Chair Lift for PG in WV - Go Ben!

[CraginS]

Ski preview: From goats to paragliding, local ski resorts enrich their properties
November 13, 2016 12:00 AM
Canaan Valley teamed up with the Mountaineer Hang-Gliding Association to provide the state’s first public launch site for qualified paraglider pilots. It is one of only two sites in the Eastern U.S. that is serviced by a ski resort chairlift.

The southwest-facing launch site, a short walk from the top of the resort’s quad chairlift, opened Oct. 8 and will be used — by paragliders only — from mid-December through mid-March. Hang-gliding equipment, which weighs more than 50 pounds, is too cumbersome to take on a chairlift.

“We are excited to get this new adventure off the ground, just as the region’s paragliding pilots are anxious to get their feet off the ground and into the air above our beloved valley,” said general manager Steve Drumheller.

Although the association has secured U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association insurance for the site, pilots must complete an application that shows they are proficient according to association standards. Pilots also must complete a site orientation and sign a liability waiver.

“We expect there will be broad appeal for this site, and the favorable topography of the mountain range will make the Canaan Valley Resort location a precious and valuable flying site,” said Ben Herrick of the Mountaineer Hang-Gliding Association, a longtime paraglider and Tucker County resident.

http://www.post-gazette.com/life/recrea ... 1611130012

[Dave Gills]

Any roads to the top?
Is there an LZ big enough for a HG at the bottom?