Mt Herman

Mt Herman sits above Monument, Colorado, near the US Air Force Academy — a small, committed cliff launch on a steep grassy meadow with room for just 2 gliders. It's a P3-recommended site: the launch is relatively small, the cliff makes it committed, and the air is properly active. Every flight here requires prior contact with USAFA Flight Operations before AND after your session. Because of the proximity to Academy flight operations, the airspace is genuinely shared — flyovers can include fighters at up to 450 KIAS and B-1s at up to 0.9 Mach under active TFRs. The USAF has agreed the TFR box stops short of Mt Herman, but their aircraft may still climb to 10,000 MSL to comply with FAR speed limits.

Launch & conditions

Steep grassy meadow ending at a point-of-no-return cliff. Room for 2 gliders. Committed cliff launch — P3 minimum recommended.

Getting there & local rules

Monument, Colorado — Mt Herman Road. Landing: large grass meadow below with parking and the trailhead back up to launch. Very active during mid-day conditions.

Local rules & hazards

Before every flight, advise USAFA Flight Operations of your plans; call again when you're done. The tower is not normally staffed on weekends, but call anyway to leave your plans. Pilots must NOT be in the air during flyovers. Recent USAF update: fighters are now approved for 450 KIAS and B-1s to 0.9 Mach under TFR — the TFR box stops short of Mt Herman, but their aircraft will typically climb to 10,000 MSL to comply with speed limits. Small, committed launch and active mountain air — P3 minimum recommended.

Check conditions before you fly

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