Burg Lichtenberg

Burg Lichtenberg is a demanding launch below a castle in the Palatinate, at about 367 m facing south to southwest, and the club that runs it is explicit that only briefed, experienced pilots should launch here — a clean headwind is required and tandem flights are not permitted. Pilots need above-average groundhandling and must always use the reverse-launch method, with the briefing given by the site holder or a designated person before anyone's first flight. Launches only happen in at least 15 km/h of headwind under safe conditions: each pilot sets their own abort line before the ground drops away and must be airborne by that point, clearing a farm track and a wall below with real height to spare — the wall itself is padded with straw bales during flying, and the track must be checked clear of people, vehicles and cyclists before any launch. Guest pilots may only fly when club members are present. Access to the launch is on foot only, via the farm track from the east rather than the southern slope, and vehicles stay in the designated car park. On the landing approach, pilots stay above 50 m over the surrounding orchard meadows, and any flight over the castle and its woods needs at least 300 m of ground clearance.

Local rules & hazards

Only briefed, experienced pilots with above-average groundhandling should launch here, always using the reverse-launch method, and a clean headwind of at least 15 km/h is required — tandem flights and two-seat launches are not permitted. Each pilot sets a personal abort line before the drop-off and must be airborne by it, clearing a farm track and wall below with real height; the track must be checked clear of people and vehicles first. Guest pilots may only fly with club members present, and any flight over the nearby castle and its woods needs at least 300 m of ground clearance.

Check conditions before you fly

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