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Curtis Canyon Upper Bench Launch

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Curtis Canyon Upper Bench Launch

Spot Info

Spot Details

PPG friendly
Not marked
Authorization
Required
Club / contract
Required
Launch faces
W, WNW, NW
Forecast point
Ready
Access notes
Jackson Hole Free Flight Club publishes Curtis as its active local training hill and evening-soaring site and requires visiting pilots to contact a club member before flying. Use the current JHFFC briefing and visitor process; the federal-land setting does not remove the club coordination, wildlife closure, or landing rules.
Site rules
  • P2/H2 minimum and current JHFFC contact/briefing before the first visit or whenever conditions, road status, or site rules may have changed.
  • The site is closed December 1-April 30 for critical wildlife habitat; do not enter or fly during the closure.
  • Use the Upper Bench as the preferred soaring launch, the Middle/Lower benches only within their published roles, and the official Lower LZ at 43.5145,-110.662.
  • Landing in the National Elk Refuge west of the Lower LZ is strictly prohibited.
  • The official operating range is 270-320 degrees, ideal about 10 mph and published maximum 18 mph; actual high-altitude cycles and rotor control.
Launch directions
W, WNW, NW
Direction notes
JHFFC publishes 270-320 degrees, ideal about 10 mph, with 18 mph as the maximum rather than a target.
Safety notes
  • High-altitude launches and landings are faster than at lower elevations; P2/H2 is a minimum, not a substitute for a current local briefing.
  • Trees and cupped terrain can make the Upper Bench appear more square than the true flow; compare cycles at the Middle Bench before committing.
  • The Lower LZ is uneven sage/tall grass, easy to overshoot, and can be thermic and poppy; set a low, stable final and clear kiting traffic.
  • Watch for catabatic flow near sunset and for rotor at the Middle Bench when the Lower Bench disrupts the wind.
Additional notes
Current official JHFFC free-flight PG site on Forest Service land with a routine club contact process. No powered use is established.
Map pin (exact launch)
Published Curtis Upper Bench launch coordinate from the PGE/APPI record, matched to the official JHFFC Upper Bench site description.
Official website
https://www.jhffc.org/

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Airspace status