San Giuliano Terme

San Giuliano Terme sits on the Monti Pisani north of Pisa, a Tuscan west-facing launch working on SSW to WNW winds. The 330 m grassy take-off is large enough for three paragliders at once, presents no technical difficulty and is well suited to pilots with less experience. A reliable sea breeze usually sets in from around 11 am. The LZ sits about a kilometre in front of launch, an 80 × 60 m grass field with plenty of parking, bars and restaurants nearby, reachable with a minimum glide ratio of 1:2.8 — easy for any wing. Care is needed on days with markedly angled S or N winds. The site is inside the CTR Zone 1 of Pisa Airport, so flying is conditional on the local NOTAM being active and every pilot staying north of Air Corridor 23, which is exclusively reserved for aircraft landing at Pisa.

Launch & conditions

West-facing grassy launch at 330 m; SSW–WNW window. No technical difficulty. Watch strong angled southerly or northerly components. Landing approaches are possible from all four directions with adequate margin.

Getting there & local rules

The landing sits about a kilometre in front of launch, an 80 × 60 m grass field with a large adjacent car park and bars/restaurants a few metres away — very accessible even for pilots visiting for the first time.

Local rules & hazards

The site is inside CTR Zone 1 of Pisa Airport — flying is allowed only when the national NOTAM for free-flight activity is active. Every pilot must stay NORTH of Air Corridor 23, which is reserved for aircraft landing at Pisa. Sea breezes can strengthen through the afternoon.

Check conditions before you fly

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