The Stables is a very scenic flying site to the south of Fort Funston. The cliff is only about 70 feet high but rises straight up from the beach and provides excellent soaring conditions with a great westerly orientation. The dunes and the coastal vegetation make a really pretty place to fly, particularly in the spring when you can enjoy the wildflowers as you cruise along the ridge.

The northern limit to the site is the knob south of the old training bowl. The knob referred to here is the last section of cliff that rises maybe 40 feet above the beach to the north of launch before the cliff becomes almost nonexistent. You cannot fly further north of here and absolutely do not want to fly in front of the Fort Funston hangglider launch because of the untold grief this will cause.

The launch at the Stables is a large open area and it is great for practicing kiting but do not hog the launch by standing there all day kiting. If pilots want to launch or land, give them the right of way.

In a southerly condition, watch out for a rotor coming off the high point in the south ridge if you come into the launch area on the south side. It is better to approach from the north and land before you are in the rotor. The ridge is not that high so it is not obvious that a rotor may exist but it does in a southerly condition.

Also, do not fly too far back of the tarp and try to land. You may get rotored back here from the wind coming off the front of the cliff. The launch is excellent for practicing touch and go's because it is level and open. Just watch out for traffic as you are landing and launching.

And don't fly the back ridge even if you see hanggliders doing it. You run the risk of being blown back on a strong day or rotored when you descend from the back cliff. The front cliff provides plenty of lift on soarable days and you can practice your scratching skills with the beach to bail out to if necessary. Since the cliff is only 70 feet the walk up is not that bad but watch out for horses coming down through the narrow canyon. Just be aware of when the high tide will be for the day (check the paper before you go flying) and be sure there is always plenty of beach when you fly.

Be sure to follow ridge rules and CLEAR YOUR TURNS. In a site such as the Stables ridge rules are essential because you are basically sharing one ridge with all the other pilots unlike other sites where there are multiple ridges at different levels. If you are not sure, review the rules in the site regulations. Some of the basics include: Always go the the right as you meet an oncoming glider. The glider above watches out for glider below. If you are in close proximity to a glider who turns in front of you, you follow the glider. If the glider is a safe distance away and turns, then you pass to the right of each other because the other glider will have sufficient time to come back to the ridge, after the turn. Also, if you must pass another glider, pass with sufficient room to the inside, not the outside of the other glider. If you pass on the outside and the other glider starts a turn you will have a midair collision.

Every pilot must clear their turns by looking in the direction they plan to turn BEFORE they initiate the turn. It is extremely dangerous to start the turn without having made sure that no one is behind you. You could have a midair collision if you do not clear your turns.

In addition to parglider traffic, you may encounter hangglider traffic as the hanggliders go from the Funston launch to Westlake and back. Follow all the same ridge rules with hanggliders but remember that they are generally traveling MUCH faster than you so you do not want to block their path. Also, hanggliders have a low profile so they are somewhat harder to spot if visibility is restricted. Be aware and fly defensively.

Remember that all of the coastal cautions that apply to other coastal sites apply to the Stables. This includes never landing in or too close to the water, never flying in fog, watching for changing conditions such as whitecaps and wind lines and so on.

Finally, in case of an emergency, there is a telephone booth at Fort Funston just east of the parking lot along the road that leads in from Skyline Boulevard. Read the site regulations for more safety and accident handling information.

There is also a sponsor program at the Stables for Para 2 pilots. A sponsor is a Para 4 pilot who is designated as a sponsor. The sponsor will give the Para 2 pilot a site introduction and fly with their sponsoree at the site at all times. The sponsored pilot is supposed to land on the beach at the end of their flight. This is because the hangglider sponsor program at Fort Funston specifies that the sponsored Hang 2 pilot lands on the beach. For more details on the program and to become a sponsor or to find a sponsor, contact the Site Director, Dave Sondergeld.

All in all, the Stables is an excellent site for ridge soaring, scratching, practicing touch and go's and enjoying really scenic flying. Avoid the crowds and soar the Stables!