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Sites close to Pune city

40 km away from Kamshet is Pune the watering hole for pilots who want a break from the quiet country life in Kamshet, well known to foreign tourists because of the Rajneesh (Osho) ashram and its courses in meditation . An hour or more out of the city are a number of flying sites that are great for soaring, thermic and XC flying. Most of these sites are flyable only in the winter months after which conditions get too strong and pilots change direction towards Kamshet


Sihaghad Fort: 25 km from Pune on the Babadev Ghat road. Pune city transport busses ply there. The take off is tricky and it is best in south - east wind. Another rather difficult launch in the bowl nearby for N W wind. This is a complicated range of hills and the winds come in from all directions. One can fly here in December and January although it is advisable to ask the advice of local pilots before attempting to fly here.


Kanifnath Temple: An hour out of Pune this site is further up from Sihaghad via the Babadev Ghat road but better accessed by the Hadapsar - Sanswad road. The take off is 800 ft. above landing. The prevailing wind is North- East and best time to fly is between November to February. In March & April conditions get strong but one could fly in the evenings. This site is good for soaring and thermalling and one can make it to Diva Ghat 4 km away and back on a good day. Top landing is possible and there are a lot of fields around. The ridge goes on upto Sihaghad and further.


Diva Ghat: Also accessible from the Hadapsar road Diva Ghat is close to kaniphnath and flyable from December to February. Takeoff is 800 ft. above landing

Purandar Fort: From Diva Ghat the Sanswad road goes on to Purandhar Fort. An hour or so out of Pune this north east takeoff has an altitude of 1000 feet. The launch is also good for east wind take-off. This site is good for soaring.

Raigad Fort: Off the Pune Mahad highway about 180 kms from Kamshet town overlooking the confluence of the Gandhari and Kaal rivers. This 3000 year old fort is a masterpiece of its times one of the impregnable bastions of the Maratha empire. Take off. 2700ft. msl. It has a cable car service which takes you to the top of the fort / cliff takeoff. An advanced site suitable for flying in the winter.




Sites further along the coast / inland

Panchgani - Hill resort: A colonial hill station about 110 kms from Kamshet. Quaint cottages, winding roads, panchganiand panoramic views of the scenic Krishna valley. North - South ridge, Take off altitude is 1500m and landing altitude 1200m . This is an extremely popular flying site excellent for ridge soaring. The main take off is Harrison’s Folly named after an eccentric Englishman from the imperial days who built a house on the ridge that was soon blown off by the winds. The ridge has a road to the top and has 4 main take offs facing east into the wind. Down the road towards Wai is a take off for South East winds

Shambho Mahadeo: Located at Shikhar Shingnapur, Phaltan this westerly bowl is great for soaring all day between the months of October to May. The take off altitude of 150m. The take off is walking distance from the MTDC hotel

Satara: Four hours away from Pune, Satara is excellent for PG & HG. The sites are on a 30-50 km long ridge adjacent to the Ajinkyatara fort on the road to Kag Lake. It was featured in the Cross Country Magazine (April/May 2000 edition 68) and sited by Hugh Miller as an excellent XC site (a cross between Piedrahita (Spain) and Governador Valadares (Brazil) with smooth thermals and a series of southerly ridges making a trip all the way back to Pune 160 km away seem feasible. This site has been used by Indian HG pilots in the past.

Ratnagiri Beach: Coastal Maharashtra, Bhate beach. This charming seaside town is world famous for its alphanso mangoes. 150 kilometres from Kamshet the road winds along the west coast allowing facinating glimpses of the beaches all the way. The site is 2 kilometers away from the city, close to MTDC Beach Resort. Steady, laminar sea breeze offers good soaring possibilities. Flying is possible for most of the day. Cliff launch

Kerry Beach & Arambol Beach – Goa: North Goa, a quiet laid - back beach haven, steady reliable westerlies, good site for beginner’s and for logging air time. You can fly almost every day and if the winds are not right relax by the beach. Soft sands make soft landings, all you need to do is lift your feet as you come in for landing and the next thing you know you are skimming sand.



Nandi Hills - Bangalore: An hour’s drive out of Bangalore city in the state of Karnataka, are the Nandi hills where as per colonial tradition the city folk retreat to escape the summer heat.

The take offf is just outside the Nehru House a charming, inexpensive old – world bungalow - the logical place to stay. Situated on a 600 meters high granite outcropping this mountain has many intermediate-advanced take-off possibilities on various faces. Unlimited landing possibilities in the plains below. Choose between thermic conditions in the day or fly the restitution for the smoothest conditions you can imagine. Great site for XC flying




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