The club guide, current officers, and landowner rules control.
Open official site guide ↗FREE SPIRIT FLIGHT / FLIGHT DECK
KATYDID
Chemung, New York
Mountain soaring site · about 750–800 ft AGL
PERMANENT SITE QR / NO PILOT DATALIVE FLIGHT DECK
VERIFY STATUS BEFORE FLYING
No Free Spirit Flight status message has been posted. Use the controlling club’s official channels and complete the required briefing.
Awaiting today’s controlling-club updateFLIGHT WATCH · VOLUNTARY REGIONAL PLANNING
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Flight Intent is planning information only. It is not physical check-in, eligibility, access permission, site opening, flight authorization, or a safety decision.
TODAY'S ENTRY POINT
Check before you fly.
A wide grassy WSW slope on a short ridge, suitable for early mountain flights but constrained by powerlines, crops and ridge crowding.
Good direction rangeSW–W (230–270°)
Best directionWSW (240–260°)
Controlled guidanceStatic outage fallback
Pilot requirementFSF + USHPA; H2/P2 with FL, new H2/P2 supervised
Launch42.029411, -76.639702 at 1600 ft MSL. Access is via lawn/logging road; dry 2WD is marginal and wet/rutted conditions require suitable 4WD or walking.
Landing42.027270, -76.652823, about 0.75 mile away with a 5:1 glide; field borders road, trees and crops.
STRUCTURED SITE BRIEFING
Know the whole site.
Private site; landowner permission required. Closed without exception during the published late-November/early-December hunting period and sometimes for crop conflicts.
Weather + terrain
- Best WSW 250°, 10–15 mph; published sector 230–270°.
- Guide describes smooth straight-in 240–260° to 15–20 mph/gusts to 25, and smooth 30° crosswind to 12 mph.
- Topographic saddles limit usable ridge lift and can increase crowding.
Access + stewardship
- Current FSF and USHPA membership, LOCAL accompaniment, briefing and landowner permission required.
- Meet at the LZ, place a windsock, carpool and contact the landowner en route as directed by FSF.
- Do not rut wet access; if tires spin, walk equipment in.
- No powered wings or PG mini-wings; honor hunting/crop closures.
Hazards
- High-tension line north of the valley and roadside telephone/power lines south of LZ.
- Seasonal crops can remove the primary or alternate landing option.
- Short ridge and saddles can crowd soaring traffic.
Pilot requirements
- No solo flying below H3/P3; a person able to summon help must be present.
- Notify the landowner if retrieval finishes after dark.
- Confirm the current primary and alternate LZ before launch.
Landing facts
- Roadside parking accommodates about six vehicles on one side.
- Tear down on the south side away from the main landing area.
- XC fields exist but no official route/waypoint system is established.
Source control
This summary supports planning. The current controlling-club guide, officers, landowner permission, site briefing and conditions in the field remain authoritative. Do not fly in rain or thunderstorms.
Read the complete official guide ↗DRIVE / MEET / RETRIEVE
Directions for Katydid.
Directions do not grant access. Verify current FSF status, permission, briefing, parking and vehicle procedures before traveling. Private site; landowner permission required. Closed without exception during the published late-November/early-December hunting period and sometimes for crop conflicts.
Katydid launch
42.029411,-76.639702
Katydid primary LZ
42.027270,-76.652823
EMERGENCY
Call 911, stop flight activity, identify the private access/LZ location, and follow the current FSF Emergency Action Plan.
Give the site name, exact location, access route, number of patients and known hazards. Emergency details must also remain printed at the physical site for use without cellular service.