Landing in St Andre Les Alpes

For most pilots this is often the hardest part regardless of location.

My advice to all Hanglider pilots is fly with wheels and Paraglider pilots use harnesses that have airbags.

Hanglider pilots, before you fly at Saint Andre

1. Practice your landings at home in a variety of conditions, especially nil wind. Touch and go’s are fun. Build them into your flying routine because when you get here you will find it a lot more comfortable. Be an expert in aircraft style landing approaches.

2. Read and re-read the sections in your books about landing and valley flying. This will help you map out winds based on a variety of parameters

3. Hanglider pilots should fly here with wheels on. The XC conditions are generally so damn good that your glide difference and overall XC performance will not be negatively affected having wheels on the bar. The physiological benefits of easily getting into any small fields, making downwind on bar/wheel landings more than compensate, with confidence boosted you will gain many extra XC miles and not dread the landing as so many HG pilots do.

I flew here almost every week or so without wheels, 100’s of great flights since 2000 never even broke or bent an upright. Then in 2007 I broke my left arm landing here when a thermal kicked off during final approach and flare. It’s not worth the aggravation. Fly with wheels and get them before you come here.

Landing at Aerogliss - The main LZ . . .

TOP TIP!

When you arrive here, before you fly, spend a little time “role playing” your landing approach with differing scenarios and approaches. in mind. Watch others land. Aircraft style approach being the best, mapping it out on the ground for differing directions is great. Speak to the school and ask them for recommended thoughts and compare that to your own thinking. Most don’t bother to do this.

Arrive high over the main LZ it is big and has large windsocks visible from up high. Use this altitude and time to watch and check for wind direction consistency. Enjoy watching them if you glide across to the Chamatte mountain or down towards Angles village on XC and make a mental note of what was going on, for when you return later.

If the wind is consistent in direction land here. Generally keeping your eyes on the windsocks closest to the Aerogliss building as you land.

If not consistent. this is fine - relax, you have height, go and land at La Mure. Follow the river away from the lake. You will see a large stone railway bridge with huge fields. This is the sailplane emergency landout field.

If on finals the wind is switching by less than 60-90 degrees - Relax about this, focus, and concentrate on making an aircraft style approach, bearing in mind the windsock behaviour, ready to make a quick cross or into wind landing should the windsock suddenly deviate. Wheels help here.

As a general rule (really general) during the heating of the day till about 4pm-ish, with a prevailing wind, you will find landing will be into a good breeze. Expect it to be bumpy on approach. Don’t let this unsettle you. Ride through the bumpswith extra speed. When it’s really bumpy I often reduce height using steady 360s to keep the glider fully loaded and speed on.

Otherwise expect everything to be changing and have well practiced zero wind landings. Do bring some spares with you as a precaution. No spares means sods law will win and you will bust an upright.

Landing at La Mure . . .

Arrive fairly high, watch for the point where the railway line crosses the river. It is often thermic and getting down takes time. Relax about this and just enjoy it. The field is HUGE and points up the valley. Prepare for a slight cross wind and just watch the windsock.

The actual wind on the ground is often zero, so anticipate/feel for this as you make your approach through the wind gradient.

When you have touched down, clear away to the left, packing close to the trees at the St Andre far end of the field. Sailplanes often use this and won’t be happy if you are in the way.

De-rig and carry the glider across the rail way line to your car. Please do not drive across the lines. The use of this field for landing has taken years to win. I would hate to lose it.

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