Narrative:

On a VFR cross country training flight through the sacramento area, using flight following with sac TRACON at 1500 MSL we were switched to mather field tower. As we transited north bound, tower asked if we were headed over folsom lake, we responded 'yes,' and they subsequently advised us of a 'boat towing an ultralight to 3000 MSL operation' ongoing at the lake. We avoided the lake area. Several days later, at work in another government job, I noticed a 'nfdd' (attached) and queried the staff on the situation. It appears this operation falls into a crack. No NOTAM criteria, no far part to cover it specifically. The timing of all this, and my attendance at a picnic several weeks earlier fascinates me. I saw this hanglider high above the lake and casually wondered how it got there. Now its very clear. Apparently, the boat tows the ultralight/hang glider to 3000 ft which then releases the tow line. The tow line dscnds on a parachute as it is winched in on board the boat. There are emails (and probably, phone calls) going on between FAA 'air traffic' and flight standards' trying to figure out how to deal with this. Reference 'go fly a kite,' I think we have a 3000 ft tow line marked only by a boat at one end and a parachute at the other. The 'nfdd' is circulated on a very limited basis and when published in the airport/facility directory (AFD), will be referenced maybe by the seaplane/amphibian operators only. Cameron park or mather field (or transiting) aircraft may not become aware of the potential conflict until it's too late. A propeller, rotor, or wing and a tow line won't mix well! I think the mather tower controller significantly adds to the safety of the NAS by making the advisory (not required) statement. Personally and professionally, I think a NOTAM criteria or far needs to address this, and a 'towline' marking criteria established much like kites in far 101. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter found para glider activity in class two/B NOTAM's and wonders how many pilots would take the time to review such NOTAMS for the area they were transiting. Reporter was advised that sac FSDO is actively reviewing this operation. Supplemental information: sac FSDO is reviewing this activity. A recent determination is that this paraglider activity should be considered as an ultra light operation, and therefore under far regulatory obligations. And since a 3000 ft tow line is involved, a hazard is potential to other surface activities/persons. Also, folsom lake is designated with a seaplane activity, and therefore a concern due to the released tow line. Paraglider/ultralight operations have been authorized for fri, sat, and sun operations from noon to 6 pm. The inspector advised he is considering a parachute symbol be added to the san francisco sectional chart at folsom lake indicating such similar activity. The inspector stated that this water paraglider ultra light activity exists on lake tahoe also.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: H47 MIL PLT ADVISED BY MHR TWR OF FOLSOM LAKE PARA GLIDER ACTIVITY WHEN TRANSITING AREA VFR. RPTR CONCERNED WITH LACK OF CLASS A NOTAM CONCERNING THIS ACTIVITY.

Narrative: ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY TRAINING FLT THROUGH THE SACRAMENTO AREA, USING FLT FOLLOWING WITH SAC TRACON AT 1500 MSL WE WERE SWITCHED TO MATHER FIELD TWR. AS WE TRANSITED N BOUND, TWR ASKED IF WE WERE HEADED OVER FOLSOM LAKE, WE RESPONDED 'YES,' AND THEY SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED US OF A 'BOAT TOWING AN ULTRALIGHT TO 3000 MSL OP' ONGOING AT THE LAKE. WE AVOIDED THE LAKE AREA. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, AT WORK IN ANOTHER GOV JOB, I NOTICED A 'NFDD' (ATTACHED) AND QUERIED THE STAFF ON THE SIT. IT APPEARS THIS OP FALLS INTO A CRACK. NO NOTAM CRITERIA, NO FAR PART TO COVER IT SPECIFICALLY. THE TIMING OF ALL THIS, AND MY ATTENDANCE AT A PICNIC SEVERAL WEEKS EARLIER FASCINATES ME. I SAW THIS HANGLIDER HIGH ABOVE THE LAKE AND CASUALLY WONDERED HOW IT GOT THERE. NOW ITS VERY CLEAR. APPARENTLY, THE BOAT TOWS THE ULTRALIGHT/HANG GLIDER TO 3000 FT WHICH THEN RELEASES THE TOW LINE. THE TOW LINE DSCNDS ON A PARACHUTE AS IT IS WINCHED IN ON BOARD THE BOAT. THERE ARE EMAILS (AND PROBABLY, PHONE CALLS) GOING ON BTWN FAA 'AIR TRAFFIC' AND FLT STANDARDS' TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THIS. REFERENCE 'GO FLY A KITE,' I THINK WE HAVE A 3000 FT TOW LINE MARKED ONLY BY A BOAT AT ONE END AND A PARACHUTE AT THE OTHER. THE 'NFDD' IS CIRCULATED ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS AND WHEN PUBLISHED IN THE ARPT/FACILITY DIRECTORY (AFD), WILL BE REFERENCED MAYBE BY THE SEAPLANE/AMPHIBIAN OPERATORS ONLY. CAMERON PARK OR MATHER FIELD (OR TRANSITING) ACFT MAY NOT BECOME AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE. A PROP, ROTOR, OR WING AND A TOW LINE WON'T MIX WELL! I THINK THE MATHER TWR CTLR SIGNIFICANTLY ADDS TO THE SAFETY OF THE NAS BY MAKING THE ADVISORY (NOT REQUIRED) STATEMENT. PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, I THINK A NOTAM CRITERIA OR FAR NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS, AND A 'TOWLINE' MARKING CRITERIA ESTABLISHED MUCH LIKE KITES IN FAR 101. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FOUND PARA GLIDER ACTIVITY IN CLASS TWO/B NOTAM'S AND WONDERS HOW MANY PLTS WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW SUCH NOTAMS FOR THE AREA THEY WERE TRANSITING. RPTR WAS ADVISED THAT SAC FSDO IS ACTIVELY REVIEWING THIS OP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO: SAC FSDO IS REVIEWING THIS ACTIVITY. A RECENT DETERMINATION IS THAT THIS PARAGLIDER ACTIVITY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN ULTRA LIGHT OP, AND THEREFORE UNDER FAR REGULATORY OBLIGATIONS. AND SINCE A 3000 FT TOW LINE IS INVOLVED, A HAZARD IS POTENTIAL TO OTHER SURFACE ACTIVITIES/PERSONS. ALSO, FOLSOM LAKE IS DESIGNATED WITH A SEAPLANE ACTIVITY, AND THEREFORE A CONCERN DUE TO THE RELEASED TOW LINE. PARAGLIDER/ULTRALIGHT OPS HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR FRI, SAT, AND SUN OPS FROM NOON TO 6 PM. THE INSPECTOR ADVISED HE IS CONSIDERING A PARACHUTE SYMBOL BE ADDED TO THE SAN FRANCISCO SECTIONAL CHART AT FOLSOM LAKE INDICATING SUCH SIMILAR ACTIVITY. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THIS WATER PARAGLIDER ULTRA LIGHT ACTIVITY EXISTS ON LAKE TAHOE ALSO.

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.