Fortunaweg

Fortunaweg is a winch-launch flatland site near Bergheim in the Rhein-Erft region of North Rhine-Westphalia, flying on easterly winds from close to sea level (83 m). Access is unusually limited: the site's permit caps flying to just 10 days a year, with up to 8 launches allowed on each of those days, and operations have to be coordinated with the flight activity at a nearby glider airfield as well as a model-aircraft site about 3.5 km away. Ground procedures reflect a proper winch operation: barriers and warning signs go up at the launch, at the end of the tow run, and at the farm-track crossings along the way, with route marshals posted at the two designated crossing points. Any tow is aborted the moment a vehicle or pedestrian approaches the line, and radio contact is kept open the whole time between the launch point, the tow vehicle, the route marshals and the pilot in the air. A site operator always appoints a launch marshal before flying starts. The permit also covers free tandem flights offered to people with disabilities under a local exemption.

Launch & conditions

A winch-launch site worked on easterly winds; barriers, warning signs and route marshals go up at the launch, the tow-run end and the farm-track crossings before flying starts, with radio contact kept between launch point, tow vehicle, marshals and pilot.

Local rules & hazards

Flying here is capped at just 10 days a year, with up to 8 launches allowed on each of those days, and operations must be coordinated with a nearby glider airfield and a model-aircraft site about 3.5 km away. Any tow is aborted immediately if a vehicle or pedestrian approaches the line.

Check conditions before you fly

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