POM South Side Rules​

• Follow all posted Utah State Park regulations.

• Motorized aircraft may not launch or land on UHGPGA or State Park property. Motor pilots must remain clear of the Flight Park when under power.

• Wear a helmet any time you are attached to a glider.

• Kiting in or upwind of the hang glider set-up and landing area is prohibited. The HG set-up and landing area is clearly marked with a line of high-visibility pink 'whiskers'. PGs please remain clear of this area.

• The Launch Box is the area between the pattern flags extending 20 feet back from the windward edge (see diagram above). When the pattern flag is green, enter the Launch Box, proceed to the edge and launch. No kiting or sliders in this area. If airborne and you see someone in the launch box, assume they are attempting to launch and give way.

• Pilots wishing to kite or perform sliders should do so east or west of the pattern flags (screw-around areas).

• Immediately before launching, clear traffic and yell “Clear” or “Launching.”

• Adhere to USHPA Ridge Rule procedures.

• Clear the LZ immediately after landing. Remain alert for incoming gliders as you clear the LZ. You may not kite in the LZ, but kiting is permitted in the raised gravel area to the east of the LZ and parking lot.

• Vehicles are to remain clear of the LZ at all times.

• Land before official sunset (FAR Part 103). Gliders with approved strobes land no later than 30 minutes after sunset.

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Incident Awareness and Response

• Fly with the Zello app open in the background and the UHGPGA channel live. Click here for app and channel. Announcements will be made over the channel, just like walkie talkie.

• While airborne, be alert for the lights or sirens of emergency vehicles below. They may be responding to a flight incident or accident in the Flight Park or its environs.

• The presence of emergency vehicles, smoke canister, and/or a car on launch with its lights on and alarm sounding requires you to land. A helicopter, gust front or other hazard may be approaching. Secure wings as soon as possible.

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Staying Safe at the South Side

• The maximum recommended wind speed for P2 pilots is 15mph, and 18mph for P3 pilots. Site is flyable when winds are from 160° to 200°.

• The site is best flown in the first 2 hours of the day and last 2 hours of the day, especially for beginners. The site changes quickly from beginner to advanced pilot type conditions on most days during the mid morning. In the morning, be sure to show up early to fly as a beginner. Use extra caution when flying the South Side in the afternoon/ evening. South wind in the afternoon generally means that there is a change happening with the weather. Many local pilots do not fly the South Side in the evening. 

• Be aware that students and visitors unfamiliar with USHPA’s Ridge Rules may be in the pattern with you.

• Avoid blow-back conditions. Stronger than anticipated winds can rapidly carry you north towards towers, power lines and steep gravel pit drop-offs behind the camper parking area at the rear of the park.

• The Point of the Mountain has a lot of tandem and student activity. There are also a high number of visiting pilots who may be flying the sites for the first time without a guide. Ask a local or an instructor how the traffic situation looks on a scale of 1-10. Traffic conditions can vary from (1) good for any qualified pilot to (10) a really bad idea. Locals and instructors can give you a really good idea whether or not the traffic situation looks good or if it’s a situation to avoid. 

• Pilots attempting a downwind-base-final approach to a top landing may experience a low base or final turn, resulting in impact at high groundspeed. Instead, start your approach and top-landing no lower than 100’ above the hill and crabbing into the wind, with the ridge on your right and your back to the lip. Do not point the nose north of the valley windmills.

• The South Side occasionally develops “holes” in lift resulting in inadvertent top or sidehill landings.

• When the wind increases at the South Side, elect to land at the bottom of the hill, and do so as soon as you sense the change. If some pilots choose to land, be sure to join them. There is usually a really good reason why they opt to land.

• Strong or gusty winds and bad inflations can easily result in pilots being dragged. Delay launch, or land if airborne when

1. you find yourself blocking collapses, or

2. conditions become too crowded for your ability, or

3. the air becomes excessively textured, especially close to the ground.

• For paragliders, if you see higher performance hang gliders launch and soar, conditions have probably exceeded your limits.

 

Speed wings mixing with kite wings, with full size wings, and hang gliders. 

• In recent years, we have identified in huge differences in the sink rates, speeds, turning abilities and overall movements and behaviors of the many different types of canopies and hang gliders who are all flying at once. Pilots are cautioned to identify conditions in which all of the various aircraft are flying at the same height relative to the ridge. Likewise to identify moments when the various aircraft are all able to keep effective separation. It has been observed that these difficult conditions result in a high number of near misses.  It is absolutely worth mentioning that the most notable mid airs that resulted in actual crashes tend to happen when there are only a few people flying. As strange as that may seem, it does makes sense that pilots are capable of effective navigating when their awareness is turned up. On the other hand mid airs can sneak up on us when we let our guard down and we think that a mid air would be impossible.

• At the South Side, mini wing pilots should never barrel roll or make 360’s, due to how small and windy the south side is.
  
  
  Keep a healthy flying atmosphere

• Borrowing from the aviation/airshow community paradigm of "knock it off” club would like to educate the membership that a call to knock it off will come to mean that someone has identified an unhealthy flying atmosphere. This could stem from any number of things. It could be too many pilots fighting for lift, pilots launching in unsafe conditions, pilots flying too closely, pilots one upping each other, pilots imitating other pilots maneuvers inappropriately. Pilots are too slowly and safely spread out and a portion of them should make a thoughtful landing to give the risk a moment to disperse. 
  
  For perspective, it is very common for pilots to start to see and feel an unhealthy flying atmosphere starting to unfold. Sadly these are often times, not surprisingly,  when there is a subsequent near miss or other event. Our attempt is capitalize on the group's good sense and to empower the group to take early action to avoid a bad result. Please be ready to hear a call to knock it off and to help us, by letting a dangerous moment pass without anything bad happening.