How is the flying in Santa Barbara?
Ojai is soarable almost everyday during the dry season. Santa Barbara offers spectacular scenery and the convenience of a paved road The easy coastal ridge lift works on and off at several local cliffs, and Pine Mountain has the big air and high altitude for advanced pilots. Local flights along the coastal range from Santa Barbara to Ojai are common. When conditions are favorable, seasoned pilots are launching from Santa Barbara and extending past Interstate 5. Pilots fly from Ojai to Fillmore and beyond on a typical summer day and from Ojai to Santa Barbara when LA is raked by the Santa Anna Winds. Pine mountain is omni-directional and pilots typical reach altitudes of 9 to 15 thousand feet from the 7,000 foot South Side launch. It’s not uncommon to climb above 17 thousand when cloudbase is up there, but beware, Pine can get too windy for paragliding.
