Oceanside
Caution: Squalls create dangerous conditions. Strong rotor over motel just below launch. A 75' water spout (tornado) came up very suddenly during the April 1992 Oceanside fly-in. Flying here on a south wind can lead to trouble: you get low and can't get to the beach LZ and end up on one of the other beaches or in the surf. Do you feel lucky? Are you ready to get hit with a rotor?
Directions
to Site: From Tillamook take 3 Capes Scenic route to town of Oceanside. Follow
signs for House on the Hill Motel and continue up Maxwell Mountain Road to
the summit. Launch is at the parking lot. Note: launch is on private land,
see site protocol below.
Description of Site: Main lift is at launch and to the south over the town. Strong soaring potential in even light winds from the proper direction. Squall conditions pose a major hazard. Very strong rotor over motel below launch, especially on windy days. LZ is on the beach to the SW below the launch. Be careful of kites and unwary beachcombers.
An emergency bailout in strong southwest winds is to fly north as far up the beach as you can go. A better option in strong wind is don't launch because of the possibility of being blown back. The best soaring is actually on days with moderate wind and unstable air -- in those conditions you'll get higher and have more penetration than on the strong wind days.
On days when the wind is west-southwest or west, it is possible to cross town to the south and fly along the sandy bluff to Happy Camp and back. It is also possible to fly north to Cape Meares and soar the southwest side of the Cape, but it is more difficult to make it back from Cape Meares to Oceanside. If you fly to Cape Meares, make sure you have enough elevation to land on the long rocky beach between House Rock and Cape Meares, because it is not possible to land on the Cape and there is no beach at the base of the Cape, only water.
Site Protocol: Shared by hang glider pilots. Do not land in public parking lot. Land on the beach as far away from people as possible. Launch is on private land, please drive up with an experienced pilot the first time you visit the site to learn the best streets to take and the best places to park. Residents want us to drive slowly on all streets through town so please respect their wishes. Do not drive single-person vehicles to launch, park below and carpool up because of limited parking at launch. Do not park on the grass. One way to show our appreciation to the landowner is to pick up trash on launch.
Other Info: Stores in Oceanside, good food at Rosanna's Restaurant
Site Liaison: Kevin Bennett
Others experienced at this site: Sam Mulder, Reed Gleason, Pete Reagan, Steve Roti
Submitted by: Jon Goldberg-Hiller, revised 3/11/00
Property Report, 5/26/06
Attached are two maps of the Maxwell Mt. Area. I'm pretty sure that at one
time the Rosenberg estate owned the whole area, and have sold bits and pieces
of it off at different times. Aerial photo shows the land plot lines overlayed.
The following is my interpretation based on the tax records.
Lot# - Description - Activity - New Owner
201 New house Timpe
202 Octoganal house Macdonald
203 .43 ac south launch sold 3-6-2006 $600,000 Timpe
204 .43 ac part of the west launch sold 12-1-2005 $695,000 CPC Member
200 6.31 ac, the granddaddy, sold this week, Timpe?? from the Rosenberg estate?
In the last last six months, the whole top of Maxwell has changed hands, and except for a small portion of the west launch, will likely soon be developed. I would say launches on south days are a thing of the past. As long as the middle lot is still friendly, and the owner allows some brush cutting, it will remain in use for flying in more limited wind directions.
Sam Mulder
