Sites/Indian Valley
DOSSIER · 886SITE · NORTH AMERICA
40°02′44″N · 120°53′11″WLIVE CHART · OBSERVED 0811Z
Airworthy · 3+
NORTH AMERICA · CALIFORNIA · USA

Indian Valley

ThermalRidgeXCSimulatedFoot Launch
ELEV 2,184 M / 7,166 FTTZ Pacific Standard Time

Specimen Sheet · Vital Statistics

Launch Elev2,184 m
Launch Elev FT7,166 ft MSL
Min Hang RatingH3
Best Wind360° · 0–0 kt
Coordinates40.0457° N
 -120.8864° E

Classification · Terrain & Access

Foot Launch
§ 01CHART · LAUNCHES & LANDINGS

Field chart.

Launch point
Landing zone
Launch heading
1 LAUNCH · 1 LZ · ALT RANGE 1,0842,184 M

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

What can I say - it is simply gorgeous! Mt. Lassen and Lake Almanor are the biggest landmarks. You can reach altitudes of 15K. Head south over rugged terrain with high mountain lakes that may still have ice in it. Landing zones plentiful in the valley. XC potential is high. Triangles and out and returns are preferred.

The main launch use to be Keddie it was a narrow cliff launch named after the range on which we fly. Since discovering new launches not many pilots launch from the Keddie launch. The main launch that we have now was from a fire more than a few years ago that created a nice flat slope launch.

High mountain, high altitude launch. Rugged terrain plenty of back roads to explore. High mountain lakes good for fishing and hiking.

Launching can be from pretty windy to light. Later in the afternoon launch conditions smooth out and flying can be a lot more enjoyable. Convergence sometimes set up and getting down can be difficult. Sunset happens fast.

There are two other launches further up the hill about 75yds or so away and down a moderately steep road. (I recommend a 4wd for these launches.) You can see one of the launches from The Burn launch - it's called the "Good Launch" and faces more WSW than the Burn. It also can be less affected my the mid-day strong winds that overpower the Burn. In the same area but through the trees to the left, is the “Goldilocks Launch”. There is not much room for maneuvering or setup here. The Goldilocks launch is a short ramp and you do want SOUTH winds. You will use up every bit of the ramp and once you get airborne the ground does not drop away.

There are a few more launches around the Valley such as the Keddie launch, Mt. Hough and Hard Rock. Hough and Hard Rock are early morning sites and are usually sled runs. Keddie launch is a cliff launch and not many pilots go there any more.

Has 1 different launch points. The best wind direction is 360 @ 0 knts but many sites can be flown from multiple directions, so check before you fly.

You can expect to find: thermal conditions ridge soaring conditions cross country potential , all dependent on current weather conditions.

§ 03 · Wind Window · Best Operating EnvelopeN · 360° ±0°

NSEWNESENWSW
00 kt
Primary · N · 360°
Envelope: 000° – 000° (±0°)
Preferred · 00 ktWorkable · 03 ktHazardous · >5 kt

Chase the Wind

Real-time METAR data helps you find a good conditions window and set your MSFS world clock to match.

Nearby stations are not currently reporting to the aviation weather network.

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§ 07 · Location · Field CoordinatesWGS-84

Latitude40.045662
Longitude-120.886426
DMS · N40°02′44″N
DMS · E120°53′11″W
Altitude2,184 m
Altitude FT7,166 ft
Time ZonePacific Standard Time
UTM10T 680 301 E · 7 739 766 N

§ 09 · Recent Flights · Log Book

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FILE № 886 · CLOSED 2026·03·21
THE HANG GLIDING FILES · THGF
✎ SURVEYED · NORTH AMERICA · USA