Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who manages flying at Marina State Beach?

Marina is a California State Park. The Coastal Condors serves as the official site steward under USHPA and in coordination with State Parks. While we do not own or control the land, we manage the site under a shared-use framework that ensures pilots can fly legally and safely.

2. What is the Coastal Condors’ role at Marina?

Our responsibilities include:

  • Providing USHPA site insurance — without which the site would be closed to foot-launched flight.

  • Monitoring compliance with USHPA safety standards.

  • Communicating with California State Parks and other agencies when issues arise.

  • Helping educate pilots and preserve the fragile dunes and site infrastructure.

  • Maintain windsock, weather station, info board, sign in, tie downs, and other club related things.

Without a USHPA club managing these responsibilities, this site would be closed to all flight activity.

3. Is instruction allowed at Marina State Beach?

No. Instruction is only legally allowed at state park sites through a formal concession agreement with California State Parks. That does not currently exist at Marina. When the last legal concession (Western Hang Gliders) ended, the right to instruct legally ended as well.

Tandem flights for money are considered commercial activity under State Parks rules and are therefore prohibited. Flying at Marina requires a minimum H3/P3 rating so student instruction would always be out of the picture. An instructor could only give instruction if no compensation was taken, and they were only instructing H3/P3 plus pilots.

5. Can H2/P2 (Novice) pilots fly at Marina?

No. Marina is a H3/P3 (Intermediate) minimum site, based on coastal wind conditions, launch hazards, and flight dynamics. This rating is enforced as part of our USHPA insurance agreement, agreement with state parks, and is non-negotiable.

8. What happens if someone breaks the rules?

Violations — including flying without a valid USHPA rating, flying in a manner that endangers the public, disturbing threatened Snowy Plover nests, relaunching from dunes that are closed, or attempting to instruct — are logged by the club. Depending on the severity:

  • The pilot may receive a warning or ban from the site.

  • The violation may be reported to USHPA or California State Parks.

  • Repeat offenses could jeopardize access for everyone.

Most all Coastal Condors rules are in alignment with California State Parks official rules for flying at Marina. State park rangers can cite visitors in the park that break any of those rules.

9. What if I see someone flying or instructing illegally?

Please let us know at info@coastalcondors.org. Include the pilot’s name, date/time, and any supporting info (photos, video, etc.). All reports are kept confidential and help us maintain safe site access.

10. Why can the public run on the dune face, but I can’t skim across them with my glider?

For years, the Coastal Condors have worked closely with State Parks staff to understand and support their goals for protecting the fragile dune ecosystem. Our current agreement reflects that shared understanding:

  • Pilots are only permitted to launch and relaunch from designated dunes.

  • We are welcome to land anywhere on the flat beach along the full stretch of the flying site.

  • We are not permitted to land, hike or kite up, or skim on the rest of the dune face.

So while it may look like the public is allowed to “run on the dunes,” that activity is discouraged as well — and is often contained to more durable, trail-access areas. But as pilots, we agree to a higher standard, because:

  • We’re operating under a formal understanding with State Parks,

  • Our actions affect whether flying at Marina remains permitted, and

  • We want to model responsible stewardship of the land that makes our sport possible.

Every time we respect this agreement, we’re helping to protect the future of flying at Marina.

11. Is speed flying allowed at Marina State Beach?

This is an important distinction — and we want to clarify it fully for the community.

Speed Flying Is a Separate USHPA Rating

USHPA recognizes speed flying as a separate discipline from paragliding. A speed flying rating does not qualify a pilot to fly at Marina.

Marina is a P3 minimum paragliding site. That means all pilots must:

  • Hold a P3 rating or higher in paragliding, not speed flying.

  • Be current USHPA members.

  • Follow the site-specific rules agreed to by Coastal Condors and California State Parks.

 Mini Wings Are Allowed — But Must Be Flown Responsibly

Some mini wings (typically 15–20m²) are flown by P3+ pilots at Marina and are currently allowed with an P3+/ M1 sign off under our rules. However, not all mini wings are appropriate, and we urge pilots to assess the following carefully:

  • Wing loading matters: Mini wings flown lightly loaded behave more like paragliders and can stay aloft in lift bands without aggressive flying. Heavily loaded wings behave more like speed wings — fast, low, and punchy.

  • Glider type is less important than flight style: What matters most is how you fly it.

If you’re flying low, making repeated fast passes up and down the dune face, or launching from steep, fragile slopes, that behavior is not acceptable, regardless of your wing size.

Speed Flying Behavior Is Not Compatible With Marina

Speed flying is typically:

  • A fast, aggressive, up-down style of flying,

  • Flown low and close to the terrain,

  • Often done on fragile dune faces that can’t recover from erosion.

This style of flight causes significant and cumulative erosion, especially when done repeatedly throughout a day or weekend. It’s also not the style of coastal soaring that we’ve agreed to with California State Parks.

We are incredibly lucky to fly at this beautiful site — and it is only possible because we’ve committed, as a USHPA Chapter, to a minimal-impact, ridge-soaring style of flight that avoids damaging the dunes.