{"nrhp_refnum":"93000578","name":"Torrey Pines Gliderport","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"W of Torrey Pines Rd., bordering Torrey Pines Scenic Dr. and S and W of Torrey Pines Golf Course","address_restricted":false,"city":"San Diego","county":"San Diego County","state":"CA","lat":32.89073793350005,"lon":-117.24612792972478,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1993-07-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Entertainment/Recreation","Invention"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 73.6-acre gliding site on a 350-foot coastal cliff and adjoining mesa west of Torrey Pines Road in San Diego, California, used for motorless flight since 1928-1929. It includes a graded dirt runway, a naval calibration tower and later runway and building elements.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the gliderport is significant for its link to Southern California's aviation industry and as a testing ground for sailplane technology, including the Robinson variometer, pulley-tow launch systems and spoilers. It also notes its role in popularizing soaring through championships and the pilots who learned or flew there, including Charles Lindbergh.","narrative":"Torrey Pines Gliderport is a 73.6-acre site on a 350-foot cliff above the Pacific in San Diego, where westerly winds create lift for motorless flight. Pilots began launching gliders by car tow from the beach in 1928 and 1929, and in 1936 Woody Brown became the first to launch and land on top of the cliff. John Robinson developed or tested several sailplane advances here in the late 1930s, including the auto-pulley tow launch, a sensitive variometer and improved spoilers. Charles Lindbergh flew along the cliffs in 1930. Annual soaring championships ran at the site from 1947 to 1979, and a 1957 event was televised nationally. The site was listed for its association with aviation and recreation, with a period of significance of 1928-1942. The graded dirt runway and a naval calibration tower contribute to the site. Gliders still fly there today, and it is described as the only remaining gliderport in America directly beside the Pacific Ocean.","period_of_significance":"1928-1942","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"No Style","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still used for sailplane operations, with a concessionaire trailer, a small storage building and public parking and beach access on the site.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:27.514175-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/93000578.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93000578/4f89b909e6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/93000578/4f89b909e6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Don Ramey Logan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torry_Pines_Hang_Gliding_cliff_photo_Don_Ramey_Logan.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Don Ramey Logan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Torry_Pines_Hang_Gliding_cliff_photo_Don_Ramey_Logan.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123861005","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrey_Pines_Gliderport","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7827103"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/san-diego-county/torrey-pines-gliderport-93000578/"}