NNE → ENE

Rainbow Beach

Overview    Safety Hazards    Launch & Landing   Site Rules    Permits & Exemptions

Rainbow Beach is possibly Australia’s best coastal flying site

With a huge sandy bowl that serves as a launch and 80 meter high cliffs, it’s the perfect site for wagga and a little acro, or just a long relaxed flight watching the manta rays, dolphins and FWD enthusiasts getting bogged.

Safety Hazards

  1. Avoid the South East corner of the blow. Turbulence and wind rotor can be experienced in this area.
  2. Be aware there is a venturi effect in the middle of blow.
  3. Rotor can be experienced from the dunes either side of launch in cross conditions.

5. Paragliders should watch for, and give way to hang gliders, launching and landing in the blow.
6. As usual, all other protocols and regulations as per the SAFA apply.

Launch

Landing Zone

Launch

Set up and Launch in area marked on map. In strong conditions, set up further to the front of launch to avoid compression.

If the winds are cross (north or east), set up on the opposite side of the wind direction to avoid rotor from the dunes.

Check the tides before take off. During some high tides there are no safe beach landing options below launch.

The general public are frequently active in this area. Please be respectful to them and avoid them during launch and landing. This can be a busy site so be mindful of other pilots and avoid any collisions.

Get directions >

Landing Zone

The beach landing area is now NORTH of the bathing area (or south of the rocks if you can’t make it). Follow the instructions of the Senior Safety Officer at all times.

Top Landing: Do not land any deeper than the area marked on the map. If the wind direction is cross (north or east) land on the opposite side of the wind direction to avoid rotor. In strong winds, land closer to the front of blow to avoid compression.

Site Rules

Rainbow Beach is located within the Cooloola Great Sandy National Park. National Parks generally consider HG and PG as unsuitable activity for a National Park but the Sunshine Coast Hang Gliding Club has been extremely lucky to be granted a permit for it’s members to be allowed to fly from Carlo Sand Blow but with strict conditions.

  • No more than 30 pilots on site at any one time.
  • ALL pilots must be SAFA and SCHGC members.
  • We are only allowed to use up 30% of the car park, so car pooling is essential.
  • Do not walk on the walking track in large groups, break up into smaller groups (to avoid conflicts with other users).
  • No landing south of the bathing area, as this is the 4WD access to the beach.

Please note that National Parks is doing regular checks in the Carlo Sandblow now, so help us keep our site and follow these simple rules. Before flying this site please read the full site rules available here.