Schleppstrecke Flonheim

Flonheim is a winch-tow flying site in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, built around a 1,800 m payout-winch tow line at roughly 170 m altitude. Rather than launching off a hill, pilots are towed up behind a winch running along the strip, which makes it a flatland site suited to training and to logging airtime independent of mountain terrain. It takes wind from several directions — north, south, southeast or northwest — so the winch line can usually run whichever way the wind is blowing that day. The site is described as open to visiting pilots, which is typical of German winch clubs that welcome guests for organized tow sessions. Because launches and landings run across working fields, the site depends on the surrounding crops staying low; once vegetation grows past a certain height it can no longer be used safely for tow operations, so availability shifts with the farming season.

Local rules & hazards

Launches and landings are only possible while vegetation on the adjoining fields stays below about 0.5 m, so usability depends on the local farming calendar.

Check conditions before you fly

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