Some hang glider/paraglider history at Torrey Pines
Adopted from notes by Don Betts and Gary Fogel
Bill Bennett becomes the first pilot to launch a hang glider from the top of
the cliffs at Torrey Pines, to a landing on Black’s Beach.
1970?
Bob Wills becomes the first hang glider pilot to launch from the top of the
cliffs at Torrey Pines and land successfully back on the top of the ridge.
July 2, 1972
Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. soared his own design “Icarus” bi-plane rigid
wing hang glider at Torrey Pines for 1 hour 11 minutes, breaking the existing
world record for hang glider endurance of 1 hour 4 minutes set by Dave Kilbourne
at Mission Ridge, California in 1971.
1972
Taras Kiceniuk, Jr. breaks his own world record for hang glider endurance with
a flight of 2 hours, 26 minutes at Torrey Pines.
1973
Bob Wills establishes a new world record for hang glider endurance with a flight
of 3 hours, 3 minutes at Torrey Pines.
1973
Mike Mitchell establishes a new world record for hang glider endurance with
a flight of 3 hours, 45 minutes at Torrey Pines.
1973
Ultralight Flyers Organization (UFO) formed and holds the first meeting at
the home of Bob Fronius. Later, the UFO changed its name to the San Diego Hang
Gliding Association, Inc., which later became the San Diego Hang Gliding/Paraglider
Association, Inc.
1976
The UFO gets a permit from the City of San Diego to regulate hang gliding at
Torrey Pines.
1978
The UFO loses insurance policy and relinquishes Torrey Pines permit to the
City of San Diego
May 28, 1978
Hang gliding resumes at Torrey Pines under permit granted to the newly formed
Torrey Pines Hang Gliding Association (TPHGA incorporated Jan. 25, 1989).
April 21, 1980
Bill Lemon sets the existing endurance soaring record for hang gliding at Torrey
Pines with a flight of 12 hours, 12 minutes using an Electra Flyer “Olympus”
hang glider.
1980?
Flight Realities, a hang glider concession owned by Steve Hawxhurst receives
the first permit by the City to operate a concession at Torrey Pines in exchange
for providing an on site flight director.
Mid-1980s
The first paragliders take flight at the Torrey Pines Gliderport.