Dunstable Downs Site Guide 

Dunstable Downs is situated inside the controlled airspace surrounding Luton Airport. It is a popular location attracting picnickers, dog walkers, horse riders and kite flyers.

DHPC members must be seen to be responsible users of the site and remember that others have as much right to be there as we do.

Managed by the National Trust headquartered at the Gateway Centre, parts of the Downs are registered SSSIs and members are expected to respect this, be mindful of other users and to cooperate with the wardens at all times.

Use of airspace at the Downs for foot launched flying is legally sanctioned by a CAA Exemption Order restricting it to DHPC members. Only DHPC members can fly hang gliders or paragliders there and must abide by the terms of an associated Letter of Agreement (LoA) with the London Gliding Club (LGC) and the National Air Traffic Service (NATS).

It is a legal requirement that all pilots using that airspace be familiar with the terms of the agreement and a mandatory Airspace Briefing is provided for all new DHPC members. Pilots are not allowed to fly Dunstable Downs until they are signed off as having received the Airspace Briefing.

Please check the club website www.dhpc.info  (soon to be offline)or www.dunstablehpc.co.uk or club coaches for any temporary warnings or restrictions.

The DHPC operates its own weather station at the Gateway Centre which has a screen in the restaurant as well as access via the club website and by phone on 0844 121 800.

  Overview  

Wind Direction: southwest to northwest. Best in a west-northwest.

Top to Bottom: 230 ft from the west, southwest launch. The hang glider top landing and rigging area ( G )  at the Gateway Centre end is 60 ft higher than the main west,  southwest launch.

Height above sea level at the Chute Farm trig point is 797 ft AMSL (QNH)

 Emergency

In the event of an incident, one person at the scene should take charge and in order to prevent multiple calls, one person should be delegated to call the Emergency Services.

Inform Jeremy Sutton the National Trust site manager at the Gateway Centre of the details.

All press enquiries should be referred to the Club Chairman or Safety Officer. Data protection laws prohibit the release of a member’s details without permission. 

 Nearest Hospital

The nearest Accident and Emergency facility is the Luton and Dunstable Hospital clearly signposted on the A505 Dunstable to Luton road, less than a mile east of Dunstable town centre. GPS ordinates for the main launch is TL008 197   N 51⁰52.049’ W 0⁰32.211’

 Parking

The DHPC has its own free access to the metalled car park next to the southern paraglider launch via a gate with a combination lock. The pay and display car parks can also be used. The warden’s car park at the north end of the ridge near the Pimple may be used for glider loading and unloading only. Do not park there. Under no circumstances should the emergency access gate be blocked.

Directions

The site is situated approximately 1 mile west of Dunstable just off the B489 Tring Road from Dunstable to Ivinghoe.

                          Site Rules  

1   

The ridge has SSSI protection. The airspace is Class D. Model aircraft, SPHGs and paramotors are not permitted and no assumptions can be made that the airspace is open, when flying in from another site. XCs require a north-easterly track to avoid airspace. When the surface wind is southwest, the upper drift will be easterly. Downwind XCs are restricted by airspace when the wind is west or northwest.

2   

All pilots must be BHPA and DHPC members, helmet stickers are checked. All gliders must be certified or registered to guarantee insurance cover. See visiting pilots and the LoA

3  

CP/(T) Tow – Hang glider or paraglider pilots are not allowed to fly any DHPC site until they have a Hill Endorsement from a BHPA registered school.

4  

CP(H) Hill – Under 10 hours can fly only under the direct supervision of a DHPC coach.

5   

CP(H) Hill – Over 10 Hours and new to the site must get an airspace briefing, a  site briefing and discuss their flight plan with a DHPC coach before flying.

6   

The first pilot to arrive at the site on any day must report to the reception at the London Gliding Club before any flying, to inform them of DHPC activity.

7   

Members must obey Airlaw and the terms of the LoA which carry the force of law, at all times.

8  

Only Pilot (P) rated members using current air maps are allowed to fly XCs.

9   

Class D airspace regulations require visibility greater than 5km. As a guide Ivinghoe Beacon is approximately 5km from the Downs.

10  

Maximum altitude only after signing in at the LGC is 3500 ft AMSL (QNH) otherwise 1500ft AMSL.

11  

No flying is allowed over the Gliding Club winch lines below 2000ft AGL within the Gliding Club.

12  

Make out and return flights over the bottom landing fields keeping clear of the Gliding Club

13 

Apart from landing approaches, flying is not allowed out over the base of the hill or the Gliding Club field at less than 500ft ATO.

14  

Paraglider pilots must not launch in front of the hang glider launch point, nor in front of parked hang gliders as there is a high risk of serious injury and equipment damage in the event of them being dragged backwards.

15 

Members must stay north of the Elephant and not fly towards the Gateway hang glider launch at or below ridge height if there is a risk of sinking out. There is no excuse for landing in the Gliding Club.

16  

In the event that an emergency forces a landing in the Gliding Club, pilots should land as close as possible to the edge of the field and move as quickly as possible to an area not hazardous to or at risk from LGC sailplanes, tugs or their towlines. Report the incident as soon as possible to the LGC control or reception.

17  

On light wind days, please adopt a co-operative attitude to avoid causing others to bottom land. Do not linger in the bowl as this can block the hang glider top landing approach onto the Pimple.

           Downs Diagram

A to D shown in red are launch points and E, F and G, shown in blue are top landing areas.

 Launch Areas

 A    West Southwest Launch:

The only place to launch for low airtime pilots.  Paragliders may land back at launch point ‘A’ but be aware of obstructions such as other gliders and the public using the ridge and not land there if it’s crowded.

  B    DHPC car park Launch:

Pilot (P) rated or experienced (CP) paragliding members only when supervised by a Pilot rated club coach. Caution:- conditions at ground level can be deceptive. There is a risk of being blown back towards the road by higher wind speeds at canopy level. This launch is not recommended for hang gliders. The fence in front of take off and rotor from surrounding trees make this launch potentially dangerous.

 C    Northwest Launch in front of the Gateway Centre

For hang gliders only.  Pilot (P) rated members and exceptionally (CP) members are allowed but only under the direct supervision of a Pilot rated DHPC coach. Intermediate gliders may not always reach the bottom landing field if conditions are not suitable for soaring.  

 D     Pimple Launch at the north end of the ridge:

Pilot (P) rated members only as it is totally unsuitable for low airtime pilots. The launch is useable in a southerly, but in that case launching is directly into the bowl and there is only room for one glider in the air at a time. Be aware of turbulence in the bowl, both in a southerly, rolling along the length of the ridge, and in a north-westerly as rotor in the lee of the Pimple.

 Top Landing areas

E    Pimple:

Seen from the air it looks small but is fairly easily managed in the right conditions with pre planning and a good approach. Use AWOL Altitude, Wind, Obstructions, then do the Landing

Start the approach above the main west, southwest take off checking altitude for at least 100’ATO

Check the wind direction from the windsock at the gliding club. If the direction is north-westerly, fly high enough to clear the Pimple lee side rotor when crossing the bowl, as this can be severe. A sharper final turn is needed in a more southerly wind, which will also use up more altitude.

Check for obstructions such as gliders on the ground and other gliders top landing, kites, walkers and riders will not be there at the critical time. Ensure that the overshoot area is also clear. There is only enough room for one glider to land at a time.

In a southwest or west wind, arrive over the main hang glider launch at about 100ft ATO, higher than this may cause an overshoot. A turn back to the ridge can be made to top up height if necessary.

An approach is started from directly above the main launch point and a straight line taken across the bowl aiming at the point where the grass path crosses the high point at the back of the Pimple. This avoids compression in the back of the bowl that can be severe. Use a very positive final turn into wind. Do not go behind the path on an intermediate glider and be careful not to flare in a high wind. Once down, move the glider forward and to the right, to clear the area for other gliders. In a high wind put the base bar on the ground and hold the nose wires while unclipping or releasing and stepping out of the harness.

 F  The DHPC Car Park:

Experienced P rated paraglider pilots only. Do not use this landing area when the NT wardens have opened the gate for general access to the overflow car park.

 G Chute Farm Road:

Experienced hang glider pilots only, check with a coach. 

  Paragliding Information.

Always look out for gliders overtaking on the ridge side. Check for hang gliders and LGC sailplanes. Top landing can be tricky in strong winds, especially in the bowl. If in doubt, get advice on the day from a coach.

 Bottom Landing Areas

Do not plan to land in the Gliding Club field. An LGC sailplane, low over the airfield will have limited avoidance options and LGC tug planes trail flailing tow lines. There is an exclusion zone within the Gliding Club field for both hang gliders and paragliders because of this.

Lose height above the bottom fence line to avoid flying into the path of LGC sailplanes and tugs on finals. Turning in to the field at around 50 ft above the bottom landing field, and adjusting for wind direction, make a straight descent to the landing point. Aim to land on an upslope as there will be a noticeable ground effect in light winds and a harder flare needed.

The paraglider bottom landing area is to the right of the Gliding Club field and near the southwest bowl. Don’t land in the small clearing at the foot of the ridge on the hill side of the fence line as there is no permission from the current farmer.

   Slope landings

The National Trust expects us to land in the designated areas only to reduce the disturbance to other visitors and damage to the flora. The escarpment at the Downs has SSSI protection and in order to reduce damage slope landings are for occasional use only. Be especially aware of the risks posed by rabbit holes and mole hills on the slopes in the bowl, in front of the main west, southwest launch and on top of the Pimple.  Emergency Landings in the LGC

Avoid getting low on the ridge above the LGC airfield. In the event of being unable to reach the DHPC bottom landing field, aim to set up a landing in the LGC field near the ridge below the Elephant or in the next bowl below the Gateway hang glider launch, staying well clear of LGC aircraft and packing up near the perimeter track. Do not get low in the northeast corner of the LGC field where there is a risk of collision with LGC sailplanes, tugs or the tug plane tow lines.

Retrieve drivers must not drive across the LGC field under any circumstances. The DHPC has no agreement for members to land at the LGC. Do not do so unless this risks injury or damage to equipment. There are other risks associated with a landing in the LGC field including collisions with sailplanes, falling winch lines and flailing tug plane tow ropes.

 Unauthorised flying.

In order to protect the public and other air users, it is the responsibility of all DHPC members to stop any unauthorised hang gliding or paragliding at the site. Bring any breach of the LoA to the attention of a club official immediately. They should take charge, but it would be helpful for them to have the support of as many DHPC members as possible. If no club officials are available, then take responsibility as a member and contact one as soon as possible afterwards. Make anyone preparing to fly without proper authorisation, aware that they are breaking the law and face a fine of £2000 and six months in prison. Contact NT wardens Marshal Easom or Alison Woods if they don’t stop immediately. Record names, date and time, witnesses, glider type and colour, and car registrations. Photographs would also be very helpful.

If necessary, the Police will send an officer to site to issue a caution and take statements from witnesses. They will send the information to the CAA Aviation Regulations Enforcement Department for use in a prosecution. Inform the LGC if it looks likely that the unauthorised flight could affect their operations in any way.

 NT Warden Marshal Easom     01582 873569 office 07787 151896 mob

NT Warden Alison Woods        07787151895

Dunstable Police Station        01582 401212

London Gliding Club               01582 663419

CAA                                           0207 453 6191

Aviation Regulation Enforcement Department Room K504  45-55 Kingsway London WC2B 6TE