OUT DARE

Mustang

Paragliding site · United States

Launch altitude
1,772 m
Level
Ask the local school
Best season
Landing
NNEESESSWWNW

Works on S · SW · W

Where it is

ThermalsSoaringCross-countryHike & fly

Mustang is an evening-glass-off ridge site in south-east Arizona — a west-facing walk-up on BLM land about 10 miles east of Sonoita, 70 miles south-east of Tucson. It sits around 5,900 ft MSL. The site is unpredictable and easily blown out, so it works best in the last hours of the day. Takes winds SSW (200°) through WNW (290°) up to about 15 mph depending on pilot experience level, and is rarely flyable if winds aloft are forecast over 10 knots at 6k or 15 knots at 9k. Don't launch in winds over 16 knots (18 mph). No formal rating requirement — P2 suggested.

Launch & conditions

West-facing walk-up on BLM land at ~5,900 ft MSL. Takes winds SSW (200°) through WNW (290°) up to about 15 mph depending on pilot experience. Don't launch in winds over 16 knots (18 mph). Rarely flyable if winds aloft exceed 10 kt at 6k / 15 kt at 9k.

Getting there & local rules

About 10 miles east of Sonoita, 70 miles south-east of Tucson. Walk-up. Landing: very large field at about 5,000 ft MSL.

Local rules & hazards

No formal rating requirement — P2 suggested. SAHGA club radio frequency 151.925 (USHGA Ch. 2). Emergencies: 911 Santa Cruz County Sheriff. In strong SW (common summer afternoons) getting blown over the back is very bad — rotor lives there and will hurt you. Winds aloft can differ significantly from launch and LZ, especially in high pressure. In NW winds aloft, the nearby butte ('the biscuit') produces turbulence. Do not land in the fields north and west of launch — hostile landowners. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are real hazards in hot weather — carry plenty of water for the hike.

Check conditions before you fly

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

Conditions right now

Live — the same sources the OutDare app uses

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Is it usually flyable?

Set your wing's wind range once — the live 7-day outlook and the last 12 months both answer for Mustang.

Your flyable wind range

Surface wind (10 m) in km/h — the same number you read on any forecast.

The 7-day outlook and the 12-month history below both update to your range.

7-day wind outlook

High-resolution models — the same OutDare uses.

Loading the forecast…

Over the last 12 months

53% of days flyable

192 of 365 days had a dry 2-hour+ window in your range, from a direction this site flies

Best month

Apr · 80%

Flyable days by month

32%
J
43%
F
58%
M
80%
A
77%
M
67%
J
48%
J
35%
A
43%
S
55%
O
57%
N
35%
D

A day counts as flyable when the surface wind held in your range, from a direction the site flies, with no rain, for at least 2 hours in a row (08:00–20:00) — from hourly 10 m wind over the last 12 months. A seasonal wind guide only: it can't judge gusts, thermals or turbulence, and never replaces the live forecast, airspace checks and your own judgement.

Nearby flying sites

Site facts from the OutDare flying-site database. Always verify current access and regulations with the local club before flying.