Weiherkuppe

Weiherkuppe sits just west of the well-known Wasserkuppe, above the village of Sieblos in Hesse, Germany, at about 720 m. It's considered an ideal soaring ridge for the southwest wind that usually prevails here, with the reliable lift band found just right of the tree line as you face the launch direction, and thermals sometimes forming over a pallet factory below. Landings happen on mowed meadows on the lower slope, with gear packed away on the adjacent field track. Because the site sits close to the Wasserkuppe's own special airfield, pilots flying above 3,000 ft MSL who then overfly that airfield must carry a radio and make contact on its frequency. Flying hours are seasonal: 9am–7pm from April to October (with the last October landing an hour before sunset), 11am–3pm from November to February, and 9am–5pm in March. Only a flight-school vehicle may park at the foot of the launch during training; everyone else parks at the cemetery in Sieblos and walks up — driving onto the terrain itself is strictly forbidden.

Launch & conditions

The reliable lift band sits just right of the tree line as you face the launch direction; thermals sometimes form over the pallet factory below.

Getting there & local rules

Park at the cemetery lot in Sieblos and walk up — driving onto the terrain is strictly forbidden. A flight-school vehicle may use the base-of-launch spot, but only during training.

Local rules & hazards

Pilots flying above 3,000 ft MSL who then overfly the adjoining Wasserkuppe special airfield must carry a radio and make contact on its frequency. Flying is restricted to fixed hours by season — 9am–7pm April to October, 11am–3pm November to February, and 9am–5pm in March — and only within a marked flight sector shown on the site's info boards; the area north and northeast of it may not be flown from this launch.

Check conditions before you fly

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