Strüther Wald

Strüther Wald flies as a north-wind site tucked into the Nahe valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, and it comes with more environmental oversight than most launches — the takeoff and landing areas sit inside the Nahetal bird sanctuary and the Soonwald-Nahe nature park. Flying here is coordinated with the local nature conservation authority, and the rules are specific: keep the launch footprint small, stay well clear of a black woodpecker nesting site near the approach path, and during the spring breeding season (roughly April through July) fly with extra care around a peregrine falcon nest near the neighbouring Hellberg reserve, keeping a wide berth from February into mid-July. An active airfield sits about 3 km away, so pilots get briefed on its glider traffic before their first flight from here. Access itself runs through a local club. It's a site that rewards pilots willing to fly quietly and by the book.

Launch & conditions

Keep the launch and staging area as small as you can — it borders a black woodpecker nesting site right along the approach path.

Getting there & local rules

Flying here runs through a local club, and an active airfield about 3 km away means a briefing on glider traffic before your first flight.

Local rules & hazards

The launch and landing areas sit inside a bird sanctuary and nature park, so overflight disturbance is taken seriously — stay well clear of a black woodpecker nesting site near the approach, and from February to mid-July keep extra distance from a peregrine falcon nest near the neighbouring reserve. Breeding-season care (roughly April to July) applies more broadly across the site. An active airfield about 3 km away means new pilots are briefed on its glider traffic first.

Check conditions before you fly

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