Park Hill
About
Members only!
A steep ridge with an old quarry in the middle (“Vineyard Hole” on the map), multiple obstacles and no sensible bottom landing. You MUST be pilot rated and very confident at slope landing to safely fly this site. Be sure to plan your flight carefully before takeoff – think about how and where you will land if the lift is not good. Be ready to slope land without delay if you lose height. This is a very sensitive site in direct view of the entire village of East Meon. You can and will be watched by many, any time you fly here, and any accidents will attract much attention. On the right day this site can give enjoyable flying for confident pilots, with good XC potential.
Maximum 6 pilots on the hill at any one time – this is to ensure we do not overload the site, both for safety and in order not to make a bad impression in these crucial early days of using the flying site. Use Telegram to announce your intention to fly at Park Hill, thereby reserving your spot.
Please update telegram when you leave in case others wish to fly that day. Be aware that the site can only accommodate about 4 pilots in the air when conditions are good, two or even one will be the maximum safe number if it is scratchy. If 6 are booked you will need to play nicely and take it in turns.
In the winter the site is closed to us for shooting, from approximately 1st September to 31st January.
Access
Follow the footpath up behind the church to launch.
Parking
Park in the playing fields in workhouse Lane, GU32 1PF. Walk up the path behind the church. Do not park in the village.
OS Map
Site OS Map Click to open
Details
Location LAT/LNG | 50.998065 / -1.02619 |
What 3 Words | tonight fronted movements |
HG Pilot Requirements | Not suitable |
PG Pilot Requirements | Pilot rated and very confident with slope landing. |
Wind Direction | 135 to 200 degreesWINDdirection |
Height | 190m (623ft) |
Top To Bottom | n/am (0ft) |
Site Contact | The landowner is Bill Tyrwhitt-Drake. Please obtain daily permission to fly by texting the game keeper (Details on the Park Hill Telegram group) Please be very polite and only text during sociable hours (8am to 8pm). Write something like “This is X from the Sky Surfers Paragliding club, requesting permission to paraglide from Park Hill today”. Post an update to the Telegram group for Park Hill when permission for that day is granted or refused. You can call him if you need to, but bear in mind he has said that he prefers texts. Remember that it's not the Game Keeper's job to field multiple enquiries from us - both him and the landowner are doing us a favour. |
Map
Site Rules
- Only fly with the permission of the gamekeeper for that day. (Details on the Park Hill Telegram group)
- Before texting the gamekeeper, check on the Park Hill Telegram group to see if permission has already been obtained or refused for that day. If you text the game keeper, post on Telegram straight away.
- Text the gamekeeper only within sociable hours (8am to 8pm) and be very polite. Best to ask the day before.
- Maximum 6 pilots on the hill at any one time – use Telegram to coordinate so as to avoid too many people turning up.
- Do not fly low over houses or fields with horses.
Hazards
No safe and accessible bottom landing. Large trees to the right (west) side of the quarry. The air is rarely smooth, perhaps because of the obstacles and odd shape of the hill. The need to be able to slope land at short notice means that the site cannot support many gliders in the air at once – four is a realistic maximum when conditions are good, sometimes two is pushing it. Beware that when the wind is smack on the “nose” at the quarry, you will be flying an increasingly downwind leg when flying away from the quarry on either side, which will add to the pressure when trying to land.
Takeoff
Choose your take off point according to the wind direction, either side of the quarry
Landing
There are no sensible bottom landing options when bombing out. The football field to the south west of the recommended parking is possible and safe if you first gain height above the ridge. Be careful of spooking horses on your approach – plan your flight to avoid overflying them. There is a cricket field in the village that you may be able to reach on a good glide path with no sink, but beware of power lines and buildings, and don’t land on the square of short grass in the middle of the field (that needs to stay pristine for the cricket players). To the right (west) of the quarry the slope is covered in bushes from halfway down. To the left (east) of the quarry slope landings are possible all the way down. For this reason, flying to the left (east) is safer and/or more relaxing as long as the wind direction gives good lift on this side. In a SSW you may find it easiest to slope land on the far west end of the ridge, behind the church, where the bushes don’t reach so high up the slope.
Leaving the Hill
The downwind potential of this site is enticing. Wales beckons.
Thermals seem to run up the spurs either side of the old quarry.