Over the years, many birds have come to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary and have been given a second chance to find a new life and special home. Hence, Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary eventually evolved into a one of a kind exotic bird sanctuary in San Diego where birds and people interact together.ĭr. Stonebreaker dedicated his entire career to providing a special and unique environment that would create awareness and encourage public interaction with their exotic birds. Stonebreaker noticed that some of his clients were unable to care for the birds and brought them back to him. Our first stop was a visit to Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar, California.įree Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary was originally established in 1981 as a boarding and breeding facility by Dr. You can easily spend an entire week exploring the area and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Last Friday, I finally had a chance to pack up the kids and head down to San Diego to explore a few tourist destinations. There are many unique places to visit and numerous activities for families to do. The following list is just a small selection of the numerous alternative sources of advice and information about our sport available on the internet.All summer long I have been wanting to take a road trip down to San Diego. But when first learning to fly, initial instruction must take place within the safe environment of a BHPA registered school.įor further information about taking up the sport and the various disciplines within it, please visit our learn to fly page. The British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (BHPA) is the UK governing body for all these different disciplines within our sport, and has a network of recreational clubs throughout the UK looking after the needs of qualified pilots and flying sites in their own area. The majority of young people in the UK are probably not even aware that it is possible to take off from level ground and fly with human power at all.īut it is, thanks to the work of the RAeS Human Powered Flight group, who are now part of the BHPA free flight community. Human powered flight has been out of public awareness since the English Channel was crossed nearly 30 years ago by Bryan Allen in the Gossamer Albatross. Human powered flight is another, more recent, branch of our sport. You can then take off from a flat field, rather than a hill. If you wish, you can also "strap on" an engine and turn a hang glider into a powered hang glider, and a paraglider into a paramotor. To find that elusive thermal, a rising pocket of hot air, and circle in it to stay airborne and hopefully gain altitude. This particular technique allows the line to be released at much higher altitudes.īut whatever the launch technique used, the goal is the same.
Hang gliders can also be launched by being towed into the air behind a microlight aircraft. The tow line is then released by the pilot when sufficient height has been gained. Modern hang gliders and paragliders can be launched by running off a hill, or by being towed into the air on a line attached to a winch on the ground. The use of modern materials that combine strength with light weight have helped create personal flying machines that can be packed away quickly, and carried on your shoulder.Īn aircraft that in expert hands can climb up to three miles high, and cover distances in excess of 260km, with no power save the movement of the atmosphere itself. Modern hang gliders and paragliders are sophisticated high-tech wings that have turned the dream of Icarus into reality. Free flight is a catch-all term that has come to define the closely related sports of:įree flight has progressed considerably in the UK since 1971, when Geoff McBroom, Les Hockings, Steve Stanwick, Howard Holdie and Tony Gillette, constructed one of the first hang gliders in the country, with balloonist Don Cameron making the sail.
Welcome to the fascinating world of free flight.