Allandale
GPS Coordinates: -43.643, 172.625
Wind Direction: ENE
Minimum Pilot Rating: PG2 / HG Advanced
Access: Via Summit Road from either sign of the Kiwi or Gebbies Pass.
Parking: There is limited parking alongside the road.
Landing: Top Landing is possible for both HG and PG. Be very careful not to fly downwind of the take-off area as you will quickly encounter rotor.
Bottom landing for advanced pilots is the Allandale Domain (LZ-PG). Tall trees along the NE boundary can cause rotor, however there is a gap in the trees about half way down the field which can make the air cleaner which will make landing safer if you stay in line with it. It’s quite tight but manageable for experienced pilots or those with good canopy control skills.
Novice PG pilots may also be able to land here in nil to very light winds if you can ‘crab in’ length wise into the domain.
VERY IMPORTANT:
The historically used bottom landing paddocks next to Bamford Road (LZ-Emergency) should only be used in case of emergency. If you do land here please make effort to contact land owners (Living Springs) and contact PG/HG sites officer respectively. If you require closer explanation please contact our PG/HG sites officer. Contact details can be found HERE.
Lambing during spring may lead to a temporary site closure. Please contact our sites officers above if you are unsure on the status of lambing.
Flying: Allandale is the most frequented site for hang gliders and speed wings in a NE. In a typical summer sea breeze it will be too windy for paragliders but often good for speed wing soaring. There is a wind station located near take-off which is best accessed through the Holfuy app.
The lift band can sometimes be small, even with 20 km/h wind speed. On other days there can be abundant lift. It is possible to ridge soar 1-2 km in either direction along the summit ridge. Be careful to avoid turbulence from the many spurs that lead down from the ridge to Lyttelton Harbour if you get low.
It is also possible to fly XC from Allandale. This site gets the first sun and so it is possible (in the absence of a sea breeze) to climb out and head round the summit ridge towards Mt Herbert and beyond. Behind take-off airspace limits you to 1500 ft.
(Here you can see if the take off is in cloud).
