Linzhou

Linzhou is a mountain flying site located in Henan province. Linzhou is a small town by Chinese standards. It has neither airport nor train station. To get there you need to fly into nearby airports in Zhengzhou, Changzhi or Handan and drive for several hours, or take a train to Anyang. Even though it's quite an expedition – a weekend trip in the right season is very possible and well worth it. Leaving on Friday late in the evening and returning around midnight on Sunday.

The season in Linzhou starts in April and lasts through October. Best XC months are May, Jun and Sep, Oct.

Linzhou has an active local scene and is one of the oldest paragliding clubs in China. It's considered the best and most developed place to fly paragliders in China. Even hang gliding is possible and we have seen a few of them over the years.

The full write up about the site can be found on xcmag.com in "Travel" section.

In the right season, long XC (>100km) are possible and not uncommon. Conditions can be strong with turbulence and wind later in the afternoon. Vertical cliffs are beautiful but can be intimidating for beginner pilots.

In recent years, the area has suffered from severe air pollution which makes flying less pleasant due to limited visibility. However in 2016 we could see the situation improving a lot - apparently due to government measures to fight the polluting factories, or due to an economic slow down.

Things to know:

  • You need to register with the local club to fly the site. You do it on site and they have an English speaking manager to help you out. Flying insurance is needed.
  • Reserve, radio and valid national license is required to fly the site
  • Only club vans are allowed to drive up to the mountain as the road is narrow, public traffic is not allowed there
  • There is a nominal club fee and ride up fee
  • Have your speed bar attached and know how to use it
  • Mind the thermals and the wind as it gets strong in right season
  • There are plenty of landing options out in the flats in front of the cliff but watch for the wind and occasional power line.
  • Do not go deep into the side valleys as you may not be able to fly out to the flats
  • Do not go over the back there are no landings and it's proper wild country out there
  • This is China and there are limited to no rescue facilities. Especially if you cannot speak the language so minor accident can become life threatening
  • Many tracking devices do not work here (spot tracking website is blocked, so is flymaster tracking website and live tracking). They can be used with VPN but locals won't have VPN normally
  • Take off is covered with a world class turf mat (the soft kind used on running tracks) but regardless the take off is not very easy. There is normally a strong breeze and strong thermal right after the cliff.
  • Do not be tempted to sit in or fiddle with your pod until you have cleared the cliff.

Resources:

  • Short movies on Vimeo (VPN needed):

https://vimeo.com/15660252

https://vimeo.com/15678756

https://vimeo.com/15679992

https://vimeo.com/15687119

  • Linzhou paragliding club website:

https://linzhouclub.com

  • Flight tracks:

Leonardo flights

  • Pictures:
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