Coyote Lake is presently closed to all flying for both
paraglider and hang glider pilots
until the access permit is reinstated.
Coyote Lake Park is an excellent site for hang gliding and paragliding because the natural terrain features a safe takeoff and a easy to reach landing area. It is ideal for pilots with a proficiency from an intermediate to advance rating.
Coyote Lake Park is a part of the regional park system administered by the County of Santa Clara, Public services Agency, Parks and Recreation Department ("Parks Department"). Oversight of lying at this site is provided by the Wings of Rogallo Northern California Hang Glider Association (WOR) by authority of a special use permit issued by the Parks and Recreation Department, and in accordance with County of Santa Clara Ordinance Code B 14-193. The launch site and access to the launch site in administered by the Santa Clara Open Space Authority.
The negotiations for opening the site has taken the better part of a decade and accessibility to it we hope will become readily available to the club membership and visiting pilots in the spring of 2010.
The site contains one launch area, the 'Timber Ridge' launch which is approximately 1000-ft. vertical above the Landing Zone. Accessing the road can only be done past a locked gate. Additionally, a the dirt road up crosses a creek that we have permission only to drive across if the underside of our vehicles clear the water level.
The Landing Zone is a short glide over a small river and a narrow band of trees. The field is a reasonably large sized rectangle but requires a conservative approach wary of a few oak trees within and a line powerline poles running parallel and in between the road and the LZ. The wind often will rotate north crossing the short side of the rectangle.
Looking north you can see the relationship of Coyote Lake to the LZ in red and the Launch in blue.
The efforts to open Coyote Lake to flying is attributable to two WOR club members: Jim Woodward (a hang glider pilot) and Gene Pfeiffer (a paraglider pilot).
Send comments,
corrections and contributions (photos and news) to the
webmaster.
