Sites/Big Bend
DOSSIER · 104SITE · NORTH AMERICA
29°58′34″N · 103°43′51″WLIVE CHART · OBSERVED 1358Z
Airworthy · 3+
NORTH AMERICA · TEXAS · USA

Big Bend

ThermalTowSimulatedFoot Launch
ELEV 1,638 M / 5,375 FTTZ America/Chicago

Specimen Sheet · Vital Statistics

Launch Elev1,638 m
Launch Elev FT5,375 ft MSL
Min Hang RatingH3
Best Wind185° · 10–20 kt
Coordinates29.9760° N
 -103.7308° E

Classification · Terrain & Access

CliffLoose RockDesertHigh DesertFlat LandFoot LaunchAerotowRoad Access
§ 01CHART · LAUNCHES & LANDINGS

Field chart.

Launch point
Landing zone
Launch heading
3 LAUNCHES · 3 LZs · ALT RANGE 1,1631,656 M

§ 02 · Flying Conditions · Field NotesUpdated 2026·03·21

The Big Bend is part of the Trans-Pecos region in southwestern Texas, United States along the border with Mexico, north of the prominent bend in the Rio Grande for which the region is named. Here the Rio Grande passes between the Chisos Mountains in Texas and the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico as it changes from running east-southeast to north-northeast. The region covers three counties: Presidio County to the west, Brewster County to the east, and Jeff Davis County to the north.

The region is rugged, sparsely populated Chihuahua Desert, including the Chisos Mountains, Chinati Mountains, and the Davis Mountains. The region has well over 1 million acres (4,000 km2) of public lands, including Big Bend National Park (801,163 acres) and Big Bend Ranch State Park (300,000 acres), Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (103,000 acres),[3] Chinati Mountains State Natural Area (39,000 acres)[4] along the north side of the Rio Grande.

Has 3 different launch points and at least 1 or more defined places that you can tow from. The best wind direction is 185.3 @ 10 knts but many sites can be flown from multiple directions, so check before you fly.

You can expect to find: thermal conditions , all dependent on current weather conditions.

§ 03 · Wind Window · Best Operating EnvelopeS · 185° ±0°

NSEWNESENWSW
1020 kt
Primary · S · 185°
Envelope: 185° – 185° (±0°)
Preferred · 1015 ktWorkable · 1523 ktHazardous · >25 kt

Chase the Wind

Nearest weather station to Big Bend. Select any row to see which launches are in wind, then set your MSFS world clock to that UTC time.

Alpine/Casparis Muni, TX, US

13:43 UTC

46 km from site

Wind

S 190°

5 kt

Ceiling

Clear

10+ sm vis

S 190° · 5 kt · 13:43 UTC

02 Ranch Dirt Strip LaunchHeadwind (31°)
Big Bend LaunchHeadwind (5°)
Ravine LaunchHeadwind (32°)

Select a time to check launches

Jan 21

Weather at , 46 km from Big Bend. Mountain conditions may differ — this is a clue, not a forecast. Adjust sim time on site until conditions feel right.

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§ 07 · Location · Field CoordinatesWGS-84

Latitude29.975993
Longitude-103.730779
DMS · N29°58′34″N
DMS · E103°43′51″W
Altitude1,638 m
Altitude FT5,375 ft
Time ZoneAmerica/Chicago
UTM13R 622 448 E · 3 677 638 N

§ 09 · Recent Flights · Log Book

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FILE № 104 · CLOSED 2026·03·21
THE HANG GLIDING FILES · THGF
✎ SURVEYED · NORTH AMERICA · USA