Utah Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association
Getting There:
From Salt Lake City head south on I-15 to Exit 265 in Provo. Proceed east on SR-114 / Center Street through downtown Provo, through the roundabout all the way to 900 East. Turn left and go north on 900 East to 820 North, and turn right. In less than a mile turn right on Oak Cliff Drive, and right again on N Terrace Drive. In 500 feet bear left and follow signs to the parking lot. This is the trailhead.
The route you just followed will take you past Kiwanis Park. Stop at the LZ and scout the landing area in the center of the park for organized activities (like soccer games with goal posts, etc.) before proceeding to launch.
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Trail Conditions:
You will be traveling on paved public roads accessible to a 2WD passenger vehicle. Once you reach the trailhead, gather your gear and begin the 1-mile hike. (Before leaving the parking lot, look above and below you to mark the location of BOTH SETS of cross-country transmission lines and towers.) The wide well-maintained trail, popular year-round with hikers including families, takes you through eleven switchbacks to the top of the massive stone-and-plaster letter Y built into the hillside.
The Setup:
The setup and launch area consists of the grassy slope above the monument, on terrain sensitive to erosion and overuse. There is room to lay out and launch several gliders at once. Expect onlookers below you, gathered around benches at the upper edge of the monument. You are on property belonging to BYU that is required to be accessible to the general public under the terms by which the university acquired the land from the Forest Service. To ensure continued access for our unique purposes, always yield the right-of-way to non-participants. Set up and launch so as to minimize potential conflict with spectators, even if this means delaying your launch. Minimize direct overflight of the monument itself.
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Properly executed under the right conditions, your launch will carry you fifty feet or more above the heads of onlookers and well on your way towards the LZ, which is clearly visible from launch. Mini-wings and speed-wings should take special care to avoid the transmission lines noted earlier. There are numerous trails criss-crossing the bench above and below the power lines, any of which can be used as a planned or bailout LZ for high-performance wings.
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Your route of flight will take you over dense residential areas with roads, trees, wires and people. If altitude and performance are in doubt, choose a bailout LZ at the foot of the hill. Note that the former Bigfoot LZ is closed due to the construction of a school on the site. Northwest of the Kiwanis LZ is a schoolyard with open fields. We have not been given permission to land there. Plan ahead and use the Kiwanis LZ.
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The Y favors a west wind of 10 mph or greater. There is reported to be a thermal trigger associated with this launch, so soaring flights are possible. Expect moderate midday thermic turbulence. Late afternoons offer the best conditions.
Landing Zone:
The Kiwanis Park LZ is the only planned landing zone, and with a minimum 4.2 to 1 glide ratio you should safely reach the park. The 2.7-acre rectangular landing area is lined with tall trees on the east and south sides. Plan your landing for the center of the rectangle, and avoid the more constricted grassy areas to the north (see diagram above). The landing surface is flat, open, well-drained turf. The field doubles as a drainage basin, so be prepared for soggy surfaces after rain.
Kiwanis Park is close to the BYU campus and in the middle of a busy residential neighborhood, so both scheduled and non-scheduled group activities are common in the park. Pilots should always visit this LZ before launch and be sure the landing area will be clear at the time of intended landing. On approach, be prepared to call out your intentions and control your landing to avoid non-participants. After landing, promptly fold your glider and exit the LZ. If needed, act as a safety spotter for pilots landing behind you.
The Bigfoot LZ is permanently closed to all flight operations.
