Schleppstrecke Wallertheim

Wallertheim runs a winch-tow paragliding site in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, using an 1,800 m payout-winch line to get pilots airborne from a flat launch at around 170 m. It's a flatland setup rather than a hill site — pilots are towed aloft rather than running off a slope — which makes it a reliable spot for structured training and repeat flights close to home. The tow line can be worked from northeast, east, southwest or west winds, giving it more flexibility than a single-direction site when it comes to picking a flyable day. Visiting pilots are welcomed, in keeping with the open, club-run culture of German winch fields. The catch is agricultural: launches and landings cross fields next to the strip, and those fields need to stay low and cut back for the tow to be safe, so the site's usable season tracks the crop cycle rather than the calendar.

Local rules & hazards

Launches and landings need the crops on the neighboring fields kept under roughly 0.5 m, so usability tracks the local farming calendar rather than a fixed season.

Check conditions before you fly

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