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Connecticut Slope Soaring in Bloomfield

A nice grass NW slope about 80 feet high is located behind the Seabury retirement home on route 185 in Bloomfield. Park in the parking lot on top of the hill. The slope is owned by the town so don’t let rent-a-cops from the home say you can’t be there. There is an RC field out to the right of the hill so check frequencies if anyone is there.

  • GPS Coordiantes:
  • N 41 degrees  50.201 minutes
  • W 72 degrees 42.460 minutes

Have more slopes to share? Please post them. This sport depends on sharing our slopes.

Slope Soaring Sites in Connecticut near Bristol

A nice multi-direction site that has N, NW, W and E faces about 80 feet high is located on Perkins Street in Bristol, CT.

It is an old gravel mine area that is now a rustic dog walking area owned by the town. Use the nice parking lot they created and feel free to bring a weed whacker to clear off the top of the slope. The slope requires a 1000 foot walk from the parking area.

  • GPS coordinates:
  • N 41 degrees  41.595 minutes
  • W 72 degrees 57.938 minutes

A SW slope is on the west end of a large sloped field in Bristol. It is just east of a large factory complex on James P. Casey road. Use on weekends only. Park in pull out on the factory driveway at the bottom of the slope. Site is posted for snowmobile trespassing but has never been a problem.

  • GPS Coordinates:
  • N 41 degrees  41.617 minutes
  • W 72 degrees 58.677 minutes

Have more slopes to share? Please post them. This sport depends on sharing our slopes.

Slope at West Rock Park in West Haven Connecticut

Bill sent in another Connecticut slope. This one in West Haven.

I have another one that is unbelievable, and I am quite suprised that I seem to have “discovered” it. It is at West Rock in West Haven CT. West Rock is a delapidated park that nobody goes to. Most people go to East Rock to gawk at the city below. West Rock is a southwest facing cliff, over looking West Haven with a large open parking lot that has suprisingly smooth air to land. I had a combination of nice slope air and old fashioned lift from the city below, specked out easily. The cliff face has to be about 2 to 300 feet high, with little obstruction from trees. The day I flew I was able to drive my car right up to the top, but I hear that the park is suppose to be closed and cars are usually parked at the bottom when the gate is closed. I will look into that.

Looking at West Rock Park from the bottom
Launch area
The parking lot at the top

 

Several Slope Soaring Spots in Connecticut

Dennis sent in this information on sloping in Connecticut

New Haven, CT
Thanks to Dennis Phalen

Greetings,

Winter is here, I transitioned from autumn to the coldest season on the slope in New Haven harbor. Lighthouse Point Park has a rocky shore just North of the boat launch ramp. The pathway is about 10 ft above sea level and a hill rises behind it. Sloping from this tree dotted path is good when the wind is out of the NW at 15-20. Today it was out of the NNW but still OK.

This is a really poor slope, but it’s only nine miles from my home. Of course there’s water only 20-30 ft away and the shore is as solid rock as the rest of the area here. Be prepared to get a plane out of a tree if you go there, wingtips brush the branches all the time and sometimes stay in contact until you free them. I have a longish pole made from downed saplings lying at the base of the tallest tree on the slope if you need it.

As its not a great slope I wouldn’t expect a DAW warbird to fly well there, but then no one around here has one of those either! I have flown heavy HLG and Wings there. Having the hill behind opens the lift area beyond what the lower slope provides, you can get a plane right overhead or even behind the path. Once up you’ll see that you can put the plane pretty far to the north end of the slope but you can still see it thru the trees!

We’ll probably have more of these NW winds. When you go there, pull into the first parking lot on the right. As you go towards the ramp you’ll see a path going around to the right, or you can just take the short walk through the woods/brush over the small hill. The slope next to the ramp will work with a W wind, go father for a NW. Pick a spot that lets you launch and fly, depending on the wind direction. You’ll be alone, turning a lot but sloping! There’s lots of brush to hit for landings but the path will work too. Have fun, call me before you go[email for number]! http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspS=11&T=1&X=1689&Y= 11421&Z=18&W=1

Colebrook, CT
There is also a group that flies at a dam in Colebrook, CT. A group of power fliers uses a N/S facing dam that is 200 ft on the dry side, 200 ft on the water side. One member has tried DS’ing there with some reward using a JW. http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.asp?S=14&T=1&X=206&Y= 1453&Z=18&W=1

Willimantic, CT
A couple of weeks ago I was at a dam next to Windham airport near Willimantic. A Zig zag of dams more than a mile long and maybe 30-45 ft high has multiple wind opportunities. The airport, with paved runway is RIGHT next door, there is no tower and not much activity but it could get dicey[I didn’t send you]. http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.asp?S=12&T=1&X=918&Y= 5781&Z=18&W=1

Dennis

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