the temperature is 54 degrees. Over the past 20 minutes the wind was from 7 to 11 miles per hour and the average wind condition is SW at 9 miles per hour. Twenty minutes ago, the average wind condition was SW at 8 miles per hour…" SW at 9? Sounds like it could be a perfect Cheetah Ridge day.

Check the paper for today’s high tide, grab a water bottle and jump in the car with the trunk full of all required para-phernalia.

Ah, yes, Cheetah Ridge. First of all, why is Cheetah Ridge called Cheetah Ridge? Well, a Cheetah is a radio-controlled airplane that is inexpensive and sturdy. As compared to other RCs, the Cheetah can withstand sketchy landings in somewhat rough conditions. So RC pilots have named the southwest facing ridge at the entrance to the Dump parking lot, Cheetah Ridge. (And then there was that pilot who after having several beers in the parking lot, thought he saw a Cheetah standing at the edge, but that’s another story.)

What makes Cheetah Ridge unique and wonderful? Well, it is the most south-facing ridge in the area that is flyable. On days when it is too south for the Stables, Pacifica and even Walker Ridge, Cheetah Ridge may still be working because of its orientation. Although it is a small ridge which can’t support too many pilots, on a day when you can’t fly anywhere else, it’s nice to have this site. The cliff is relatively sheer which means that even if fairly light conditions, it can be soarable.

Most local pilots feel that Cheetah Ridge is an advanced site. There have been at least two serious accidents at Cheetah Ridge. In the first one, the pilot was paralyzed for several months and then gradually was able to learn to walk again. In the second one, the pilot drowned in the ocean. There have been many close calls which did not result in accidents but which provide a warning of the technical nature of the site.

So what makes Cheetah Ridge difficult and potentially dangerous? The first thing that comes to mind is the NASTY rotor that usually occurs over the middle of the flat section of the site. This rotor, depending on wind speed and direction can easily collapse a wing. It is imperative that a pilot does not land in the middle of the flat section, especially on a strong day. The rotor can reach quite high so even flying over this section can be dangerous. It is best to fly along the edge of the ridge, not dropping back over the center of the flat area.

The next big difficulty of Cheetah Ridge is top landing. This is related to the rotor. Obviously, you can’t land in the nice open flat area because you may get rotored to the ground. So if you want to top land, you have to put it down in several VERY tight spots. The intersection of the two dirt paths on the south side of the flat area is one and the fingers that stick out from the north-south section of the ridge (south of the south facing part) are the others. It would be foolish to try to figure out to top land based on this article. A pilot needs to be familiar with the site and have advanced landing skills before attempting to top land here. On some days the fingers won’t work because the wind is too south and they face too west. When in doubt, land on the beach. This is the safest, more straightforward place to land. Be sure there IS a big beach to land on BEFORE you launch.

The third difficulty of Cheetah Ridge is the fact that it is so small. If you are not familiar with the other pilots flying, it is best to have a maximum of three gliders in the air. More than that can become very complicated, although it has been done by people who are very familiar with each other’s flying and who have flown here many times. The usual pattern is a figure eight where the pilot turns at the northern tip of the site and at the southern high point of the ridge before the big gap. It is important that everyone flies the same pattern if there are three or more pilots. Otherwise, pilots end up hogging certain areas of the ridge which others probably want to fly in.

The fourth difficulty is the RC traffic. Cheetah Ridge is the primary radio-controlled airplane site in the area. Especially on weekends it is extremely crowded with RC planes. RC pilots must always follow the path of their own plane and cannot scan the whole area for traffic. The only time an RC pilot sees a pg is when we come within the range of their peripheral vision while they are looking at their plane. By the time an RC sees us, we are pretty close the RC plane. This makes for very tricky traffic. It is best if the pgs can get high enough to be above the area where the RCs are flying. If you must cross right in front of the RC launch at cliff level, ideally you will warn the RC pilots so they expect your passing by (e.g. "Paraglider crossing" or something which identifies your craft before you arrive in the midst of the airspace they are flying in).

The fifth difficulty is that if the wind clocks in a more westerly direction, which it often does, you may be in a bad way at Cheetah Ridge. If you start to feel turbulence off the northern tip of the site, plan to land on one of the fingers as soon as possible to avoid being rotored off the northern point.

Finally, do not cross from Cheetah Ridge to the Dump unless you are really high (like 200 feet above the ridge ideally) so you can be sure that you won’t be rotored by the points that stick out between Cheetah Ridge and the Dump. Crossing south to Pacifica is possible even on a south day but don’t get rotored by the north point of Pacifica (the knife-edged ridge) and don’t be surprised if you sink out. Pacifica is not a south facing site so you are unlikely to find sustaining lift there.

Cheetah Ridge is not a site for beginners, particularly when conditions are moderate to strong. Once your experience and skills are fairly advanced, then Cheetah Ridge can be a blessing when it is SW or SSW and you are dying to be flying. Fly high, fly safely and keep your eyes peeled for Cheetahs.