Weather Considerations

• Pilots need to keep a careful watch on weather conditions, both on launch and in the air.

  Ideal winds are from the West 10-15.  Winds can be about 15 degrees to either side of that direction, or you can move to a different area to launch that faces more into the wind.

• Ridge soaring still works well when the wind direction is up to 20 degrees north from straight in.
• Do not fly when there's a signficant southerly component. This can result in signficant mechanical turbulence.
• The typical approach to thermalling is to ridge soar out into the valley and catch thermals or fly to the western ridge of Hatch peak and transition to thermal flying there.
• Be cautious about soaring when the cloud deck is low over launch to avoid soaring into the cloud.

Requirements

• Pilots are expected to evaluate the launch, the possible landing areas, the weather, and other conditions.  Flights are at the Pilot's own risk. 

  P2 is the recommended pilot level. To fly here aside from strong launching skills and good judgment, a current USPHA, and Arctic Airwalkers Membership is required.  Always seek out pilots with site experience to get an orientation to the site.  Pilots should have P3 skills, but because it is a remote site, with greater consequences for messing up, pilots should follow the USHPA recommended operating limitations for P2 pilots, which are:

• Maximum base wind of 12 mph. 
• Maximum peak gusts to 15 mph.
• Maximum gust rate of 5 mph in 5 seconds
• Should not fly in thermal lift where peak climb rates exceed 200 fpm.
• Launch from slopes steeper than 4:1 with the wind within 25 degrees of being straight up the slope.

Hazards

• Massive overdevelopment is one of the biggest hazards at Hatchers Pass. It’s very common for towering cumulonimbus clouds to blast into the sky past 30,000 feet. These clouds will suck you up, chew on you for hours, and spit your frozen corpse out somewhere in the remote and inaccessible Talkeetna Mountains. Be aware that this development can occur quickly above you and it’s not always obvious that it’s happening until it’s too late. Blue sky over the Matanuska-Susitna Valley doesn’t mean that you’re safe. In fact it often means that you’re not. Scared? Good.
• There are a lot of converging, diverging, and mixing valley flows in the Hatcher Pass area. Stay alert.
• Winds can shift quickly. Be prepared.
• The Launch Ridge slopes back and down towards Summit Lake, and poses a rotor hazard behind the ridge.  Normal top-landing protocol is to parallel the ridge as it drops off to the north, and to be flying directly into the prevailing wind, and then to angle across towards the launch area.  Be aware of other pilots soaring the launch ridge and bystanders standing watching on toplanding LZ. 
• The canyon with the stream coming out of Summit Lake to the south of launch can form a venturi.  Stay in front of the main ridge, and do not soar back into the venturi zone over the creek.

• Other hikers/spectators visit this site and the potential for a conflict exists. Pilots are cautioned to ensure an appropriate distance is maintained between launch and landing activities and the public.  Pilots are expected communicate to the public as needed to maintain clearances. 

  This is a natural mountain site and there are many natural hazards that are common to many natural mountain sites in Alaska that could be a hazard for pilots. 

  There may be no cell phone reception in many backcountry areas.  Pilots are expected to be prepared for self-rescue and by carrying Spot, InReach or other non-cell based communication equipment.

• The entire landing zone is covered in large tussocks that present a tripping hazard to landing pilots.  Fortunately the ground and the tussocks are generally soft.
• There are no permanently installed wind socks or wind tells.  Pilots are expected to bring their own if they feel that they need one.  Someone will almost always set one up on good days.
• In the event of an incident, emergency response is likely to take more than a hour to arrive.

WARNING: The descriptions of typical flying conditions listed in this Site Guide reflect the experience of the authors of the guide. The conditions that you encounter at the site may differ, sometimes substantially, from those described. These descriptions may not be relevant to the possible experience of any other pilot, particularly one who is relatively inexperienced or new to the Site.