Hausstein

Hausstein is a hill launch in Bavaria, Germany, at about 880 m, taking off from a bumpy meadow set within a cleared lift lane through the forest, with wind indicators at both takeoff and landing. On a genuinely calm day, pilots need a strong committed run to get airborne, but weak wind under roughly 10 km/h from almost any direction can still work here because local thermal activity overrides the light regional flow. The site carries a real, terrain-driven hazard: never launch in crosswind, since the tall trees lining the narrow forest lane generate rotor turbulence the moment the wind isn't straight down the lane. Conditions also shift through the day — expect increasing crosswind from the south as the afternoon goes on, which is worth planning flights around rather than discovering mid-launch. Visiting pilots pay a small day-membership fee to fly, with an annual membership also available for regulars.

Launch & conditions

Bumpy meadow launch in a cleared forest lane, with wind indicators at both takeoff and landing. Never launch in crosswind — the narrow, tree-lined lane generates rotor turbulence when wind isn't straight down it. In genuinely calm air, a strong committed run is needed to launch. Expect increasing crosswind from the south as the afternoon progresses.

Getting there & local rules

Visiting pilots pay a small day-membership fee; an annual membership is also available.

Local rules & hazards

The narrow forest launch lane makes crosswind genuinely dangerous due to rotor off the tall trees — wait for wind straight down the lane. In light wind under about 10 km/h, thermal activity can override the regional flow and make most directions flyable.

Check conditions before you fly

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