Site / Flight regulation

• HPAC Insurance REQUIRED !!

• We are in “uncontrolled airspace”. Visual flight rules apply.

• Close gate at Landing Zone

• Park your car next to the road to keep the take-off area open for glider activity.

• Spectators Welcome

• Clean up before you leave.

• NO CAMPFIRES!!

HPAC Skill Level RECOMMENDATIONS

• Mild Conditions: P1 & P2 = April, September, October

• Moderate Conditions: P3 = August

• Strong Conditions: P3 & P4 = May, June, July

• !Mornings are good for P1 & P2 from April till October!

Times to fly

• 8:00 AM till 11:00 AM = Gentle morning conditions for short (15 - 30) min flights.

• 11:00 AM till 4:00 PM = Thermal flying conditions. On certain days it gets too strong at TO between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM!

• 4:00 PM till 7:00 PM = Thermal / Glass off conditions.

Radio Frequency

• Glider Pilot to Glider Pilot = 140.100

• Aviation Radio Frequency / Glider Pilot to local air traffic = 123.200

Directions to Landing field:

The LZ is at Birch Island. From the info center in Clearwater take the HWY 5 North (direction Jasper) for 12 Km. Take a right @ Birch Island Lost Creek Road and follow the road (500m) down to ‘Dee’s General store” who can give you detailed info about the landing options if need be.

The humongous field across ‘Dees General Store’ is closed till further notice.

Two new landing fields are located 500m down the road from Dees General Store.

Small landing field on your left before crossing the North Thompson river. Due to powerlines, high trees , small landing and a running river ONLY FOR P3 and P4 pilots! Landowner is Ray.

BIG landing field when you continue across the North Thompson river bridge, straight across the railway tracks and the big field is right in front of you. IMPORTANT notice: Please make your best effort to land safely as close as posible to the windsock. You will see a target from the air. After landing you can follow the mowed trail that leads you to the gate. MINIMIZE THE WALKING THROUGH THE HIGH GRASS AS THE LANDOWNER IS HAYING THE FIELD AT SOME POINT. Landowner is Mike.

Directions to Launch:

From Dee’s General store, drive back to HWY 5 and take a right (direction Jasper) and follow for approximate 4 km where you take a left leaving the hwy and follow a gravel road up the mountain for 6.5km, here you take a left and follow the flat road for 1 km till you drive by the Launch.

Soaring Information

Paraglider and Hang Gliders welcome.

A great site for long thermodynamic flights along / above the 12 km long ridge between Clearwater and Vavenby.

Very favourable for hang gliders as well with a steep TO and humongous landing field.

Often the ceiling sits around +3000 m in May, June, July and August with lots of Pilots flying 30 km triangles or local XC. The potential is to fly big XC if you follow Highway 5 North towards Blue River (90 km) or Valemount (165 km) or head South towards Barriere (55 km) or keep going all the way to Kamloops (107 km). The local house thermal sits just right from TO above the small cut-blocks.

Hazards

Strong TO conditions between 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM on certain days!!!

ALWAYS make a good wind assessment at TO. If you experience moments of tailwind at TO, it’s a good sign of 90 deg valley winds! Be aware that the thermals still coming up straight at times but the real issue is the valley winds creating turbulence from the high trees either from the right (West) or left (East) during TO!!!

Be aware that there is a local helicopter company as well as recreational sport aircrafts who, on a regular base, fly through the valley!!!

Site Records as of 2024

Altitude Gain: 3040 m (4040 ASL - July 2018)

Duration: 6.20h (Scott Watwood PG - May 2017)

Open Distance:

52 km Kamloops to Barriere (Terry Butcher PG - Summer 2014)

55 km Barriere to El Nido (Scott Watwood - May 2017)

55 km El Nido to Avola (Mark Parminter & Eric Gesinger PG - July 2018)

61 km El Nido to Mesitner Pass (Mario Sachsenweger & Willy Rens PG – Aug 2019)

65 km El Nido to Barriere (John Theoret HG - July 2018)

92 km, El Nido to Blue River (Scott Watwood PG - May 2017)

Triangle:

42 km (Peter Spear PG - August 2016)

45 km (Willy Rens PG - June 2018)

60 Km (Moon Choi PG - Aug 2024)

66 km (Mark Tulloch HG - July 2018)