Häger – Meyer zu Rahden

Häger – Meyer zu Rahden is a thermally very active winch-tow site with good cross-country potential. Guest pilots are welcome and towed readily, but need to register with the winch operator first, and hang-glider tows require advance registration too. Roadside and trackside parking is off-limits — the surrounding farmers need their machinery access kept clear. Up to 75 tows run daily, from an hour after sunrise until sunset, and landing in the protected wetland stream valleys ('Sieken') around the site is banned outright except in a genuine emergency. The southern road (L782) must be cleared by at least 50 m, both horizontally and vertically, on every tow, and stepped-tow launches only run in a direct headwind — east or west — with a mandatory radio link between pilot and winch operator and an altimeter to judge release height.

Launch & conditions

Stepped-tow launches only run in a direct headwind — east or west — with a reliable radio link between pilot and winch operator and an altimeter to judge release height. Clear the L782 road to the south by at least 50 m on every tow.

Getting there & local rules

Guest pilots register with the winch operator before towing; hang-glider tows need advance registration too. Don't park on the surrounding roads or tracks — local farmers need machinery access kept clear.

Local rules & hazards

Up to 75 tows run daily, from an hour after sunrise to sunset. Landing in the protected wetland stream valleys ('Sieken') around the site is banned except in a genuine emergency, and the tow route's crossing farm track is marked or marshalled depending on visibility.

Check conditions before you fly

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