i've been up twice now. great spot! much better than the hills around my house. who else on here flies at bluffs park? i figured it might be interesting to have a thread about the spot.

I've flown there a couple of times. It is a nice spot, but i find it does not have the greatest lift. I guess once you fly at fermin...nothing compares. The only thing i do not like about Bluff's Park is those damned rotors when you are trying to land. You should try driving an extra 10 min and go to fermin...what a rush!

Keith

tell me more about fermin. where is it?

Maybe the day I visited Bluff Park was a light day, but what I found was lots of guys and gals flying Zagi-style wings. I tried to fly my little DAW Me-163 Komet but was barely able to stay up. I found myself scouring the edge of the cliff the whole time

The think I LIKED about Bluff Park is that you would see cute girls walking/jogging by, the green parkway behind the flying area is a haven for picnicers, etc..., and it's an easy walk from your car to the flying site. One of the local flyers even pulled a trailer behind his bicycle containing his planes, a cooler and barbecue grille -- Southern California Beach Living, Baby!

What scared me was the likeliehood that I could inadvertently fly my plane into that four-lane boulevard

As others have said in this thread, there are lots of great slope sites along PCH and other coastal roads, within a one-hour drive of that area. If you don't mind driving farther north, I had a GREAT time flying at Point Dume in Malibu.

You guys are blessed with some amazing coastal and inland sites -- all within an hour or two of where you live. Gotta love that

Happy Flying ;-)

John

I live in Costa Mesa and work in Gardena and a detour past Bluff Park only adds 3 miles to my trip home so it's my usual "after work" slope venue. It's rarely unflyable but like others have said, the lift is often light and variable. During typical SW to W wind conditions it's in the turbulance from the Palos Verdes Peninsula and I've seen it dead and unflyable there when Fernin to the north and Dog Beach to the south were ripping.

But with a S to SW wind Bluff Park can really come alive. It's not known for "big slope" lift and I don't think it would ever support the 60-100 oz. molded missles they fly at Fermin but it can be a blast to fly with everything from combat wings and EPP planks to scale planes with light to moderate wing loading. At times those planes will really sizzle there.

The thing I like best about Bluff Park is the aforementioned mowed lawn at the top. The slope face also lends itself well to downed-plane recovery and there's a vast expanse of sandy beach between the slope and the water so it's my favorite place to maiden and trim out new planes.

Finally, the regulars are a pretty good bunch of folks.

Back Bay, Reef Point, and Dog Beach are all within 8 miles of home so I don't typically drive all the way to Long Beach to fly on weekends. But when I can get away from work early enough (a rare event these days ), you will often find me flying the evening lift at Bluff Park on weekdays.

Pete

I fly there alot, because it is not unheard of for me to toss out at lunch and fly for 30 mins, then go back after work and fly till sunset

Light lift is the word, but sometimes I get lucky and get a BIG day for huge pumps with my moth and 60" mustang, Like yesterday .

I think that that happens maybe 5 times a year

Lite planes and wings mostly.

I have flown Reef point with Pete and that is great, much bigger than bluff but not as big as Fermin.

Bluff is a good place to fly-- but it IS a "light lift" site. Given that-- if you have the right equipment- it can still be a lot of fun- and a nice sunny day on the weekend will provide EXCELLENT visuals!! You have to be careful on landing as it is in the public park area on the lawn-- so be sure to have a spotter 'clear' the area before so you can make a safe appoach without hitting any public 'parkers'!
Sorry-- NO HUGE PUMPS at LB no matter WHAT the conditions-- for that -- go to Bluff Cove / Fermin ? Rocky Point etc. farther up the coast.
Timmig

Young moms with little boys
Girls with boyfriends

First question... always:
How much does it cost ?.

Answer:
Free after our first date !.

Like I need more distractions when flying! LOL.

Lets not forget that it is a good place to maiden planes that can fly in light lift...as the recovery is not impossible, but there are better places.

Keith

Even when there is no wind, you can glide test and land on the vast sandy area below.
There is a stair nearby.

Pictures of Bluff Park

Taken Feb 2003

I just left Bluff park wind SSW at 8 to 15mph. and man do I love flying (maidened) a weasel there. It feels like there is so much more room than when I'm flying a raider or ridge runner there

weather/wind permitting tomorrow should be a "RIPPER" I know light lift go fly the real stuff at Fermin. I just don't think weasels belong there, but when my LEG air cobra gets here and gets built I will step up.

Calling all OC Weasels. Come give bluff park a try.

I'm about to quit even trying to go to Bluff Park. I've gone there after work no less than 7 times in the last 2 weeks and tonight was the only time it was flyable. All 6 other times the wind was either non-existant or blowing right down the slope. Tonight I actually got in about 15 minutes of mediocre flying but then the wind changed direction and started blowing straight down the slope again.

I find it strange that Bluff Park can be completely dead yet Dog Beach (which is only 9.56 miles down the coast as the crow flies) will be ripping. It's a longer detour from my route home but that's where I'll be going until there's a big change in the wind patterns.

I guess this must be what the sailors call the summer doldrums.

Pete