Any Hang Glider or Paraglider Pilot flying any Santa Barbara site MUST fly with a 2 meter radio, reserve parachute, and a helmet. We fly near Santa Barbara Airport Airspace and we need to call TRACON to open the beach and mountain windows. Failure to contact the tower can result in the loss of our ability to fly our local sites. The site where a visiting pilot is most likely to get in trouble is at More Mesa.

Pilots visiting the Santa Barbara sites will need to:

  • Contact and arrange to meet with a local guide for site introductions
  • Join the SBSA by clicking here
  • Read and understand the local Site Guidelines

The Santa Barbara flying sites are sensitive to local politics. Our flying community has worked hard with local government agencies and the Santa Barbara community to preserve our flying sites. Santa Barbara is a special place to fly, and we need to represent the flying community in a positive light. Our local sites can be challenging to fly for out of town pilots, and as any pilot of any skill level should obtain a site introduction at any new site, visiting pilots to Santa Barbara should do the same. The only situation where a local pilot does not need to contact a local guide is if that pilot will only be flying at the training hill. The training hill can only be flown when an instructor is present.

Please Contact Eagle Paragliding for site introductions.

YOU MUST JOIN THE SBSA AND PAY THE SITE USAGE FEE

Our annual club membership fee is $30.

Club fees go towards site insurance, public relations, club website expenses, and site procurement, preservation and maintenance. If you are unsure if you have paid cub membership dues for the current year, you can look at the current membership list.

 

TRANSPORTATION AND LODGING

GETTING TO SANTA BARBARA
Air: Santa Barbara Airport is a small and very convenient airport to travel in and out of. Spending and extra $100 to fly into Santa Barbara instead of LAX is a wise decision. The airport is located about 15 minutes from downtown Santa Barbara.
Los Angeles International (LAX) is where you will need to fly into if you are arriving on an international flight. If possible, we recommend taking a connecting flight to Santa Barbara for convenience. The best way to get from LAX to Santa Barbara by public transportation is the Santa Barbara Airbus. You will need a car during your training, so if you take the SB Airbus, coordinate with your car rental company to meet you at the drop off location.
Train: The Santa Barbara Train Station is conveniently located in downtown Santa Barbara. The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is the train that runs through Santa Barbara. It runs between Paso Robles and San Diego.
Car: Santa Barbara is located on the 101 Freeway, 337 miles south of and 95 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Car Rental
Santa Barbara Airport – Enterprise, AVIS, U-Save Auto Rental
Santa Barbara Train Station – Enterprise, AVIS
LAX Airport – Click Here
LODGING
Camping Estimated Price for 1 person Distance* (miles) Distance* (minutes)
Refugio $35 21 21
Lake Cachuma $25-30 19 24
Gaviota $35 31 31
Carpenteria $35 15 20
El Capitan $35 18 19
Motels
Motel 6 $65 2 5
Blue Sands Inn $181 5 8
Hotels
The Sandpiper $125 2 5
The Lemon Tree $165 2 6
Eagle Inn $190 4 9
Canary Hotel $280 3 7
*Distance from Training Hill Miles and Minutes