La Bajada Site Guide
Revision: 2024-10-20
DESCRIPTION
YOU MUST BE A USHPA AND SSA MEMBER TO FLY THIS SITE.
La Bajada is a 570-ft-high ridge soaring and thermal site between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The ridge offers great views on the Rio Grande valley in front, the Cochiti reservoir, and the Jemez mountains. The site is operated under a US Forest Service (USFS) permit. The site is mostly used for ridge soaring flights with a little bit of thermaling. The winter time features smooth ridge soaring conditions.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Usage: Foot Launched Hang Gliders, Paraglider
Type of flying: Ridge soaring. Thermic flying is also common, and XC flying is possible (consider Santa Fe airspace).
Season: All year, best in Fall/early Winter, and Spring.
Requirements: P2/H2/M1
Radio info: 151.505
Land ownership: Launch and LZ are owned by U.S. Forrest Service.Other use: Sightseers
Emergency: Santa Fe is about 30 min dirt road drive.
Maintenance: This site can see months with no flying, prepare for some light maintenance of grass, weeds, and rocks.
Restrictions: No special flying restrictions. Pilots should NOT land out at the bottom of the cliff unless it is an emergency.
Location
Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM. (35.56195, -106.22596, 6135 ft)
Driving directions: Take the La Cienega exit 271 off of I-25 near Santa Fe. Follow Entrada La Cienega, then Los Pinos, then Paseo Real until 56C. Take 56C which is a USFS dirt road (NF-24). The road is flat but has some rocks and ruts that can be a problem for low-clearance cars. Wet conditions should be avoided as they degrade the road and increase the risk of getting stuck. Cars can be parked at the top landing area behind launch. No off-road driving.
WARNING: 4x4 dirt road becomes impassable in monsoons and in winter snows.
Tandem Flights
Must comply with with the Federal Aviation Administration Tandem exemption #4721 and the additional requirements specified in the USHPA SOP 12-12 Tandem program (Full USHPA SOP).
Commercial Tandems must apply for and hold a separate permits with the site stakeholders.
Top Launch & LZ and Bench Landing: US Government, Attn: Santa Fe National Forest, Espanola Ranger District
Launches
Two west-facing cliff launches at the top of the mesa. Hang gliding launch is a hundred meters north of the PG launch. The PG launch is down on a small step below the main rim.
Best Wind Direction: SW - WNW
Best Wind Strengths (mph):
H2: Range: 0-25, Ideal: 12, Gusts: 7 max (Wire crew needed for winds over 15)
P2: Range: 0-18, Ideal: 10, Gusts: 5 max
M1: Range: 0-30, Ideal: 12, Gusts: 7 max
La Bajada Ridge Site Looking NW
Hazards
As for all New Mexico sites, thermal conditions can get very active during the spring and summer. Pilots flying the site should make sure they understand that aspect of New Mexico weather. Wind speeds can switch to high, gusty winds in sudden unpredictable waves, making evening glass-offs the preferred flying type here.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS & GENERAL RISKS
The cliff edge is uneven, sharp and volcanic. Be cautious of flying too close to the cliff edge and always leave a margin of safety as the wind mass creating lift is not always homogeneous.
Two main risks are correlated to wind speed increase at La Bajada.
The rotor behind the cliff edge, caused by the forced redirection of the air mass hitting the cliffs and the layer above that compressing and colliding with it. When wind is felt moving towards the cliff edge, it is generally an indication that the conditions are not safe to launch. The rotor can exist (depending on wind speed) as high as a hundred feet or more above the cliff edge and a couple of hundred feet back from the cliff edge. The rotor is affected by the wind direction and cliff outline so can be worse in some spots than others. Give it a wide berth for safety.
The wind gradient when top landing. This effect is usually more severe the higher the wind speed (up to a point where the top area can be so blown out that there is a smooth wind base) and the closer the landing is to the launch (always true). Because of this rotor and gradient, landing in the back top LZ should be done at or beyond the fourth telephone pole from the ridge edge. Landing closer to the ridge is certainly possible but anticipate the increased gradient change.
LAUNCHING
Hang gliders typically launch from the natural ramp indicated on the map. Paragliders launch on a ledge 30 ft below the main ridge on windy days, or from the top of the ridge on light days. The ledge can have a slight wind shadow in SSW winds.
The typical wind flow is southerly and the lift band rapidly decreases as the southern wind component increases. Below 250 degrees, the base wind will need to be above 12 mph for HGs and above 10 mph for PGs to maintain ridge lift. This wind speed requirement increases significantly the further south the wind direction moves. When standing on the HG launch, this wind direction is indicated by the small hill to the north of the Sandia range. If the wind is south of that hill, launching is generally not advised due to lack of lift.
A tie-down exists behind the large juniper to the left of the HG launch for hang-waiting while waiting for conditions to optimize. Multiple tie downs exist at the parking behind the HG launch, though they may be obstructed by grasses in the spring and summer. Due to the frequency of gusts at the site, a wire crew is highly encouraged when launching HGs in midday conditions.
Hang Glider Launch at La Bajada Ridge
LANDINGS
Top Landing
Preferred for all wing types. There are two preferred techniques for top landing. Top landing areas are indicated on the map.
Back-Top LZ: Newer pilots can land in the back area to avoid the rotor. Also in stronger winds, landing should be done at least four telephone poles back or further from the ridge edge. This landing is always preferred, but requires 300ft+ of elevation over launch (depending on wind speed and glider performance).
Top LZ: Landing near the ridge is possible in moderate conditions, but pay attention to the rotor area behind the ridge (as with any top landing). For HGs, the technique is a J-hook landing which can be done at lower elevation with significantly increased risk. While flying south along the ridge towards the HG launch, use the last break in the ridge as your downwind leg to minimize losing altitude, get as far back as possible based on your elevation and turn to base, turning to final with just enough elevation to execute the turn and level your wings. Anticipate significant gradient throughout base-to-final and maintain as much speed as possible. If the wind turns significantly north, this may be the best landing option as the Back-Top LZ can have more rotor and wind gradient due to the rise behind the HG launch.
Bench LZ
PGs (and skilled HGs willing to hike) can land on the “bench” below the launch. For PG pilots not skilled/confident in top landing the Top LZ and not high enough to make the Back-Top LZ, this is a relatively easy landing option with an easy hike back to launch and parking area. While possible to execute a bench landing in a HG (especially when wind direction is southerly), it is not recommended except by highly skilled pilots.
Bottom Landing
The Cochiti Pueblo land (red line) should be avoided for landings as well as for bottom access as it is considered trespassing. This requirement is part of the permit with the USFS. As a result, do not fly unless it is soarable and a safe top landing or altitude of a minimum of 300 ft over launch is attainable. We ask all pilots to help us keep our permit! However, pilots SHOULD NOT HESITATE to land on the Cochiti Pueblo land when their safety is at risk. Landings on pueblo land shall be reported via email to the SSA (sandiasoaring@gmail.com). The SSA will report statistics of outlandings but keep the pilot identities confidential.
NO SLED RIDES TO PUEBLO LAND!
If an EMERGENCY Bottom Landing is absolutely necessary, consider the following: Landing on the Pueblo Land by the village of La Bajada typically has a markedly different wind than the perceived wind at the ridge due to the wind shadow of the air mass passing overhead. Landing there can also be complicated by the lack of wind indicators. Typically the wind speeds at the bottom are either no wind or 3-4 mph coming directly from the prevailing southern direction. If landing due to lack of lift at the ridge (most common situation), anticipate a much more southerly flow than the perceived wind direction experienced at the ridge and align your final approach pointing towards the large white barrel and 10-20 degrees to the north of the Sandia range. If landing due to extreme turbulence (rare), this can be caused by southern winds mixing with a northern flow wrapping around the Jemez mountains. In this case only, anticipate gusts from the north and split the direction, executing a westerly final.
Hang Glider Landing in the Back-Top LZ