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Better knowledge of mount 7 (Seven) free flight area improves the experience.

Mount Seven...

• Regularly hosts hang gliding and paragliding competitions.
• The "Lookout" launch site area is also a BC Forest Service recreation site for picnic and tourism.

( Many photos are not loaded right away to reduce download time. Bring them with a click, if needed. Thanks ! : )

Aircraft radios themselves do not require a licence nor registration when operated in the context of flight or soaring, only the operator.

Sailplanes from Invermere may use the Invermere airport ATF frequency 123.2 MHz or the soaring frequency 123.4 MHz in the Invermere ATF zone and are supposed to use 123.4 when flying cross country or on visual contact with us. They may switch to 122.8 MHz in the Golden ATF, near our site. Be aware, they are silent and also hunt for thermals.

Emergencies: do not switch frequency if you are already in contact with someone that can help. However, know that the universal distress frequency is the most monitored on earth. In addition of the terrestrial stations, airliners and some satellites are listening to it.

Amateur radio frequency (ROC needed)

• Please use: 173.64 MHz - on the VHF band of mobile service. Hence not subjected to the restrictions imposed on amateur band. It is a private commercial band for tracking operations on a shared non-interference basis with Royal Canadian Golf and Ski Patrols. The HPAC obtained permission for us to use this frequency.
• Or use: 146.46 MHz - in the amateur band. Please be aware that anyone using this frequency will need to have received their official amateur radio authorization, else use of this frequency is illegal, no matter what the use of it is for. If anyone causes interference in any way, Industry Canada will know, and will contact us.

Since 2005, the radio itself does not need a licence anymore.

Should be limited to ground-ground communications. Not recommended in aircrafts communications, but is better than nothing.

Others

• Family radio service (FRS) and general mobile radio service (GMRS) radios are practical in local flights (short range of FRS) and even in distance flights (longer range of GMRS). These radios do not require any permit. GMRS radios are limited to 5 watts. Make sure you're on the same frequency with a friend.
• Cellular telephone service is available through some parts of the valley and is improving.
• There is also a wireless internet system developing in the valley.

Flying mount 7

Flying in the Rockies is not flying in the plains. It can be easier and more challenging at the same time. The wind may stir the air in altitude, or cause a venturi in the valleys. Local effects of many kinds may please or scare.

In high mountains like the Rockies, the meteo wind has a tendancy to circulate above the highest peaks. Mountains are obstacles. In summer, when the sun shine, mountains slopes warm and constantly produce thermals. Mountains will hence create an ascending wind continuously with air coming from the valleys. This air circulation up is called anabatic. According to the well known saying of Lavoisier, nothing is lost, nothing is created, all is transformed. The valleys bottoms must fill with air and there is no other place than up to take it, elsewhere. The valleys center, shaded slopes and mountains lee-sides allow this descending circulation. This is called a catabatic wind. Moreover, after sunset, the air circulation reverses, often in less than 15 minutes. Hence, generally, the valley wind will be different from the takeoff wind and the wind in flight. Obviously there is a correlation between meteo wind and local winds but it is not direct. We can imagine how the air will circulate according to conditions and locations but it is not always easy nor obvious. These are the main differences between flying in the mountains compared to flying in the plains.

In addition to the tips and warnings in previous sections, here are, in this section and the next, reminders of some specificities of flying mount Seven, in the Rockies.

• On most days, the area of the antenna (under the A of the photo of Golden), just northwest of the lookout, generates strong and regular thermals. Less true in south winds.
• Be extra careful on windy days (15 km/h or less does not count as windy!). Winds aloft and in the valley may be higher and of different directions. Consider postponing or cancelling your flight. Observe the weather conditions. Evaluate the performances of your glider, your experience, your skills and the risks you are willing to assume.
• On certain very good days, thermals can hit brutally and flip you like a pancake. Keep the speed up and accelerate further when entering the thermals. This should prevent stalling and help maintain control. Paragliders: follow the recommendations of the manufacturer or the advance manoeuvres instructor regarding your wing.
• Always fly high and far enough above ground to clear it in case of stall, sinking air or nudging by thermals or turbulence. This is very true above rocky terrain and on the lee side of mountains. Paragliders: "Scratch" the mountains at an altitude sufficient to recover from a full collapse and more! A few tree themselves every year. Try to avoid being one of these. Here, in the (relatively) high mountains, thermals do not lick the ground much but the sinks do! And please, fly with a radio if you cherish your life! See next two recommendations.
• Trees are tall in the west! Think ahead and carry a rope long enough - at least 30 m (100') - to come down a tree yourself. A rescue crew may take a while to arrive even if they are alerted. More about this topic in the Emergencies section.
• Flying with a radio is advised for many reasons including safety. Please limit your transmissions to useful statements. We recommend the aircraft band radios which have proven reliable over very long distances, let you talk to other aircraft, have emergency frequency, etc.

Please read the pilot's etiquette section.

Insurance

HPAC third party liability Insurance is required to use the launch sites & the landing zone.
Canadian residents buy it from the HPAC (Hang gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada, aka ACVL).
Out of country visitors can buy the temporary coverage (90 days: $40).
You can obtain them directly from the HPAC or, if necessary, contact in here the LZ office or Scott Watwood or Serge Lamarche.

Don't forget to subscribe to the contingency fund as described in Emergencies.

Maintenance funds

Profits from sale of shirts & caps go to the site: insurance, road, LZ... These items are now found at the landing zone's office/store. Donations are gratefully accepted. You can also make a donation via Scott Watwood: scottwatwood@persona.ca, Serge Lamarche: sergelamarche@gmail.com and with Paypal:

Cross country flights

Satellite view (Photos source: Canada).
Aeronautical map from Golden to Canal Flats .
West cliffs near Pagliaro rd (arrow).
At Tower peak, near Parson.
Mountain range split at Spillimacheen.
Above the front range near Brisco (bottom right).
Edgewater and the problematic fields, in red.
Southeasterly view of the two fields south of Edgewater.
Radium, Invermere, Windermere lake.

Be nice to yourself and pass the HAGAR test from Transport Canada. The study guide should be available from the HPAC. It can only help you understand the aerial traffic and our place in it. Also, once again, fly with a radio, preferably in the aircraft band. Provide help to others. Ask for help if needed, do not let a bad situation deteriorate.

After a cross country flight, register your flight in the BC cross country league. Since 2004, cross country flights done in British Columbia are eligible for money prizes thanks to private donations from pilots managed by the provincial association. It's a good way to encourage cross country flights and see their evolution. Enter and details on this page hosted by the WCSC.

Here are more recommendations:

• For a good start, try to get high above the mount Seven peak to cross the gap to the next mountain, mount Kapristo. This way you will fly above the venturi in the Horse creek gap and the probable sink around mount Kapristo's west cliffs (near Pagliaro rd).
• Do not allow yourself to drift behind any peak in a thermal unless you are at safe height, say 500' (150 m) or more above it, and the angle (say 45°) will let you glide out easily to the valley. The venturi of the peaks and the sinks of the lee sides are to be avoided. A crash or just a forced landing over there could become a catastrophe for the pilot. Walking out could take more than a day.
• In general, if you are getting lower than the peaks, think about heading to the valley. Keep an eye to at least one suitable landing area you can be sure to glide to. It is always preferable to land near the highway. Otherwise, you may have to walk for hours.
• The valley bottom climbs slowly (70 m) from 2590'ASL (790 m ASL) at the Nicholson LZ to 2820'ASL (860 m ASL) at the Invermere airport, 100 km away. The elevation difference of the river is only 50' (15 m) for the same distance.
• Continually monitor the wind directions as indicated by water areas on the ground, and clouds and thermal drifts in altitude. Usually, the winds switch from west to south down the range near Harrogate. Sudden changes in force and direction are common when fronts are closing in or thunderstorms are present. Check with the cloud type. Some huge thunderstorms located east of Field have sucked the air so strongly in the valley that they turned a north wind into a strong south wind in Nicholson. Also, air masses may spill ahead of the fronts inside the valleys. The spill thereby creates a wave travelling along the valley, sometimes accompanied by gusts of excessive strength. An advice that seems to work if you get caught flying in this, is to head downwind in the hope to land ahead of the "gust front" and have time to secure yourself and fold your wing.
• Avoid landings on peak tops unless it's a case of emergency or you are well prepared for the adventure (camping gear, repair kit, etc.) and have radio contact with someone you trust. If you are unable to relaunch, walking down could take the night and the helicopter retrieval would cost you.
• There are plenty of fields on the way to Windermere except between Brisco and Edgewater. This stretch is also more difficult to pass because the mountain range split at Spillimacheen (see photo) into smaller ones, valley side.
• Be aware that wires cross some fields. Watch for poles on each side. Some may be hidden in the trees. Paragliders may prefer to land on road edges instead of crop fields. Make an approach that leaves options, an alternate field for example...
  Talking electric lines, a field not much used because small for starter now has two electric fences running through. It's the field at Horse Creek. Photo in the May 2007 news. To avoid, Naturally. Horse creek flows between mount 7 and Kapristo into the Columbia river.
• The owners in general and at Brisco particularly do not like to see us land in grown fields. Try to choose your landing accordingly. For example, if possible, land and fold your wing in fields or spots that are not maintained or grow poorly for some reason. Sometimes, the owner may appreciate you offer to pay for damages, if any ($5-$10). Please do so only if the owner comes to you and there is actual damage (very rare). This is more of a problem in June, before the first harvests. Note: some fields are rented.
  Regarding this, one owner came talk to me about a few pilots, paragliders and hang gliders, that landed in a field of theirs while grown, in the middle of it or in the corn patch even. Their fields have watering pipes and are located about 24 km from takeoff. They're okay with landing after the cuts (two per year) or in the bad corners.
  Coord. WGS84: 51.09075° N; 116.68000° W
  WGS84 for SAR: 51° 05.445' N; 116° 40.800' W
• Between Spillimacheen and Radium, fly the back range only if you are sure you can glide to the front range in case of headwind and sink. That is something like a 1:1 glide. Once again you are the best judge of the situation. You should know your wing and yourself more than anybody else. Sink of over 5 m/s (1000 ft/min.) is common along the ridge, and landings are practically non-existent between these ridges and rare in the valley in this area. Always keep a safety margin.
• Take note: the fields not far south of Edgewater are restricted areas: about 86 km from takeoff, both sides of the highway. These owners are easily irate at the sight of people walking in their fields. We are trying to improve the relation. Don't land there. Unfortunately, this is serious (see photo). They span about 0.6 km² and are approximately located at:
  Coord. NAD 83: UTM 11 U 5613875 m N; 563125 m E
  Coord. WGS84: 50.67607° N; 116.10351° W
  WGS84 for SAR: 50° 40.5642' N; 116° 06.2106' W
• Take note, landing in the first long field on the west side of the highway immediately north of Edgewater is fine (see photo, marked in blue). The new owner is quite friendly. The field is now equiped with an artificial pond. Always stay nice with people where you land. However, a couple of places are not recommended in Edgewater as they are unfriendly. But they're unlikely to be used because of their location or their bad quality. One is the golf course. The other is just north of the mill on the east side and of angled and rolling terrain.
• Another field that doesn't cause problem: Harrogate. Walter and Jay even invite to call to spend the evening or the night, 250-346-3054.
• If you do not have a retrieval team, take note: after sunset the traffic on highways 95 and 93 becomes very sparse, especially on weekdays. Hitchhiking may get so bad you would have to spend the night there. There is a regular bus doing a late route from Cranbrook to Golden. It stops in Radium. The driver may stop for you if you clearly show your intention to be a paying client and there is space to pull the bus on the side of the road without blocking the traffic. The price is around $20 from Radium. Inquire to the bus company for the schedule and the price. It usually passes before sunset in July.
  Note that week days, a new community bus service serves the valley and Golden. These two routes pass by Parson at around 18:00 (6pm). A bit early for good flights though. Cost is $2,50 and have the correct change with you.
• Repeat: Flying with a radio is advised for many reasons including safety. Please limit your transmissions to useful statements. We recommend the aircraft band radios which have proven reliable over very long distances, let you talk to other aircrafts, have emergency frequency, etc.

Please read the pilot's etiquette section.

Emergencies

Phone 911 and ask for the Golden RCMP (also at 250-344-2221) - it is manned 24 hours a day - they will coordinate all search & rescue (SAR) operations.

Ambulance service: 250-344-6226 but phone 911 in case of emergency.
Helicopter rescues are operated by Alpine Helicopters. By phone: 250-344-7444. On aircraft frequency: 122.8 MHz.

Note:

• You'd think SAR could easily handle coordinates of every formats. Well, apparently not. SAR services and Alpine helicopters use GPS coordinates of the format degrees minutes.decimal minutes such as 50 54.520 being 50° 54.520 minutes. Please set your GPS to this format for rescues, to avoid misunderstandings and save time.
• To simplify further a rescue, it is good to have your GPS mesure the distance to a precise point, during the flight. Hence, you can say: "I am at 40 km from takeoff", for example.
• The aircraft radios emergency frequency connects with SAR services
• CB radio emergency channel 9 (is there someone still using CB?)
• An EVAC box is located at the Lookout and another one is at the upper launch. Buy a key for $10. All regulars should have one. They contain ropes, bandages, stretcher, spine board... and a cell phone.

Small helicopter at the lookout (PBE).
A rescue crew with rescued HG pilot (KK/RD).
Hospital position in Golden.

• Golden hospital: 250-344-5271, 835 9^th avenue South (photo).
  Directions: take 9^th street south westward at the crossing with 10^th avenue south (the main road) at the light. Then, take the right at the next street (9^th avenue south, notice the police station to your left), the hospital will be to your left.

If necessary, a helicopter can land at the Lookout and at the upper launch. If this happens, remember to shelter the wings, attach them to trees or take off.

Again, seriously consider flying with a radio. Also, nothing can help locate a downed pilot better than a GPS receiver. And carrying a long rope to climb down a tree is also a good idea. Some do fly with a complete rescue kit.
If a pilot is still stuck in a tree and needs outside help, some individuals can make tree rescues .

Our contingency fund

In case of a rescue where the costs (or some costs) are not covered neither by the government, health insurance, travel insurance, nor by any other way (very rare), we have a contingency fund. This fund insures the subscribers that a retrieval by any mean (including helicopter) will be available for them and that they will not go broke because of it. Perhaps most importantly, it means that a helicopter can proceed without any of the delays than can ensue from having to first acquire hard payment before taking off. When possible, a pilot requiring the fund should subsequently replenish it.
All, subscribers included, must contact the RCMP first if they sustain or suspect bodily injury after a crash.
The cost of the subscription is $25. Persons that paid once already are considered covered. You can subscribe at the Nicholson LZ store or by contacting Scott Watwood at scottwatwood@persona.ca or Serge Lamarche at sergelamarche@gmail.com. List of subscribers .

Events calendar

Contacts and useful links

Etiquette

To keep at our happiest some rules should be followed:

• Know the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and hang gliding & paragliding flying rules. Examples: Highest priority to the pilot at the lower altitude. Priority goes to the pilot in the slower aircraft. Priority goes to the pilot that has the side of the mountain on its right. Avoid an imminent collision by making a right turn. Use your judgement in any manner that increases the safety including breaking the rules if necessary.
• Match your turn direction to the one(s) already in the thermal or the one(s) out climbing you.
• Land in fields of cut crop or pasture. And if you do not cause any damage and no one comes to you, there is no point to try to contact the owner.
• Do not land in grown crop fields. If you do have to, offer to pay for crop damage, if any (say $5 - $10). Stay calm, polite, and be understanding of their position if they are upset or irate. Remember, a landing is not an act of trespass if all you do after the landing is pick up your equipment and leave the field. Be open, listen, explain, we like their fields, we need them for landing, we want them on our side as much as possible.
  You can limit or avoid damages by touching down where the crop does not grow well. For example, near the entrance, where the machinery compact the soil.
• Do not step on fence wires, it pulls out the staples hence annoying the farmers. Pass under or through them.
• Do not drive into any field. Stay on the roads.
• Close any gate that you used as it was.
• Pick up your own garbage.
• Offer rides and help those in need. Exchange rides to reduce the number of vehicles. On the other side, it is the custom to offer $10 for a ride (gas, wear & tear) but this should be a gift as the ride is. Flying is difficult, have some inherent risks, so we recommend to maintain a mutual helpful attitude.

Brief recapitulation. To fly mount 7:

Finally, free flying can be anything from dangerous, just frustrating, to exhilarating. I found the best fun/pain ratio at mount Seven so far...
- Serge.
P.S. I leave you with another citation.

[...] Considered as a sport, flying possesses attractions which will appeal to many persons with a force beyond that exercised by any of the similar sports, such as boating, cycling, or automobiling. There is a sense of exhilaration in flying through the free air, an intensity of enjoyment, which possibly may be due to the satisfaction of an inborn longing transmitted to us from the days when our early ancestors gazed wonderingly at the free flight of birds and contrasted it with their own slow and toilsome progress through the unbroken wilderness. [...]
- Wilbur Wright, 1908 February 29.

The Wright brothers in brief — Photo source