Im kleinen Feld

Im kleinen Feld is a winch-tow flatland site in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, at about 342 m, notable for working across an unusually wide range of wind directions — northeast, east, south, southwest and west — which gives it far more flying days than a single-direction site. As a flatland tow operation, it launches multiple tow lines rather than one, and the different lines carry different rules: basic winch training is only permitted on the site's S1 and S2 tow lines, not on S3, which isn't suited to it. When the winch is running on line S3, the path toward a feature known locally as the “Tiefe Schlucht” (deep gorge) has to be properly barricaded off for the duration, and the same access path needs appropriate barrier measures during S1-S2 operations too. If bird species sensitive to disturbance are found to be affected, flying here can be restricted in both timing and area at short notice, so the rules here are managed actively rather than fixed once and forgotten.

Launch & conditions

Winch tow across multiple lines (S1, S2, S3). Favorable wind covers a wide range: northeast, east, south, southwest and west. Basic winch training is only permitted on lines S1-S2 — S3 is not suited to it.

Local rules & hazards

Flying can be restricted in timing and area at short notice if disturbance-sensitive bird species are affected. The access path toward the nearby gorge must be properly barricaded during winch operations, on both the S3 line and the S1-S2 lines.

Check conditions before you fly

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