Thanks for explaining the fact that hang gliding and paragliding are allowed on Mt. Diablo under restrictions that take into considering the pilot's rating (issued by examiners from the United States Hang gliding and Paragliding Association, under regulations promulgated by the Federal Aviation Administration). The restrictions in place at Mt. Diablo are non unusual for our flying sites found on public lands. They are there to keep both pilots and the public as safe as possible.

The USHPA provides site insurance and every member covered with third party liability insurance to deal with any damage that pilots may cause to the public.

Just to be clear, we run off the hill (not jump.) We have to run down the hill fast enough to get the wing flying.

While nature is sort of unpredictable, after over 4,000 hang gliding flights (one of 407 miles) I can tell you that the pilot has a pretty good idea of what nature is up to, but not always. Sometimes you'll just want to land where ever you can, to be safe.

Thanks again.

I wonder if I saw the same man....or another glider?

I was driving NORTH on Ygnacio Valley Blvd at about 3:30-3:45 PM on Sunday. I had just left the area of houses in Walnut Creek and headed up the steep hill, with grassland valley on both sides of the road, in the area of Lime Ridge Regional Open Space and way before the area of Cal State Hayward Univ at Contra Costa.
I was actually startled and shocked to see a white V-wing shaped glider pass over head and over Ygnacio Valley Blvd in front of me at about 900 feet high (just a guess) and head down that valley. My passenger pointed it out to me. I had never ever seen any hang gliders in that area before.
I was wondering where he was going to land it? But he didn't seem to be in the process of landing at all at that point.