N → NE

Towers

Overview    Safety Hazards    Launch & Landing   Site Rules    Permits & Exemptions

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Towers is an XC site with a spicy landing.

Situated on a plateau at 463m ASL between Landsborough and Maleny, Towers offers generous house thermals while still being close to the coast and seabreeze. Experienced pilots can achieve great XC flights from this site, including scenic routes directly over the Glass House Mountains.

Because of a tight, thermic launch and a tricky bombout with multiple hazards and uneven terrain, this is a PG4 rated site.

Towers is a sensitive site. Please take minimum cars to launch – meet down at Hovards Rd and carpool up. Be quiet at the “parking” area. 

Safety Hazards

  1. Be aware of the steep drop off in front of launch. The flat launch combined with the steep slope in front can make inflation challenging at times.
  2. Powerlines (marked in red) run left of launch from the second house to the left steeply down; and east to the ridge below along the ridge and road below.

3. Landing in the large fields below (marked i orange) is for emergency only, and the ground is uneven and rocky.
4. “Mezzanine” (marked in yellow box closest to launch) is an unoffical bombout area and has a ditch running along the NE  and powerlines along the S & W perimeter (marked in red). All powerlines around launch and landing should be eyeballed before flight.

Launch

Landing Zone

From the end of Eagles Nest Court, a short dirt road lead to the communication towers.

Launch is a narrow mown grass patch hardly wider than a full-sized wing. Experienced pilots launch either reverse in a cycle, or forward with a cycle out front. Light wind launches are committing and require solid skills.

Strong house thermals are accompanied by strong sink cycles. Best XC chances in the morning when paddocks below are being heated. If going over the back, have enough height to avoid being in rotor in the valley behind. There are 2 levels of ridge lift – the upper is shown in brown lines and lower in green lines.

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The bombout options are unofficial so treat as emergency landings only. They are marked on the map (right).

LZ1 – Mezzanine:

  • See “Safety Hazards” above
  • In an easterly, this landing area can produce rotor and be dangerous. Head to the second (lower) landing to the west if this is evident. If you land on Mezzanine, rosette your gear and move off immediately

LZ2:

  • If you cant make it to LZ1, head for the paddock below and land in a safe area.
  • Be aware of undulating land, gullies and two dams.

Site Rules

This is a PG4 site.

The launch is public land, owned by police and council. Both landing areas are private land. Please follow site rules and be respectful of residents.

  • Be quiet and respectful of residents around towers.
  • Limit cars going up to launch and parking there (car pooling is recommended)
  • Don’t fly too close to houses on ridge as they don’t like it.
  • Drive slowly on the dirt road to launch.
  • Do not park any cars on grass at mezzanine (LZ1) and limit cars that are parked down there on side of road.
  • Pack up and move on quickly upon landing.

Exemptions – None. Pilots must fly in compliance with the SAFA Ops Manual.

SAFA Operations Manual Section 7.1.4.1 – Minimum Heights and Distances / Launching / Landing: Except during Launch / Landing Phases, a non-powered SAFA aircraft, shall not be flown at a height lower than 100 feet if within a horizontal distance of 25 metres from: 1) public roads, or 2) a dwelling except with the permission of the occupier, or 3) persons not directly associated.