King Edward Park (Powerful DS Zone) (Red Square)

This zone works well in a SSE to ESE wind and has so far produced our highest speed.  It is also an ideal site for both front and back, which provides for massive aerobatics by using DSing to top up speed. 

 

Landing zone is tricky and requires practice, as you must land within the DS zone, up hill and down wind.  Extreme care is required when landing to avoid pedestrians.  The red circle shows the DS groove on the back of the cliff which is around 60m in diameter.

 

 

 

 

Dudley Bluff  (Great frontside)

Dudley is a beautiful slope with great visibility and works in ENE to NE winds. Although the launch/landing zone is reasonably well cleared, the surrounding area is very thick with vegetation and will cut you to pieces if looking for a lost model.  Awesome big sky flying and specking out in moderate winds are easy at Dudley.

The landing zone is good but the shrubs are rough on planes.

Swansea (great DS Zone)

Swansea is essentially a flat top cliff with a treeline at its top and works in ENE winds.  The treeline extends the height of the zone which is reasonably large due to the massive vertical lift off the front.  Another great front and back site.  Although its not as high a DS zone as King Edward Park, it does extend back a fair way, allowing for a deep, low level circuit.

Down wind landings into the DS zone are the best option.

Launchpad (awesome frontside) (White Square)

This is Newcastle's premier frontside site.  It works in S to SSE winds and is the best lift in town, bar none.  Big lift and big sky flying, although there is no retrieval from here. 

Excellent landing zone.

Hickson St (frontside) (The little green patch)

Nice lift although it gets blown out over 20 knots unless you have heaps of ballast. It works in winds from SSW to SE.  It can get quite crowded with hang gliders but has excellent visibility over a very large area. 

The landing zone is great.

 

 

Carpark (frontside)  Good lift in wind from E to ENE.  Quite a small site and gets crowded quickly with more than 6 planes in the air.  Convenient access from your car, which is great for those quick flies on the way home after work. 

The landing zone is narrow and adequate for foamies only.

 

 

 

Dickson Park (frontside)

Great site to learn if the wind is light to moderate and works from SE to ESE.  Not a good site for leaners in high wind due to the houses close behind.  Another convenient site for those quick afternoon flies.  Lift is good although is gets blown out in over 20 knots.

The landing zone is limited due to the foot path running along side it.  Care is required when landing to avoid pedestrians.  It should be noted that after negotiating an agreement with the Newcastle City Council, flying must be done EAST or seawards of the foot path.  This is to improve the safety of the public and preserve our use of the site.

  

Munibung (DS zone and some frontside)

This is the only site that works in WNW to W winds.  Although not our best DS site, beggars cant be choosers in the winter westerly winds.  It is a reasonably large zone but has several obsticals such as trees and stumps which can make it interesting.  Frontside is only possible in 15 knots plus.

The landing zone is excellent.

  

.......more on this soon.