Point King - Albany Town

Description

Right in the heart of Albany town, this site works much better than it looks, the flatness providing pleasant flying with views of Middleton Beach, Fort Adelaide, the harbor and islands, and plenty of spectators.

Takeoff

Not noted due to the lack of land owner permissions and highly public location. Pilots seeking to fly here are requested to contact Albany Hang Gliding Club prior to making plans.

Landing

Limited. If the site is flyable there will likely be too much lift for many pilots to be able to land safely at the launch area. Prefered options are either a tight grassy patch to the west (lifty before dropping through rotor behind tall scrub into deep grass,) landing in lift on the flat area next to the path or gaining altitude to turn downwind to land on Middleton Beach. If landing on the beach be aware of the rotor coming off the hill and push far enough towards Emu Point to avoid the majority of the public in the main swimming cove area. Winds on the beach are likely to be strong enough that paragliders will have to de-power the wing immediately on contact with the ground.

Flight

Flyable in similar conditions to Shelley beach, however requires stronger winds due to the lesser slope. In front of launch there is a steep drop to the ocean, with no landing options below. Top landing options are limited and tight. In light conditions be sure not to get caught below the flat area. In stronger winds you can easily get above the road and back towards the top of the hill. Be aware of glide slope if above and behind the road as the comrepssion will serverely reduce effective penetration. There are limited easy landing options between the road and top of the hill.

This site is within 10NM of the Albany Aerodrome, and as such VHF radio carriage is mandatory. The local CTAF is 127.85MHz. Local air traffic may include tour helicopters launching from near the marina in the harbour and general aviation passing through to follow the coastline.

Hazards / Comments

Very public area due to the popular boardwalk/path and lookouts around the hill. Maintain separation from the public at all times and don't hang around over the road if you happen to get above it. Ensure damage to foliage around launch area is kept to a minimum. Shipping passing through the channel in front of the hill may cause temporary rotor. Be aware of rising winds for forward penetration and falling winds due to the lack of bottom landing.