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Kagel Mountain — Site Dangers
*WARNING* THERE ARE DANGERS NOT LISTED BELOW — CONDITIONS CHANGE DAY TO DAY EVERY PILOT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OR HER OWN SAFETY.
| 1. |
Two sets of power lines between mountain and LZ, one at Gavina Avenue bridge and one 100 yards beyond. Very difficult to see, especially in late afternoon. |
| 2. |
Rotor behind the front ridge. Always maintain at least a 1:1 glide to the ridge top when you are following thermals up behind the ridge. |
| 3. |
Rotor from Trash Mountain. The mountain in front and to the left of launch is called "Trash." When the wind is crossing from the east, don't fly east of a line that goes straight out from the launch ramp. It is exceedingly turbulent and dangerous. |
| 4. |
Wind gradient on the front ridge. If you get in close to the ridge, you'll have stronger lift on the outside wing, which will tend to pitch you into the rocks. Close to the ridge, always be banking away. |
| 5. |
Venturi through the pass over the dam. Don't get low behind the dam. Unless you are above the elevation of launch (3,540 MSL), don't fly behind the dam. |
| 6. |
Strong lift. On almost any day, Kagel can produce thermals that can overpower even the best pilots. Give yourself enough clearance from the terrain. |
| 7. |
Restricted airspace. May Canyon is a helicopter corridor for the Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter operations at Camp 9 Station. May Canyon is the big canyon west of Contract Point (which we call "Locals") and Towers Peak. You can fly directly through it if it is clear of helicopters, but you may not thermal or soar there. Also, in the summer the Camp 9 helicopters use the highest mountain to the west of May Canyon, which we call "The 2200" for lift. If you see or hear a helicopter powering up on the pad, get away from this ridge. |
| 8. |
Air Traffic. Southwest Airlines 737's frequently come uncomfortably close to the mountains west of May Canyon. Air traffic is especially heavy on Fridays. Light planes piloted with widely varying degrees of skill use Whiteman Airport, a few miles away to the southeast. These planes frequently fly through the canyon over Pacoima Dam BELOW THE LEVEL OF LAUNCH. Always check for air traffic before entering Pacoima Canyon. |
| 9. |
Rifle Ranges. Southeast of launch, and southeast of Trash Mountain is a rifle range (actually several firing ranges) with targets at the base of the mountains. The shooters are firing in our direction. Flying below the top of Lance's Ridge (the next mountain east of Trash, it's called "Limekiln Peak" on Topo maps) puts you in extreme danger. The range management sometimes suspends shooting when someone gets low over there. Don't get low. It's dangerous for you and disruptive for our neighbors. Under no circumstances should a pilot land anywhere on the south face of Lances' Ridge. If you have to land, use Lovell Canyon. (See Alternative and Emergency LZ's below.) |
| 10. |
Thermals in the LZ. Mid-day thermals in the LZ are common. Watch the wind indicators. If they don't all show the same wind direction, there is likely thermal activity in the LZ. If possible, wait a few minutes before landing. If you must land, pull on the speed to power through any thermals. |
| 11. |
Occasional 90-degree crosswinds in LZ. Usually from the east. When the wind is east in the LZ, unpleasant turbulence comes from the high riverbank on the east side of the wash. |
| 12. |
Catabatic winds in late afternoon. The wind blows reliably up the wash (from the southeast) most days. But it blows down the wash in Santa Ana conditions or sometimes late in the day. Watch the windsocks |
Alternate and Emergency LZs
Base of the dam — The base of the dam LZ is no longer safe. The new owners are building horse corrals in that area.
Olive View — If you are sinking out west of May Canyon, it is possible to land in the large square field that is just east of Olive View Hospital. This should be used only in an emergency, since the landowner does not want the land used as an LZ.
Olive Pit — There is a permissible LZ east of Olive View. It is an east-west strip of dirt (paved in October 1999) at the base of the mountains behind some houses. Watch out for the wires on both sides, and if you're landing to the west, don't go long, or you will run into a chain link fence there. Better to land toward the east. Easy retrieval at the corner of Almetz and Barner Streets. In 2004 construction of homes began. Look at the area carefully before using it.
Glen Haven Cemetery - East of Trash. Dangerous, because your approach to this LZ puts you in the line of fire of the rifle ranges (see Danger #9 above). You can land on the east side of the road that runs north-south on the east side of the Glen Haven Cemetery. This cemetery is out in front, between Trash and the next lower mountain east, named Limekiln Peak, but we call it "Lance's Ridge." Tricky landing here because the wind is usually south, but landing to the south is a bad downhill slope. Land uphill, downwind in light winds and cross-hill, crosswind in stronger winds.
Lovell Canyon — This canyon runs up to Lance's Ridge from the southeast. In 1998-99, it had beehive boxes in it. There is a dirt road running up the middle. The wind usually funnels up the canyon, but it is a fairly steep grade, so you can land downwind uphill. There is also room to land crosswind, cross-hill from north to south. Don't land near the bee boxes.
Little Tujunga Wash — Should be considered an emergency LZ only. It is possible to land at certain spots in the wash, although there are high bushes, wires, equestrians, washouts, paintball battles, and lots of other inconveniences everywhere.
Dino's Plateau — Emergency only, and not good even for that. High tension lines run across it. In 2004 a corral with high light poles was added to this area, and before that the flattest part was turned into a gravel pit. This is no longer a safe landing area except in emergencies. The only landable part now slopes down to the south and the overshoot in that direction is the gravel pit. (In 2004, an advanced pilot on a topless glider made in into this LZ but he flew between the poles, used a drogue chute and landed 30’ from the fence line at the gravel pit. Ther is NO room for error here.)
Big Tujunga Wash — It is possible to land in only a few places in the wash, but there are landable areas. Look carefully before landing. Winds are usually consistent up the wash.
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