Ellenville

The main launch faces WNW - NW. It is wide and grassy, with level set up space for twenty hang gliders or dozens of paragliders. There is a separate, narrower launch that faces west.

Please make sure and get a briefing. One experienced pilot says, "Ellenville looks like a country club, but it merits as much respect as the Owens Valley." Conditions can be quite rough, sometimes without warning. This is more likely when the wind is northerly, but it's possible anytime. When you come in to land, bring your A game even if the air is calm; dustless dust devils have been known to occur, especially late morning in calm air, and other surprises are possible. // If you're an experienced pilot wanting to go XC, be ready to launch as soon as the thermal cycles get going. This won't be early, since the site faces west, but it might be as early as 11:30. In the summer avoid launching or landing mid-afternoon. The cycles can come through like freight trains. Climbs of 10 m/s (2000 fpm) have been recorded in front of launch on days that were mild after leaving the valley. // For a challenging XC with good landing options and no big retrieve: fly an out-and-return, crosswind, toward or to Kingston (about 80k total). // If you're not a strong XC pilot, you will have a nicer, higher flight and more fun if you wait until late afternoon to launch, or even until evening in the summer, when glass off conditions are common. Make sure the winds are decreasing rather than increasing; either thing can happen and many eager paragliders have been blown back. // These cautions are serious, but also shouldn't scare you away if you're an experienced pilot. Ellenville is a beautiful place to fly. Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNa6Ho7azVo

Takeoff altitude: 414m