Hike and Fly Sites

Every time you venture into something new in this sport, you’ll need new skills that haven’t seemed necessary before, so think about what you can do to reduce risk in some other aspect.

In Canterbury our main site at Taylor’s is a coastal soaring site, where we fly in comparatively windy conditions with generally consistent wind direction. Hike-and-fly trips tend to be into the mountains so we need additional skills and different (calmer) conditions.

Skills

Some of the key skills for hike-and-fly could include:

Being very comfortable with light-nil wind launches
Launching in difficult / small / scrubby take-offs
Snow travel, and potentially launching on snow
Understanding weather (wind, overdevelopment, effects of terrain and cold,shady areas on the air from observations
Assessing landing options and wind direction whilst flying
Knowing your physical limits and acting on them

Weather

Generally look for light winds (10kph or less) at all altitudes from ground level to well above launch height. Be aware forecasts change and you may need to cancel or pick alternate locations. Be prepared to walk down.

Comms

Fly with other people if you can. Use a radio (club channel 40, 477.400) Leave intentions with someone who understands what they mean (times for check-back)! Ideally, use an inReach or other satellite tracker and have a plan with someone who can watch your track; Make sure they know how to message you, and what they should look for in case you are unable to press the SOS.

RCC (Rescue Coordination Centre): 0508 ACCIDENT (0508

Other safety precautions

Scout the likely landing field beforehand, leave streamers if you can.
There may be tourists / hikers / spectators around. They will be interested and may want to talk – pay attention to your safety and don’t get distracted whilst doing your checks.
Double-check your gear before launch
Site access may change over time - do not assume you have a right to be there, check first.

Site grades

The sites here have been loosely graded for site difficulty, to help you assess where might be appropriate for your current skill level. Note, all sites are dangerous in the wrong conditions! Here are some guidelines on what you might expect for each category:

Green: straightforward hike; large accessible launch area with good abort options; large landing area, visible from launch.
Blue: more challenging hike; smaller and possibly committing launch; generally good landings but not necessarily visible at launch
Red: Smaller launches; potentially longer glides to smaller LZ; additional hazards, e.g. power lines, valley winds
Black: Committing locations with potentially limited bomb-out options and local hazards