Heimborn – Knabenberg Schleppgelände

Heimborn-Knabenberg is a winch-tow and training-slope site in the Westerwald, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, at about 310 m, flying north and northeast wind. The training slope itself has about 30 m of height difference and is reserved for paraglider training only — not for winch-tow instruction — and any hang glider winch training here is limited, since trainees need real prior landing experience before starting on this hanging terrain. Vehicle access to the site itself isn't allowed for pilots or visitors; everyone parks at public lots, with only the winch and its transport vehicle permitted under a separate local arrangement. A protected old oak tree along the path to Wintershof must be given a wide berth, at least 50 m, and coppice woodland in the area can't be overflown at all. To protect the wider Nistertal landscape, this site and the nearby Limbach site can never be flown at the same time. The winch itself is only set up with the landowner's and the nature authority's agreement, and it's driven away again at the end of every flying day.

Launch & conditions

The training slope has about 30 m of height difference and is for paraglider training only; hang glider winch training is limited here because of the hanging terrain.

Getting there & local rules

Vehicle access isn't allowed for pilots or visitors — park at public lots; only the winch and its transport vehicle have a separate local arrangement to reach the site.

Local rules & hazards

A protected old oak tree along the path to Wintershof must be given a wide berth of at least 50 m, and coppice woodland nearby can't be overflown at all. This site and the nearby Limbach site can never be flown at the same time, to protect the wider Nistertal landscape. Hang glider winch training here is limited — trainees need real prior landing experience before starting on this hanging terrain — and the training slope itself is for paraglider training only, not winch-tow instruction.

Check conditions before you fly

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