Arnoldshain

Arnoldshain is a training hill in Hesse, Germany, at about 560 m, best known for a genuinely large launch meadow that makes it a good spot for practice flights. It's a privately established site rather than a club-run one, kept open through one local operator's own initiative, which is part of why the rules here are stricter than at many other sites: every pilot needs a briefing from the site operator before their first launch, no exceptions. Launches are only permitted when the wind is clearly and consistently out of the northeast — a marginal or shifting wind isn't good enough to go. Notably, training flights (as opposed to already-licensed pilots flying independently) are not permitted here at all, so this isn't a beginner instruction site despite the forgiving-looking meadow; it's for licensed pilots doing practice flying under the site's own access terms.

Launch & conditions

Launches are only permitted with a clear, consistent wind from the northeast — a marginal or shifting wind is not sufficient. Every pilot needs a briefing from the site operator before their first launch.

Local rules & hazards

Training flights are not permitted at this site — it is for already-licensed pilots flying independently, not for instruction.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Arnoldshain, 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 Arnoldshain with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.