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Mount Sentinel North Summit Launches

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Mount Sentinel North Summit Launches

Spot Info

Spot Details

PPG friendly
Not marked
Authorization
Not marked
Club / contract
Required
Launch faces
N, SW
Forecast point
Ready
Access notes
Current Glide Missoula membership and USHPA membership are required. New pilots must fly with a local; P2 pilots need five observed flights with two qualified local pilots and then must fly with P3. Call Missoula Tower from the trailhead before flight, post open in the club WhatsApp flow, call and post closed after the session, and complete the current University of Montana Sentinel waiver.
Site rules
  • Hold current club and USHPA membership, complete the current Sentinel waiver, and obtain a local site introduction.
  • Call Missoula Tower from the trailhead with site, pilot count, and approximate launch time; call again after the session and post open/closed in the club WhatsApp process.
  • P3 flies solo. P2 requires five observed flights with two qualified locals and must then fly with P3; fly within current rating limits and carry a radio.
  • Avoid the Class D boundary about one mile west, watch for low inbound aircraft, and do not disturb deer or elk.
  • Check current fire closures. Use only a published primary or secondary LZ; soccer fields are available only when not occupied and emergency LZs are emergency-only.
Launch directions
N, SW
Direction notes
North setup accepts roughly 300-020; southwest setup roughly 160-280. Choose the actual launch and current condition rather than averaging the two aspects.
Safety notes
  • North launch PG envelope is about 300-020 degrees; the southwest setup is about 160-280. Published maximum is 20 mph with 5 mph gust spread.
  • Rotor and venturi can form behind ridges, treelines, houses, and in the canyon between Sentinel and Jumbo. Strong thermals, valley convergence, storms, virga, and outflow demand active piloting.
  • Plan the LZ before committing and avoid occupied soccer fields. Primary, secondary, sidehill, and emergency areas have different constraints.
  • The launch is 3.683 km and the primary LZ 3.393 km from FAA heliport MT23, only 0.483 km and 0.193 km beyond the hard buffer. Tower coordination does not replace an independent current airspace/traffic review.
Additional notes
Routine tower and club coordination are eligible under the user's rule. The site passes the fixed buffer narrowly and is kept only with prominent controlled-airspace and facility-margin warnings.
Map pin (exact launch)
Published Mount Sentinel takeoff point representing the current adjacent North Summit north and southwest setups.
Navigation warning
The pin does not identify the correct trail, setup aspect, waiver status, Class D boundary, tower status, or an available LZ today.
Official website
https://www.glidemissoula.org/mount-sentinel/

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Airspace status