50′ launch at Ed Levin

Launches

Ed Levin’s launches are named for the number of feet above the landing zone.  The training slopes are called the 40′, 50′, and 60′.  A mid-hill launch for training called the 150′. The main training hill is called the 300′.  There are 3 launches from the 600′ hill, called the North, West, and South launches.  The top of the mountain, called the 1750′, has a North launch, South launch, and Backside launch.

Please refer to the site procedures for rating requirements, recommended wind speeds and direction, and glide ratio to the LZ.

All of the launches at Ed Levin are grassy slopes. Most have an excellent angle for encouraging great launches. There are no trees or other obstructions at launch, nor are there any significant upwind obstacles to create nasty rotors when launching into recommended wind directions. Caution is required when launching from the 1750′ Back Side launch. Conditions that make this launch useable can place the LZ in rotor when the wind is strong. When doing a backside launch, you should head towards the LZ immediately, as you can get trapped on the back side and not make the gap leading to the LZ. You should think twice before using any launch when the wind has any East component. Even if the flags on the 300 and 600 foot hills appear to be favorable, it’s it may be rotor from the top of the ridge curling around and blowing back up the slope when the winds are strong. In these conditions, launching might be uneventful, but you may find yourself in significant sink as you fly away from the hill, and have a tenuous glide all the way to the landing zone. The 40, 50, and 60 foot training launches have a fairly shallow slope, and require aggressive takeoff runs.

The following procedures are taken from the Ed Levin Site Procedures.

Pilot Proficiency Requirements

*All USHPA “Required Witnessed Tasks” must be completed including the written exam.  Additionally, the student must be under the instructor’s insurance to provide 3rd party liability coverage equivalent or better than that of a USHPA member.

Pilots may connect with members of the site introduction team by joining the Site Introduction Telegram group.  A link to the group is available on the chat page.

Emergency Information

First-aid equipment is available in a lockbox in the landing zone, 20ft North of the vehicle entrance gate. Locate the lockbox and learn the combination before flying Ed Levin. There is a pay phone in the LZ which can be used for emergencies. Calls to 911 do not require any payment. Please also print and review the Emergency Procedures listed in the Ed Levin Site Procedures.

In addition, please submit a report for any accidents, incidents, or site concerns via the Accident/Incident/Concern Reporting Form.

Visiting Pilots

Flying Ed Levin as a visiting pilot is somewhat challenging due to our high level of regulation and oversight.  Included in this is the requirement to have multiple waivers filed with the club and county parks, and significant restrictions on the use of launches for Novice pilots (H2/P2).

You can not fly unless accompanied by a current WOR member.

Please refer to the Ed Levin Site Procedures for additional information and view our Visiting Pilots page.

Visiting pilots may connect with members of the Site Introduction Team by joining the Site Introduction Telegram group.  A link to the group is available on the chat page.

Road & Weather Information

Road Information for Ed Levin Park
408-355-2200, then menu 4, then menu 6

Best soaring conditions
Ed Levin is usually soarable from the top launches in pre-frontal conditions. Post-frontal generally can’t be done because the road to the top is closed when wet. For the same reason, timing your pre-frontal flights can be challenging. More than one pilot has had to leave their vehicle on top until the road was dry enough to pass, sometimes several days. Ed Levin is not generally thermal soarable in the summer due to an omnipresent inversion, but some of the best pilots seem to be able to break through the inversion or get long flights below it. Legend has it that on perfect days, some pilots have launched the 600 foot hill and managed to work their way up the ridges and over the top.

It’s beyond the scope of this website to provide you with a comprehensive list of weather resources, but the list below might prove helpful:

Windslammer
Mt. Alison Wx station (closest station to Ed Levin, but at times it’s significantly different from local winds)
Windy airgram

Gate / Lock Combinations

Combinations are printed on Membership Cards and changed February of every year.  The combination can only be shared with active WOR members and drivers who have signed the Ed Levin Waiver.

ALL individuals (spectators, drivers, etc.) who ride in a car past the gate must sign an Ed Levin Waiver.  Completed waivers should be placed in the Lockbox. Pilots must inform drivers of Site Procedures.

Anyone who gives a pilot a lift up the hill must first confirm (before heading up) that the pilot meets the requirements for the launch to be used.

Please refer to the Site Procedures for requirements.

Landing Zone Characteristics

There is a single LZ at Ed Levin used by all launches. It is a very large grassy field, with trees defining the southern and eastern boundaries in sort of a tipped over “L” shape. If the wind is anything between 90 and 270 degrees, you should take care to stay far enough back of the trees trees to avoid any rotor. The most common direction in the LZ is WNW, but it does vary, especially when fronts are passing through. One of the attractive features of Ed Levin for the newer pilot is that since all launches use the same LZ, for a given wind condition the same landing approach can be used for any of the launches at 300 feet or above. For example, one can fly from the 1750 foot launch arriving over the LZ and burning off altitude until they are just above the 600 foot hill. Then they can fly the same approach last used from the 600 foot hill given similar conditions. As always though, be aware of current conditions and don’t count on everything being the same as your last flight.

Tandem Flights

Tandem flights at Ed Levin are permitted only by a pilot who has:

1. A current USHPA membership card on their person showing an appropriate Tandem rating or Tandem Instructor appointment
2. A current WOR membership card on their person.

Unless a tandem student has proof of WOR membership, the tandem pilot must have the tandem student either:

1. Register on this website as a student pilot
2. From their My Account page, complete the Ed Levin Park Waiver

or

1. Fill out a hard copy of the Ed Levin Waiver and place the completed registration form and waiver in the Tandem students folder in the Ed Levin landing zone lock box before the tandem student enters the flying site.

All tandem students must have a USHPA membership (temporary or full). A tandem student must not enter the Ed Levin flying site without a USHPA card obtained in one of the two ways listed above.

The first big field south of Ed Levin, just south of Calaveras Road, is highly sensitive and should be avoided if possible.