Narrative:

The event which finally prompted me to make this report was a near miss between an small aircraft and 2 hang gliders in a thermal. I saw it from approximately 1/4 mi away, to the west. The gliders were thermaling at about 6500' directly over the 3537' peak 34 degrees 20'n, 118 degrees 23'w. The gliders were quite close together but obviously aware of each other. The small aircraft, which I first saw at a range of 1-2 NM, passed so close to them that it seemed to go between them (but I may be wrong there). It was in level flight, and appeared to be coming from the direction of bur. This was a particularly good thermal day--it is relatively unusual for hang gliders to get this high at that site due to the la inversion, which usually traps them much lower down. Nevertheless, the small aircraft pilot was obviously not aware of the meaning of that odd symbol on the chart. When flying my hang glider at this site, I often see aircraft flying between this peak and mountain peak (a reporting point to the northwest). These pilots are apparently climbing out of whiteman and trying to avoid dealing with the bur arsa. They clearly don't realize that the curious thing on the chart represents some of the most crowded airspace on earth. There may be as many as 20 aircraft which are very small, slow moving targets in the area. I suggest the following: 1) replace the current symbol with something more like a hang glider so people will know what it means. 2) let people know that hang gliding sites may be swarming with aircraft, and charging over one carelessly is suicidal. 3) hang gliders depend on lift. If you fly in smooth air (above the inversion, for example, if the air is smooth there) you won't meet them. 4) a hang glider's ability to get out of the way is very limited--it's like asking an small aircraft to get out of the way of an fgt! 5) on days when lift extends to high altitudes, avoid these sites. Most hang gliders stay near their home base. I'm sure much of this applies to sailplanes, too. If aircraft pilots (I am one) are not advised of these things, I really think we're going to have a midair, probably at 2500' over the dam between the mountains, involving an small aircraft and a hang glider.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HANG GLIDER PLT WITNESSES AN NMAC BETWEEN 2 GLIDERS AND AN SMA.

Narrative: THE EVENT WHICH FINALLY PROMPTED ME TO MAKE THIS RPT WAS A NEAR MISS BTWN AN SMA AND 2 HANG GLIDERS IN A THERMAL. I SAW IT FROM APPROX 1/4 MI AWAY, TO THE W. THE GLIDERS WERE THERMALING AT ABOUT 6500' DIRECTLY OVER THE 3537' PEAK 34 DEGS 20'N, 118 DEGS 23'W. THE GLIDERS WERE QUITE CLOSE TOGETHER BUT OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF EACH OTHER. THE SMA, WHICH I FIRST SAW AT A RANGE OF 1-2 NM, PASSED SO CLOSE TO THEM THAT IT SEEMED TO GO BTWN THEM (BUT I MAY BE WRONG THERE). IT WAS IN LEVEL FLT, AND APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF BUR. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY GOOD THERMAL DAY--IT IS RELATIVELY UNUSUAL FOR HANG GLIDERS TO GET THIS HIGH AT THAT SITE DUE TO THE LA INVERSION, WHICH USUALLY TRAPS THEM MUCH LOWER DOWN. NEVERTHELESS, THE SMA PLT WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT AWARE OF THE MEANING OF THAT ODD SYMBOL ON THE CHART. WHEN FLYING MY HANG GLIDER AT THIS SITE, I OFTEN SEE ACFT FLYING BTWN THIS PEAK AND MOUNTAIN PEAK (A RPTING POINT TO THE NW). THESE PLTS ARE APPARENTLY CLBING OUT OF WHITEMAN AND TRYING TO AVOID DEALING WITH THE BUR ARSA. THEY CLEARLY DON'T REALIZE THAT THE CURIOUS THING ON THE CHART REPRESENTS SOME OF THE MOST CROWDED AIRSPACE ON EARTH. THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 20 ACFT WHICH ARE VERY SMALL, SLOW MOVING TARGETS IN THE AREA. I SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING: 1) REPLACE THE CURRENT SYMBOL WITH SOMETHING MORE LIKE A HANG GLIDER SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. 2) LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT HANG GLIDING SITES MAY BE SWARMING WITH ACFT, AND CHARGING OVER ONE CARELESSLY IS SUICIDAL. 3) HANG GLIDERS DEPEND ON LIFT. IF YOU FLY IN SMOOTH AIR (ABOVE THE INVERSION, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE AIR IS SMOOTH THERE) YOU WON'T MEET THEM. 4) A HANG GLIDER'S ABILITY TO GET OUT OF THE WAY IS VERY LIMITED--IT'S LIKE ASKING AN SMA TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF AN FGT! 5) ON DAYS WHEN LIFT EXTENDS TO HIGH ALTS, AVOID THESE SITES. MOST HANG GLIDERS STAY NEAR THEIR HOME BASE. I'M SURE MUCH OF THIS APPLIES TO SAILPLANES, TOO. IF ACFT PLTS (I AM ONE) ARE NOT ADVISED OF THESE THINGS, I REALLY THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MIDAIR, PROBABLY AT 2500' OVER THE DAM BTWN THE MOUNTAINS, INVOLVING AN SMA AND A HANG GLIDER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.