Our
flying sites are all located within a few miles of Stroud in Gloucestershire
(South West England)
We are extremely lucky in that we have 4 main flying sites, all of which are
within a half hours drive of each other. Also, all of the sites have easy access,
with car parks within a couple of hundred yards of the actual flying area.
The sites are mostly on National Trust land with no flying restrictions, however
they are open to one and all including cows, horses and paragliders! (not necessarily
listed in order of importance).
Because we share the flying sites with everyone else, we feel that it is vital
to have suitable insurance. Hence our club is affiliated with the British
Model Flying Association which provides the club members with the
necessary insurance.
The Flying Sites
Our club logo on the homepage gives
details of the 4 main sites. We also have some detailed Maps.
Note - The map pages contain fairly large images (50-60K)
Frocester Hill: (Coaley Peak picnic
park) A South Westerly facing ridge overlooking the river Severn. For SW -NW(ish)
winds. It might seem a bit intimidating to land at Frocester, but this
video (wmv file) shows you the best approach to landing, also landing a
1/4 scale click here
notice the landing approach at 1.45 min. Satnav 1 mile west of GL10 3TX on the
B4066
Photo's of Frocester Hill
Selsley Common: A North facing
"plateau type" slope overlooking Stroud and Stonehouse, with views
as far as the Malverns (on a clear day). Has a reasonable slope, with a huge
flat open landing area just behind the slope. Also inhabited by cows and paragliders
during summer. However these do not usually cause any problems, apart from the
occasional cowpat encountered when landing! For NW - N winds
Safety Note - We have an agreement with the paragliders
that when they are flying on Selsley, they keep to the right of the Millenium
stone and we keep to the left. This helps to ensure the safety of everyone involved
Satnav 1 mile east of GL10 3TX
Photo's of Selsley Common
Rodborough Common: A classic Easterly
facing bowl with a SE facing ridge at one end. Can be a bit bumpy when the wind
is getting a bit North of east. For NE - SE winds
Photo's of Rodborough Common
Haresfield Beacon: A lovely South
facing ridge with a landing area just behind the slope. Not recommended for
large models as the landing can be very turbulent in strong winds. For SE -
SW winds
Photo's of Haresfield Beacon
We also occasionally fly from these sites as well:
Cam Long Down: A nice NE facing
ridge, spoilt only by the fact that you have to park at the bottom of the hill
and walk up. Hence it's not as popular as the other sites!
Photo's of Cam Long Down
Minchinhampton Common: Totally flat,
so not great for slope soaring! However it is good for the occasional flat field
or thermal competition. We also fly electric models here every now and then.
NOTE: If you fly here, it's best to fly alongside the access road to the golf
course clubhouse, as that's the "standard" place to fly.
Photo's of Minchinhampton Common