UK ground launching sites???

[flefly 0]

Anybody from UK know of any 'safe' ( term used very,very loosely) sites to 'attempt' ( correct term used ) to launch canopys from ? without meeting any fences,pylons,cows, angry farmers etc.

any advice like "don't do it unless (your mate is filming it ) etc..." would be helpful too.

is there a ground lauching fatality site i should know about?

"skydive, i will" Yoda

"Message from the dark side, there is"
Yoda

[gus 1]

You could try asking paragliders/hang gliders but I can imagine the response you may get .

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[aj4218 0]

Interestingly enough, Bill Morris of the BHGPA did an article in Skywings Magazine in 1998 which researched the 'pioneers'. He concluded that I was the 'first' person to foot launch a canopy and soar it; this was late February 1981 at Rhossili in Wales. My launch picture was published in the April Issue of Wings! Magazine.

Now, I can't possibly make that claim and wouldn't want to - I can only take Bill's word for it. Nevertheless, if you want to go canopy soaring, you could do a lot worse than Rhossili, especially as it takes prevailing westerlies. There's also several sites in the Peak District and othe rparts of wales that I know of.

Check out these sites and you'll see what I mean. Good luck!

http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/midflight/RhossiliSTORY.htm and also http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A902549

[headsup 0]

I know of a very good place, might get the handgliders and paragiders pissed off but who cares.
The places is devils dyke in Sussex, just outside Brighton, you should take a look as its always used by our soon to be pissed of flying friends so i guess its pretty safe.

I do know a couple of mad ones in in Surrey that could be possible launch sites but that depends on how mad you are, PM me for more info

[aj4218 0]

Just remembered something - in 1989 I went to Mam Tor in the Peak District, near where I live, and took my rig (PD170). It was perfect. Plenty of HG pilots, some of who I knew and loads of paragliders. Took the PC off and inflated the canopy to the amusement of plenty of the pilots, and ran it off the edge and swooped down into the car park at the bottom (I guess it's about 600' or so) and landed just as the Chairman or something like it of the Peak Paragliding Club was getting out of his car!

He went absolutely f.....g ballistic and banned me from ever joining the Club. After I'd politely told him I wasn't interested in joining, I walked back up and had another go! Great fun.

PS I wouldn't personally recommend Devil's Dyke, having flown there for many hours many years ago. It hasn't got the kind of gradient that'll give you any kind of height (if any!) if you get off the deck. Now, there is a popular cliff site near E...b....e which has a nice steep slope as well as the cliffs ....

[Adi 0]

There are a few good hills to launch from around j15 on the M4, swindon area. Also some stuff around netheravon area. Not sure of the name of the place. We just drove around looking for somewhere. Had a few nice flights.

[flefly 0]

"Now, there is a popular cliff site near E...b....e which has a nice steep slope as well as the cliffs ...."

come on now, fill in the gaps, i never could do the countdown conundrum

thanks guys for your suggestions, i'll keep you posted on progress and / or casualties.

"Message from the dark side, there is"
Yoda

[shropshire 0]

As mentioned. Please contact you local PG/HG club before making any attempt to fly their sites.
Flying sites in the UK are hard earned and very easily lost.
A number of clubs have a members only policy but others do welcome visiting pilots. Talk to the Club secretary and you may want to emphasis that you do NOT intend to Freefall!!! (BASE) on their sites!!


Your first search could be done http://www.bhpa.co.uk/bhpa/clubs/

Good Luck

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[BASE813 0]

hey Shropshire, sent you a PM

[BASE813 0]

Quote

there is a popular cliff site near E...b....e which has a nice steep slope as well as the cliffs ....

Lets not encourage people there. Its nice that the Police and coastguards allow us to jump there (with notice), so please dont think that its perfectly fine or safe to turn up and go ground launching your skydiving canopy from it.

[shropshire 0]

Thanks - replied

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[gus 1]

Quote

Its nice that the Police and coastguards allow us to jump there

Dude, 'allow' ??? I'm all for a bit of consideration and cooperation with the coastguard but as far as I'm aware we're doing absolutely nothing even vaugely llegal jumping there.

Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[BASE813 0]

Quote

Quote

Its nice that the Police and coastguards allow us to jump there

Dude, 'allow' ??? I'm all for a bit of consideration and cooperation with the coastguard but as far as I'm aware we're doing absolutely nothing even vaugely llegal jumping there.

Gus

sorry Gus, wrong choice of words - dont give us shit is a better term of phrase...............

[gus 1]

Sweet. Still love ya!
Gus

OutpatientsOnline.com

[iwasinkheson68 0]

check out the white horse hills, between swindon and nethers. also there's a good hill overlooking swindon hospital, we've had some limited sucess from there, but we have no idea what we're doing and normally end up tumbling all the way down.

[BASE813 0]

WHH, thats were i went as a young inexperienced skydiver with my sabre - it taught me alot about winds!

[aj4218 0]

Just dug these out. Rhossili 1981 (yes nineteen eighty-one!). An hour and a half later the wind had picked up and I managed to soar for 15 minutes or so. Girlfriend, with camera, bored out of her mind, was in the cafe having tea.