Big M Mound / Clausen Park (Private LZ)

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Spot Info

Spot Details

PPG friendly

Not marked

Authorization

Required

Club / contract

Not marked

Launch faces

S, SW, W

Forecast point

Ready

Access notes

The launch hill and 290-step public stair route are on UW System property known as Clausen Park, but the published bottom landing area is beyond homes on privately owned land and relies on owner tolerance. Contact Compass AirSports and obtain explicit current LZ-owner authorization and a site briefing before flight. Park only where local guidance allows at the base/corner lots; public access to the stairs is not landing permission.

Site rules

Confirm current private-LZ permission and receive a local-site briefing before launch; do not rely on historical owner understanding.
P2 minimum with low-hill and ridge-soaring experience. No P1 flights or unsupervised sled-run practice.
At launch, remain clear of benches, the tall antenna, the barbed-wire fence, hikers, dogs, and all spectators.
Do not fly low over houses. Use only the currently authorized LZ beyond the houses and the pattern supplied by local pilots.
Place and continuously observe a lawful windsock at the LZ; do not launch if the LZ wind cannot be verified.
Avoid strong-wind launches in the limited setup area and maintain excellent ground control at all times.
No paramotor access is documented; motors must not be inferred from the public park or nearby fields.

Launch directions

S, SW, W

Direction notes

Published as a south-through-west ridge. Actual winds at both launch and the private LZ must be observed continuously because rapid direction changes are a defining hazard.

Safety notes

Launch space is limited by benches, people, antenna infrastructure, barbed wire, and the steep stair/overlook environment.
Wind direction and speed can change abruptly, including roughly 90-degree shifts between launch and LZ. The source reports launch wind often substantially stronger than the nearby Platteville airport indication.
The bottom LZ is not published with a precise coordinate. Houses, private parcels, roads, fences, crops, and people must be surveyed during the local briefing before any launch.
Strong ridge wind demands excellent ground handling; an unexpected increase can make inflation, launch, penetration, or top landing unsafe.
XC routes to the northeast do not reduce the need for a confirmed immediate LZ and retrieval plan.

Additional notes

Included as a red PG record: Compass AirSports still lists Platteville for free flight, the University confirms the public launch-side property and stairs, and the detailed site record documents the operating rules. Because the indispensable bottom LZ is private and not precisely published, the complete site cannot be labeled ordinary public access.

Map pin (exact launch)

Exact summit launch at the top of the Platte Mound M stairs. No precise current private-LZ coordinate is published, so pilots must obtain it during the authorization briefing.

Navigation warning

This pin identifies the public-side summit launch only. It does not identify or authorize the private bottom LZ. Do not fly until Compass/local pilots and the current LZ owner confirm access and the exact landing plan.

Official website

https://www.compassairsports.com/

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Airspace status