La Solana

La Solana launches from 671 m in Spain, working southeast and south wind for thermic, soaring and hike-and-fly flying. The takeoff is a huge ramp near a group of antennas, with a statue set slightly to the east of it, and it's accessible by any regular car rather than requiring a rugged approach. To get there, drivers take the highway toward Madrid, exit at Villena, head toward Biar, then find a track on the left behind an abandoned farmhouse that leads all the way up to the antennas. The flying itself demands respect: breezes here can pick up sharply within just minutes, turning a calm afternoon hazardous with little warning, which is why local pilots recommend checking with someone who knows the site before flying it and why late afternoon tends to be the safer window. On its good days this is a genuinely rewarding site, but the same conditions that make it fantastic can turn it dangerous fast, so treat the forecast as a starting point rather than the final word.

Launch & conditions

A huge ramp near a group of antennas, with a statue just to the east; accessible by any regular car.

Getting there & local rules

Take the highway toward Madrid, exit at Villena, head toward Biar, then find a track on the left behind an abandoned farmhouse leading up to the antennas.

Local rules & hazards

Stay below 300 m above ground level, and flying here requires a proper license and insurance. Breeze can pick up sharply within minutes, so this site is best flown late in the afternoon, and a local read on conditions is worth having before committing.

Check conditions before you fly

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