SHGCSouthern Hang Gliding ClubEst. 1974 · BHPA Affiliated
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Site guide

Mount Caburn

OpenPG · HGWind SW – S
Map·Facts·About·Site rules·Getting there·Conditions·Detail

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Hazard markers are advisory and may be incomplete or out of date. Always check the current SHGC site guide and NOTAMs before flying.

Quick facts

Wind direction
SW – S
Take-off height
500 ft amsl (152 m)
Height top-to-bottom
420 ft (125 m)
Pilot rating
CP+
Unsupervised
Top and slope landing tasks signed off
Airspace
5,500 ft QNH (dropping to 4,500 ft just to the north, then 2,500 ft)
OS grid ref
TQ 443 088
Nearest town
2 km south-east of Lewes, north of the A27
Car park postcode
BN8 6RP
Nearest A&E
Eastbourne or Brighton

About this site

A conical dome extending to a south-west face and bowl beyond. It is often affected by the sea breeze, which can make the air rough. The lift band is typically small, and the site can become crowded — marshalling restrictions are sometimes applied.

Site rules

Access is by crossing the lane from the car park, through the gate to the left of the cottages, and walking up the south-east shoulder — follow the correct, well-defined path on the right-hand side of the slope to the top. Rig gliders and canopies on the top only, not the main slope; keep the take-off clear by mushrooming and waiting to the side or rear (hang gliders are best parked back-to-wind, well back from the top, to avoid risk from dragging paragliders). Be careful not to block the public footpaths. Do not overfly the houses by the car park or to the south of launch, do not overfly or land in the car park, and do not land in the cricket pitch or adjacent fields — use the agreed field. Do not park anywhere in Ranscombe Lane other than the SHGC car park; in particular do NOT park at the west end of the lane, and do NOT walk up the footpath through the Airworks landing field. Do not slope land on the front of the conical dome.

Getting there

Directions

Mount Caburn is 2 km south-east of Lewes, north of the A27. From the west, turn left into Ranscombe Lane; the parking area is a field on the right opposite a farmyard with a log pile, 1.2 km from the A27 junction. From the east, turn right off the A27 towards Glynde, drive through the village, and turn left into Ranscombe Lane shortly after crossing the railway line — the parking area is then on the left, opposite the farmyard.

Parking

Use the SHGC car park off Ranscombe Lane (members only). Camping and overnight parking are not permitted. If you find people parking here who are not associated with SHGC, ask them politely to leave, explain why, and tell them that the gate will be locked. The parking area is small — if flying with friends, take just one car, park in a sensible double-row pattern (with a wide enough passage between, just like in the supermarket), and do not block others or the lane. Do not park elsewhere in Ranscombe Lane, and do not use the lay-by except to open or close the gate. It is a privilege to have your own club car park at a flying site — treat it with respect. Keep noise down (cottages nearby). In wet conditions the car park is very slippery and muddy and is best avoided — don't make a big mess, don't get stuck and don't slide down the hill into the stream or into another vehicle! Alternatively park in the free village car park opposite the shop and walk up via the path by the post office — it is further, but not so steep (land only in the agreed field; there is no shortcut from the landing to the village car park). Cows are sometimes in the field — gently shoo them from the cars, or use the village car park for precious vehicles.

Before you fly

Conditions & airspace — Mount Caburn

Live wind for this site. Guidance only — always make your own assessment on the hill.

Wind forecast

Wind — Mount Caburn

Consensus (mean) · daytime hours · updated hourly

Average of the main models — cuts single-model noise

Loading wind forecast…
OnMarginalOff / crossToo lightFlyable arc SSW–SW (from). Each cell shows the mean wind and the gust — e.g. 18 g32 = 18 gusting 32 km/h. Green is the ideal 8–24 km/h band; amber is getting strong (up to 32 km/h); over 32 km/h is too strong. The arrow points the way the wind blows; the label is where it blows from.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0) · Consensus (mean). Forecasts are guidance only — wind on the hill can differ from the model. Always make your own assessment on site and fly within your and your site’s limits.

Live wind & forecast across the region — fullscreen.
Thermal star rating

Thermals — Mount Caburn

Star rating from RASP (Stratus) — the UK soaring standard

Loading soaring outlook…

Star rating & thermal forecast from RASP UK (Stratus); supporting figures modelled from Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Guidance only — always make your own assessment.

Other forecasts

Cross-check our read against an independent forecast.

Windy

Flying detail

Access & launch

Mount Caburn is a south to south-west site; you can launch in winds anywhere between SSE and SW. The main launch is at the top of the 'dome' — the optimum runway can be rather narrow due to the rounded hill, so help keep it clear. Do not ground-handle or launch from below the earthworks on top, as the site has vulnerable ground-nesting birds, rare insects and plants. Launching from the ridge to the west (shaded on the map) is at the discretion of the resident school (Airworks). The western ridge is not available for commercial use by any other operator and no other school may teach on it; it is less windy, with less complex airflow than the top. Car-park gate — the SHGC car-park gate has a combination padlock and must be kept SHUT AND LOCKED at all times. The code is circulated to members via the email address on your membership account (keep it up to date), and must never be given to non-members.

Landing

Top landings — best made on the very top of the 'dome', or on top of the ridge running west from take-off. Beware getting blown back in the venturi in the bowl immediately west of the dome; there is a barbed-wire fence along the length of the ridge and another running diagonally down the side of this bowl — be very careful not to drift into the rotor behind this ridge. Bottom landing — the bottom-landing field is on the south side of the lane, level with the south-east shoulder you walk up. (Airworks' landing field to the south-west is not part of the SHGC site and should only be used in an emergency; in strong winds a safer emergency landing may be the small field below the western bowl. If you are obliged to land in Airworks' LZ in strong wind the cleanest air is usually on the spur running down from the main peak towards the cottages.) You may also slope-land on the ridge to the west (shaded on the map). Agreed slope-landing points — the front face of the hill is an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest): do not slope-land on it, or anywhere on the main hill other than the four agreed points: central on the hill, about 50 m above the trees separating the slope and main landing field (for when you cannot cross the trees); beside the lower stile into the training field; by the corner of the woodland just above the cottages to the east; and the west face of the main peak.

Hazards & obstacles

Other users — the site is popular with the public. Aeromodellers occasionally use it (relations are generally good); if modellers are flying, have a polite word to ensure zero collision risk. (Their flying is controlled by the A.N.O. (Air Navigation Order) – the same law that regulates our activity.) Geographical — the earthworks encircling take-off can catch out anyone who sits down or goes prone too early, or who gets dragged back. A wooded quarry to the south-east limits use in easterlies. There is a concreted wood-and-metal bench at the top, a fence out of sight but not far behind launch, and a fence along the top of the western ridge (beware being dragged back into it in wind). A river forms part of the southern border of the landing field and an electrified main railway line the rest; the landing field is beyond tall trees, so cross them safely or use the agreed emergency zones — do not barge through the treetops. The landing zone has steep-sided drainage ditches that have broken several pilots' ankles (better to land crosswind or even downwind than risk them); wooden-poled power lines cross its western end; there is a swamp at the north-west corner; cattle are usually in both take-off and landing areas; and the field is waterlogged for most of the winter.

Airflow

The wind can often be as strong in the landing field as at take-off. Severe rotor can occur behind the western ridge — do not fly behind the fence line without ample height to glide clear; if you find yourself pinned, drifting left to behind the main hill is preferable. A south-westerly tends to accelerate around the south and east sides of Caburn — beware being blown into the wooded quarry, or back over the trees and buildings on landing. A south or south-easterly can make it difficult to cross the trees to the landing area, so keep good height or turn back and slope-land. Wind with an easterly component can generate severe turbulence from the wooded quarry. The wind direction is frequently different at the top and the bottom landing field — check carefully before a final approach; if you cannot determine it, the safest option is to get close to the trees then turn due south to land, keeping clear of the river. When easterlies are present, convergence can occur over the landing field with consequent 180° wind shifts.

Exact launch

Launch GPS
50.86153, 0.05097

Members also see the gate / padlock code (where a site has one), the Safety Officer’s contact, and the downloadable guide (PDF). Member sign-in · Join the club

SHGCSouthern Hang Gliding ClubEst. 1974 · BHPA Affiliated

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