Herchen

Herchen is an east-facing launch along the Sieg river in western Germany, close enough to Cologne/Bonn Airport that every pilot needs a briefing on the local airspace structure before their first flight here. The site was prepared and approved by a local club in 2010, and the launch itself is genuinely steep — solid glider handling is a must, and it should only be launched in a clean, unambiguous headwind. Training flights do happen here, but only with an instructor present at both launch and landing, students who've already mastered steep-terrain launches, and weather that's genuinely suitable for teaching; training flights fly straight to the landing field rather than exploring. Whatever the flight, the Sieg river below needs to be crossed with real height in hand, and the glide toward landing has to start in good time rather than being left late.

Launch & conditions

A genuinely steep, east-facing launch — solid glider handling is a must, and it should only be launched in a clean, unambiguous headwind.

Getting there & local rules

The site was prepared and approved by a local club in 2010, and a briefing is required before flying here.

Local rules & hazards

Every pilot needs a briefing on the local airspace structure before their first flight, due to the site's closeness to Cologne/Bonn Airport. The Sieg river below has to be crossed with real height in hand, and the glide to landing should start in good time.

Check conditions before you fly

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