Cairns Bay

Description

Relatively high soaring site near Melbourne with easy top landing.

Takeoff

Park in the small parking area off the road and walk down the track to the coast. When you reach the gully at the bottom cross over to the left hand side and make you way to the left hand side cliff top. Take off is just to the right of the bowl on the cliff top, all of the cliff top is a good grassy area.

Landing

You should top land here as well, the beach is very small (non existent at high tide) and very rocky. Quite a few injuries have happened here as a result of beach landings.

Flight

The flying beat is 1 km and down the coast to Flinders ramp as well as along the coast to the right but this can only be done in great conditions. Fly the bowl and around the cliff to the left of launch. Some great flying can be done here, the area suits a SW just great. Make sure you have at least 50' above the cliff top before venturing around the cliff to the left of launch and only fly around the point if the wind is straight on launch the rotor on the point has caused some moments of grief for some.

Soaring at Cairns Bay is a doddle, but can be very potentially dangerous if the wind is slightly cross to the west or east. If inexperienced pilots fly out and in front of the large cliff to left or right of takeoff, the rotor can be horrendous. Several severe accidents have taken place on this stretch of coast due to point-induced rotor - and there is nowhere to go but into the sea. Don't go out of the bay area on your own, or without talking to an experienced pilot first.

Hazards / Comments

Avoid Beach landings, as the beach is very small or non existent. Beware when flying around cliff corner on left hand side of Launch that you have enough height to get around - a number of pilots have been hurt in emergency landings due to insufficient height to capture lift band. Beware rotor/turbulence that can occur on point to left hand side of launch if wind is too cross.