Erlau Südwest

Erlau Südwest is a small practice slope in Germany, with only about 32 m of height difference between takeoff and landing, used by paragliding and hang-gliding students and pilots under supervision. It faces south to southwest. Flying here only happens by prior arrangement with the site operator, including on short notice, and training from other flight schools may also be possible with advance coordination. Because it's used for basic training, the site sets real conditions for students flying it: they need to already be able to fly controlled turns, must have been briefed on hill-landing technique, need a working radio link with their instructor during the flight, and are expected to observe the relevant airspace rules. It's a low-height, low-consequence hill in the useful sense — short enough to build launch and landing repetitions safely — but the supervision requirements make clear it's not a casual drop-in site.

Local rules & hazards

This is a basic-training slope: pilots training here must already handle controlled turns, be briefed on hill-landing technique, keep a working radio link with their instructor during the flight, and observe airspace rules. Flying only happens by prior arrangement with the site operator.

Check conditions before you fly

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