Franschoek
📍 Western Cape , Cape Winelands District Municipality · Nearest city: Paarl (25 km)
52 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 757 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
-33.90330, 19.15720Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-05-02 16:19 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Not recommended for flying, cloud base ~315 m, wind 21 km/h, precipitation 2.3 mm.
base ~315m · wind 21 km/h · precip 2.3mmFlyable day, decent conditions, cloud base ~218 m, wind 17 km/h, precipitation 1.2 mm.
base ~218m · wind 17 km/h · precip 1.2mmComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
🌬 Daily wind (next days)
Daily summary (10m wind). Full hour × altitude chart is being added progressively.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
🗓️ Best season to fly (2024 climatology)
Monthly climate score: historical avg of temp, wind, rain and cloud cover. Green = optimal month.
⭐ Best month: Jan (95/100, 28°C, 10mm lluvia) · Worst month: Jul (35/100, 328mm lluvia)
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 3 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.80 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.57 | Slope faces north in southern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
Just over the crest of the Franschhoek Pass, there is a parking area on the left of the road. A fence runs towards the cliffs from the car park, and the launch is at the end of this fence, a few metres into the nature reserve.
Nearby sites
Du Toits Kloof Pass (45) · Rusty Gate (31) · Paarl Rock (46) · Groenberg 1 (36) · Sir Lowry s Pass (43) · Kleinmond (38)