Tamborine Mountain Launch overlooks the beautiful Canungra Valley and is approximately 30km from the Gold Coast and 70km from Brisbane. With it's breath-taking views and scenery, it's clean mountain air and local art shops, quaint coffee shops and restaurants, and with it's country markets and friendly atmosphere, it is a popular site any weekend for pilots and spectators.
Mount Tamborine takes a general Westerly wind direction, and as such it is "on" quite often in the Winter. It is popular for high glide top to bottom sled runs early in the morning, it is good for boating around mid-day on buoyant days or for going on local cross country flights. Winter day thermals can be smooth and enjoyable and on electric blue-sky blue-thermal days, the view of the Gold Coast is simply breath-taking.
As the coast is to the East (with Airspace ceiling that steps down rapidly in altitude), you have to punch headwind towards the West to do any distance. As such, the XC club record for Tamborine is relatively short compared to the Easterly sites.
Mount Tamborine Launch is open to club members and visiting pilots. It is a prime spectator spot on a main road, and is common for the Launch area to be full of tourists taking photos of the many colourful gliders.
Rating: Paragliding - PG4 (PG2 or PG3, if under supervision of Instructor or Club Safety Officer.) Hang Gliding - Restricted
Required Wind Direction: NW through to SW
Altitude: 1798ft/548m ASL
CTA: Above 7500ft (CTAF behind launch)
Weather Station: Tamborine has it's own dedicated windstation. It can be accessed on the windstation page of this site.
Waypoints: Launch: [ to do ]
Facilities: Toilets at launch site. Shops within 5 mins drive north
The first thing you'll notice when standing on Tamborine Launch is the amount of trees between you and the landing area.
The thing with Tamborine is there is little room for error, and it catches new pilots out EVERYTIME. No matter how much the Safety Officer emphasises on the following points, there is always one person that doesn't take it in. Don't be one of those pilots. Please read the following carefully, so that you don't end up in the trees and risk injuring yourself.
There can be very strong thermic cycles at Mt. Tamborine. Essentially what that means is that when air is going up very fast at Tambo, air very close to it is going down very quickly. A pilot will see another pilot going up in the near distance and head out, only to suddenly find themselves in extreme sink with little hope of making either the distant pilot or the landing area! Combine an unpredictable strong sink cycle with strong head wind and it will almost guarantee you end up in the trees, so the number one rule with Mount Tamborine is:
If you are not going up, head out to the landing field.
Now in case you're one of those people that skip over red bold writing, here it is again:
If you are not going up, head out to the landing field.
- If it is blowing from the North, it will almost certainly be rough air. Avoid flying in the Northern bowl if it strong north otherwise you'll be flying in rotor.
- If it blowing strong from the South, judge your glider very carefully, otherwise you will not make the bombout. There is nothing but trees in between.
- Powered operations are prohibited at all CHGC launches.
- No acrobatics within a cylinder of 150m radius around any CHGC launch.
- First Aid box at the shelter in the main bombout.
- Spring and Summer see strong thermals with the possibility of major sink cycles
- A common situation is a westerly wind in the morning and a SE or NE sea breeze reaching Tamborine launch in the early afternoon. Once you are about to launch a Hangglider it is hard to see the wind streamers behind you and it is worthwhile to be assisted by a sensible person who can watch behind you for the onset of tailwind.
- Be aware of the wind strength and the distance to the bombout areas.
- Beware the level and degree of the sink cycles.
- Launch slope is shallower than ideal and is troubled by turbulence from the shelf in front of the launch and from the trees on the sides of the launch.
- Face landing for Advanced pilots only when there are no public or Hangliders on launch.
- Refrain from setting up landing approach low over houses near main bombout.... Particularly the property south of the LZ.
- The trees on the north side cause turbulence and wind shadow in a northerly wind.
- Beware of 7500ft height limit.
- Because of the distance from the launch to the main landing site on Wagonwheel Rd all paraglider pilots need to fly in such a manner that a safe landing in the designated landing area is the primary flight plan if they are not gaining height.
i.e. if the pilot is not gaining height, they need to be flying towards the landing area, not go scratching low hoping to find lift.
This site is rated minimum PG4 for Paragliders, PG2 and PG3 pilots are to fly only if under supervision of an Instructor or Club Safety Officer.
PG2 and PG3 pilots must be aware of the privileges and limitations for their rating, paying particular attention to clause (g) when flying Mt Tamborine.
There are two official bombouts. Our property on Wagon Wheel Road and the adjacent public land, and the Hugh Mahoney Reserve on the Mundoolin Connection Road. There is also land which can be utilised in an “emergency”. It is the first open paddock at the edge of the trees along Wagon Wheel Road on the north side of the road (or the paddock adjacent to the second house on the right as you fly out from launch). Please see the Online Maps page for more detail. Landing outside these 3 areas is against CHGC policy.
When pre- or post- thermic, our main landing area is easily makeable by all paragliders and hang gliders. However this changes dramatically when thermals are present. Landing short at Tambo is a safety issue. Landing on the road is illegal and extremely risky and leaves ourselves open for litigation. Landing short at Tamborine is the result of not assessing the conditions correctly and it is considered extremely poor judgement to land short of the bombout after scratching low in front of launch or out on the left hand spur.
The CHGC enforces a Standard Operating Procedure for Safety Incidents. Also known as a Three Strike Rule that applies if landing in a No-Landing area. There may be increase risk of short landing at Tamborine by paraglider or hang glider pilots of modest experience on less glide performance wings in lighter conditions in winter, glide reduced by stronger headwind, or caught out of position in changing weather such as katabatic winds late in the day before sunset.
It is in your best interest to Reference CHGC / Safety paragraph title "Standard Operating Procedure for Safety Incidents". And you and your flying buddies can Read CHGC / Safety/General-Site-Rules Note paragraph "Fly Safe Advice".
The top landing area is the TMSA sports complex on Long Rd, Tamborine Mountain. If at all possible we are to land on the undeveloped portion of the land up near the road. If you have to land in a playing field, use the square one. Stay away from the oval one. Especially the cricket pitch in the centre.
Aerial view of Bombout
Bomb out from the air (click image to enlarge)
Main Bombout (click image to enlarge)
Top Landing
Dave Seib lands high performance topless Hang Glider at Moriarty Park within Football field
The Aussie Lawn Concepts Turf Farm in Boyland is kindly available as a last resort landing option .
Other landing options nearby are strongly encouraged. Primary goal is the Tamborine bombout / Club house approved landing area. A good choice for most conditions including strong West or East winds. Be aware of possible light katabatic east near sunset. XC pilot returning may consider Model Field North South grass runway & approved landing zone. Which is ideal for northerly wind. Before flying refer to CHGC maps. And consult your instructor / Senior Safety Officers for the safety brief on the allowed and safe landing fields in Canungra suitable for your aircraft type, performance and your skill level with respect to the weather. If you have exhausted all other options, then the turf farm is a safe landing option.
Landing at the turf farm is conditional; subject to respecting farming biological issues and the property owners rules.
You must follow the rules below:
1. Please do not set the turf farm as your landing destination, it is only to be used when you find yourself with no other options
2. If you are going to land at the turf farm you MUST land as close to the boundary fences as possible. Do not land near any of the houses/buildings or in the middle of any of the growing turf. Land near the boundaries so that you can make a quick exit.
3. You must walk your kit out of the turf farm. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES are vehicles allowed to enter the property.
4. Once you have landed you MUST send Lisa Bradley 0457 287 200 a text message with the following information:
- Landed on turf farm
- Full Name
- HGFA Number
- Reason for landing on the turf farm
The owner is happy for you to land on the property as long as you follow the above rules. The text message is important as the property owner is required to keep a record of who has entered his property and why. Please respect the property and these requirements.
Happy days and happy flying!!
- Launch: Sealed road to the site along Main Western Rd Mt. Tamborine
- Bombout: Main bombout can be accessed from Traveling down through Canungra then following Mundoolun rd and turning right into Wagonwheel Rd. Access via first vacant block of land on the left after Fenwick drive.
At all times, position your flight path according to the weather conditions and according to the performance of your flying equipment and your experience so you always have glide to a safe landing option.
Darren flying Tamborine to Casino Aero Club