Tignousa

Tignousa launches from 2,192 m in the Swiss Alps, best suited to southwest and west wind days. It's a walk-up site: the recommended takeoff is about 25 minutes above a small restaurant at the base, though pilots say a workable spot can usually be found somewhere on the slope once the wind is right, rather than being pinned to one exact spot. That flexibility is useful, because this isn't a beginner-friendly site end to end — the nearest landing option, next to the local ski train, isn't an official field. It's a steep, turbulent hillside hemmed in by trees and houses, with no windsock to read the wind by, so it should be treated as a last resort rather than a plan. Combined with genuinely complex Swiss airspace in this area, Tignousa rewards pilots who already know how to read terrain and adjust on the fly, and who check current airspace status before launching rather than relying on memory from a previous visit.

Launch & conditions

Reaching the recommended takeoff means a roughly 25-minute walk up from the small restaurant at the base, though pilots note that when the wind cooperates, a workable launch spot can usually be found somewhere along this slope.

Local rules & hazards

Switzerland's airspace here is genuinely complex, so check current restrictions before you fly rather than assuming an earlier briefing still holds. The area near the ski train is not an official landing — it's a steep, turbulent hillside with trees and houses close by and no windsock, so treat it strictly as a last resort, not a target.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Tignousa, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Tignousa with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.