We have access to a beautiful bushland site at Blackheath that we need to look after not only for ourselves but also the pilots of the future.

Although our Code of Conduct mentions the respect with which we – club members and visiting pilots – need to treat club sites, our club’s past experience shows that a few specific examples are worth highlighting.

Caring for the environment surrounding our launch sites

Specifically, please do not trim or prune any bushes or trees around launch.

Our Blackheath launch site is situated in a beautiful patch of council owned bushland. Over the years our club has worked hard to maintain a good relationship with the Blue Mountaints City Council as we manage the launch site. Our management of the site does not include pruning or trimming of the surrounding bushes or trees.

If you see something that you think is a safety issue, please talk with any of the Club’s committee members, or directly with a club member with environmental management experience, who can organise to have the issue addressed possibly with council involvement depending on the extent of the issue.

Avoid flying over other areas near the Landing Zone

Specifically, please stay well clear of horses and riders, paying particular attention to the shadow cast by your glider.

As mentioned on our Blackheath site guide sign, the landing zone and surrounding paddocks are high use areas for horse riding. Except in an emergency, do not land in any of the paddocks in the valley other than the designated landing zone, marked in green on the Blackheath site guide sign or marked in blue on the online siteguide website (shown below). It is very important to avoid the paddocks adjacent to the owner’s house and surrounding structures marked as Centennial Glen Stables on the site guide sign.

If you do have have an emergency landing in a no landing zone and disturb anyone, please begin by apologising rather than excusing the incident and be sure to let someone on the committee know as soon as practicable so that the club can help resolve any issues if required.

For many situations it may be decided that the individual is able to resolve the situation themselves without needing the club involved any further. Please consider writing a letter of apology with a small gift and be sure to let a committee member know whether a satisfactory outcome was achieved or whether further intervention is required.

Parking only in the specified area near the Landing Zone

Specifically, please do not park your car in other areas other than specified, especially on private property.

Please only leave your car on the side of the section of road after the gate to the Landing Zone, highlighted in blue and labeled “Car Park - For pick up only” on our Blackheath site guide sign and shown below.

For pick up of Hang Gliders please leave your car in the parking area until pilots are packed and ready for pick-up. Do not drive through the stone gate and park on the grass.