Croix Rampau – Poleymieux

Croix Rampau is a genuinely technical launch above Poleymieux, just northwest of Lyon, on a site the local pilots treat as fragile: flying is banned whenever cattle are grazing in the fields below, and every gate must be closed behind you. Takeoff sits close to a 12,000-volt power line just to the east, which needs at least 50 m of clearance when overflying it. The launch itself carries real risk for anyone without solid wing control — a poor takeoff can push a pilot back onto the cross marking the site or into the trees behind it, so a French FFVL pilot brevet is strongly recommended before flying here. The window is narrow, too: this site only really works in a north wind between 10 and 16 km/h. A hard ceiling of 600 m applies, since Lyon's TMA 1 controlled airspace starts directly above, and standard right-of-way rules matter more than usual on a site this tight. To the west, the ridge carrying the antennas and radar station is an absolute no-fly boundary — crossing it risks direct intervention from the Gendarmerie and the nearby Air Force base, and could get the site closed for good. Landing is on the long flat field at the valley bottom, fenced by barbed wire in front and bordered by farmland behind — stay inside it.

Launch & conditions

A technical takeoff: poor wing control can push a pilot back onto the cross marking the site or into the trees behind it. An FFVL pilot brevet (or equivalent license) is strongly recommended.

Local rules & hazards

This site only works in a north wind between 10 and 16 km/h — outside that window, don't fly. A 600 m altitude ceiling applies, since Lyon's TMA 1 controlled airspace starts directly above. To the west, the ridge with the antennas and radar is an absolute no-fly boundary — crossing it risks direct intervention from the Gendarmerie and the nearby Air Force base, and could get the site closed. A 12,000-volt power line runs east of launch — keep at least 50 m clear of it. Flying is banned whenever cattle are in the fields below, and gates must always be closed.

Check conditions before you fly

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