Franschoek

Franschhoek delivers spectacular Cape flying above the vineyards, best combined with a mellow lunch and a glass of wine in the Alpine-styled town below. It's a thermal and soaring site, most reliable ahead of a weak cold front on a pre-frontal north-westerly. Be alert: the wind on such days typically strengthens rapidly through the morning, often peaking around 13:30, and then usually softens after 16:00 before dying at sunset — with the tail end sometimes blowing downhill at the base of the pass. The launch sits just over the crest of the Franschhoek Pass, a few metres into the nature reserve on the seaward side of the road.

Launch & conditions

Just over the crest of the Franschhoek Pass, there's a parking area on the left of the road; a fence runs towards the cliffs from the car park, and the launch is at the end of that fence, a few metres inside the nature reserve.

Getting there & local rules

Head towards Paarl on the N1; take the R44 turnoff to Wellington/Klapmuts/Franschhoek and turn immediately right under the bridge. After the 4-way intersection, take the 2nd road left towards Franschhoek. Follow signs through town to the T-junction, then left up the pass towards Villiersdorp. The landing field is on your left as you begin to climb; at the top of the pass, turn left into a gravel viewsite road and park near the fence.

Local rules & hazards

Reserve permission is required — the site sits inside the Mont Rochelle Conservancy, there is a yearly site fee, and inspectors do check. Do not launch from the area directly in front of the upper car park (unpredictable turbulence across the road plus traffic). The pass is at the end of a long valley — only flyable in very light meteo wind because of the strong channelling effect, and a strong venturi builds around launch as wind increases; top-landing in strong winds is not advisable. Watch signals (clouds, smoke, water on the dams, other pilots) — pilots have been blown over the back into rotor here. Never land in the house complex — you can be arrested.

Check conditions before you fly

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