Well folks, I really hate to do it, but business conditions
dictate that I must sell my beloved launch-site on the eastern brow of Lookout
Mountain in northwest Georgia (about 17 miles due south of LMFP). It is 4 acres
with 400' of brow frontage that overlooks the historic McLemore Cove, and offers
what is arguably the most beautiful view on Lookout Mountain. The Cove below is
largely protected from future development and a significant portion of it is
owned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. And the site faces Pigeon
Mountain (5 miles across the valley) which is also completely owned by the
G.D.N.R. and will never be developed, so the view will always be as pristine and
beautiful as it is now. This is a relatively isolated piece of land with no
houses in site on top of the mountain (the closest house on top is a quarter
mile away). And just to the north is the Zahnd Wildlife Management Area which
will forever prevent any development in that direction.
Rachel and I had a 20'x10' storage building custom-built on the site in 2008,
and then added a 10'x10' bedroom onto one side and a shower onto the other, to
create a cozy little cabin (the site has no power or water, but we use a
generator for power and a propane shower for maximum comfort). The little cabin
is perfect for long weekend flying trips and will stay with the land. There is
no other structure on the land, but the site has a high-point where a 2-story
house with a roof-deck would have a spectacular view of the sunrise over Pigeon
Mountain and the sunset over Lookout and Sand Mountain.
The launch is 1150' AGL, faces due east, and the Google Earth coordinates are:
34.646585 -85.469187. When we bought the land, I had several dump truck loads of
dirt brought in and built a perfectly sculpted launch mound that looks like a
natural part of the landscape. And we cut a lot of trees below launch to make
for a very easy, forgiving launch with plenty of clearance below and to the
sides. Downwind cross country flights are relatively easy as you first cross
over Lookout Mt. with several bailout fields in reach from any reasonable
altitude, then cross the flats on Sand Mountain (huge agricultural fields
everywhere) before crossing the river at Scottsboro. The only downwind thing to
worry about is the Huntsville airport, but you only have to vector a few degrees
north or south to miss the airspace. Several pilots including myself have flown
50+ miles, and Greg Heckman has the site record at 91 miles (on a Sport 2!)
There is one tree right behind launch that would make launching a paraglider
pretty sketchy at this point (according to bi-wingual pilot Marc Fink) I never
wanted to cut the tree down because it is beautiful, provides shade for setup,
and doesn't interfere with hang glider launches. But if a paraglider pilot buys
the site, it would be very easy to make it safe for paragliders.
The designated LZ is a 5:1 glide from launch (Google Earth coordinates: 34.
658426 -85.452470) and is owned by a landowner in the valley who is very
friendly towards hang gliding and with whom we've had a great relationship for
several years. The LZ slopes gently uphill towards the long barn/chicken house
that you can see on Google Earth, so landing is easy. Some pilots are
intimidated by the smallish size of the field and the trees around the
west-southwest edge of the field, but it's plenty big enough for any
foot-launched aircraft.
For pilots who prefer a massive LZ, there is plenty of room in the south end of
the cove, including an old airstrip, at a 7:1 glide from launch (approximate
Google Earth coordinates: 34.632138 -85.447987)
Keep in mind that quite a few trees have been cut below launch since those
videos were made, so launch clearance is even better.
The price is $225,000. Serious inquiries only please!! And I'm really hoping
that someone in the hang gliding/paragliding community can purchase it to keep
it "in the family", so I'm only advertising to pilots at first.
If you have questions, please contact me at <davidg>
