Heckenkopf – Rauschen / Faulbach Startplatz

Heckenkopf – Rauschen/Faulbach is a paragliding-only takeoff near Faulbach in Bavaria, on a slope facing east to southeast — hang-glider launches aren't possible here since the old launch ramp no longer exists. Getting to the top takes some planning: private cars can only go as far as a barrier gate, leaving roughly 400 m on foot from there, while the local club's bus can drive right up to the takeoff (it then has to head back past the barrier once everyone's unloaded). There's no other way in — it's club bus or walking, nothing in between. Tandem launches have a specific safety rule here: they only go ahead when the headwind component is enough for a genuinely safe start, so a tandem pair might simply wait out a marginal wind rather than launch into it.

Launch & conditions

Paragliding-only launch — hang-glider takeoffs aren't possible since the old ramp no longer exists; reached only by the club bus or a roughly 400 m walk from the barrier gate.

Getting there & local rules

Private cars can only reach the barrier gate, then it's about 400 m on foot; the club bus can drive to the takeoff itself.

Local rules & hazards

Tandem launches only go ahead when the headwind component allows a genuinely safe start — in weak or unfavorable wind, wait rather than launch.

Check conditions before you fly

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