Sites & Weather
If you’re new to the area, check out our New Pilot Orientation.
SITE GUIDES
Members get access to detailed site information and up-to-date google maps indicating current LZ status and carpool meeting spots. Our Site Guide includes a charts showing sites by wind direction and maps of all sites with wind direction.
SITES & HOURLY WEATHER
– Click the site names to see Hourly weather forecasts
Quickly becoming our most used site and probably the best for XC options. SE ridge that heats up early in the morning. Soaring can start as early as 10:30am in the summer. The landing zone is tricky due to downslope and power lines and requires a very careful approach. Please seek a site intro. It’s too small for hang gliders, though it has been done at least once (downwind/uphill!).
NW ridge. Not good in a W cross due to spine to the left of launch. Winds are typically lighter than forecast, but with strong thermal activity that will be the opposite. We often get Wave lift here in the Winter. The bridge field is planted in crops in the summer. Check the google site guide for status.
Woodstock underwent MAJOR renovation to complete revamp and expand launch thanks to Patrick Terry’s multi-year long effort. Construction totalled $40k! Half was paid for with membership dues and the other half was a grant from the Foundation for Free Flight. Please become a member to support projects like this! Videos and pictures of the construction are on facebook.
NW ridge, but launch faces W. Difficult in a N cross. Venturi at launch causes actual winds to be higher than forecast. Paragliders typically don’t go if it’s forecast to be over 7mph.
Launch is owned by the CHGPA and has a slope and two wooden ramps. Camping is allowed on launch and we typically host a Fly-In here every Fall. Secondary landing zone is planted in crops in the summer.
SW ridge inside the Shenandoah National Park. One of the only paragliding and hang gliding sites on National Park land in the United States! Requires P3/H3 with Cliff Launch and Special Use Permit. Additional sites in the SNP, Hog Back (N) and Millers Head (SW) are pending NPS approval and would become our highest sites – hopefully in 2017!
Faces SSW. Not good in a West cross. Daniels also has a weather station close by called Little Edge Farm that’s good for hourly observations.
East facing ridge. Top landable by paragliders. Landing zones are currently off limits due to crop. Requires notifying the Buchanon State Forest prior to flying (717) 485-3148. PA DNR Maps show locations of some of our flying sites!
Oldest cliff launch on the East Coast! Only possible for hang gliders due to cliff launch. Requires landing waiver.
Please refer to the CHGPA Site Guide and this page for airspace restrictions due to the special TFR around P-4o when the President is at Camp David.
Training Hills
Smithsburg – NW training hill, but closed in the summer for crops
Taylor Farm – SW training hill – requires waiver before flying
Hains Point – CLOSED – no kiting or gliding allowed per NPS rules. We’re working on getting an exemption. Wind is laminar from the Potomac River so just about any wind direction will work.
REGIONAL WEATHER
Short Range Forecast – high pressure and post frontal are best
Windmapper – regional surface wind direction/strength conditions and forecasts
NoStepper – hourly winds aloft forecasts for all of our sites, including radar and satellite loops, and thermal blip map
Winds Aloft – always check winds aloft at 3k feet to see if there’s any strong winds at altitude. Paragliders typically don’t fly when the forecast is 15-20kt at 3k feet.
Area Forecast Discussion – text forecast