[Kreebog]

Hey all,

I'm a newly established H2 pilot living in the Nashville area. I fly at LMFP regularly, but it's a couple of hours away so I can't just pop out for a quick lunch flight or anything like that.

What I'm wondering is if anyone knows of any flying sites or clubs in the Nashville area. Maybe a tow operation? Even just a big old hill with a safe place to practice landings...


Thanks in advance!

[Skyhighwoman]

I can not help you with a site close by it is nice to live/work near a site that you can go get a quickie at lunch time.

Anyways welcome and enjoy your adventures.

Carm

[Kreebog]

Thanks! I think we met at the LMFP Women's Festival... Nice to see you on here

[Windlord]

Kreebog-
Welcome to the forum.
Back in the 70's, I flew at Chatt. took the tram ride up to the launch,
I have no idea if it is even still there, but there is Lookout Mtn.
You might beable to talk with some of the pilots there to find your answers.
Good luck and keep us posted!

[Avnav8r]

Hey Kreebog,

There are not any current sites right around the Nashville area. We used to have a few small training hills near Hermitage and Mt. Juliet, but that was nearly twenty years ago (when I lived in the area). There are a number of potential hills around the region, but it is a matter of contacting a landowner, etc. There are several pilots living in the Nashville area, but they all either fly at Lookout or at the Tennessee Treetoppers sites in the Sequatchie Valley. There are some promising-looking hill south of Murfressboro off 1-24 near Bell Buckle. Some of the hills look launchable and have landing areas below and one that I have noticed, looks like it would be top landable in strong winds. I have never taken the time to pull off the Interstate to ckeck it out, though. I wish I had more info to give you. Hey Chad or Nate,(Nashville area pilots), are you out there with any ideas?

John Stokes
www.soarsouth.blogspot.com

[Kreebog]

Thanks John! I'm going to cruise around the bell buckle area and see what I can find.

[WPuckett]

Hey Winlord,

Which tram were you using in Chattanooga? What year did you live there? I called it home from 79-81. The Racoon Mtn tram was operated by Dan Johnson / Tom Phillips or the Lookout Mtn railway up the SE face?

The Racoon Mtn tram was the coolest setup I ever encountered. It was either $5 / trip or $125 / year unlimited trips. I could do 6 flights per day on the weekend.

The Lookout Mtn tram only lasted a couple of months before we lost the launch behind the first house to the SW on the south side of Lookout. We had to land in a dump by the old Confederate Museum across the highway. No where to land short at all. That was a long glide for my Olympus 180.

[Windlord]

Warren-
That was a loooong time ago. I didn't live there. I was out from Cali visiting
my folks in Murrieta GA. That is when you could bring your wing on the flights
at full length.
The only things that I can remember is that the tram was a gondola with an
HG rack underneath, the launch was cut out of the trees more like a tunnel
of trees you would launch from. The site itself was like a mini bowl area right
and left with a grassy LZ straight below with a check-in barn to sign in.
From launch to the right was a long narrow valley several miles away was a ridge that had a senic lookout that overlook the valleys.
It was a fun and senic place, got a ton of flights in, due to dismay of my wife, at
that time.
I'm guessing maybe 73' 74'?

[chadmay]

Kreebog, I've been looking too... call me and I'll give you what I've found so far. Also, if you ever want to car-pool to Lookout or TTT then that might be an option too.

- Chad May 297-1411