Paragliding Annecy: the 2026 pilot's guide (launches & air)

Annecy is Europe's biggest paragliding magnet: three launches ringing the same lake, an aerology you can read by eye, and an FFVL landing at Pré Vaquin that half the continent lands in during summer. This is not the guide for a tourist looking for a tandem — this is for the rated pilot arriving with a wing.

Three launches, one mountain

Forclaz (1,260 m) is the versatile default: SW to W bias, panoramic lake views, gondola from Montmin in season and 2WD road access year-round. It comes alive on late-morning dynamic and thermal lift, and it's the departure point for the classic XC lines towards the Bornes, the Semnoz and beyond. Newcomers to Annecy usually start here.

Planfait (~1,240 m) is the east-morning alternative. A clean, roomy grassy field, hugely popular with the morning tandems while the thermal breeze runs up the lake in the wrong direction for Forclaz. It's forgiving on launch but demands honest reading of the breeze (see below) — flying it mid-afternoon regularly ends against the cliff.

Montmin (~1,260 m) is the late-afternoon classic. SW orientation, a short takeoff, and the Pré Vaquin school field directly below it. This is where the golden hour restitution happens in summer, often in smooth dynamic soaring right up to sunset. In early afternoon it can be muscular — thermal and breeze crossing over each other.

For a wider look at where Annecy fits, our best paragliding sites in the Alps puts it alongside Chamonix, the Aravis and the Beaufortain. And the curated page for Annecy – Planfait covers the specific site facts and hazards.

Aerology: reading the day in three phases

Annecy runs on the lake's thermal breeze, in three moments:

1. Morning (until ~11:00 in summer): the thermal breeze sets in from south to north — air runs up the lake from Doussard towards the old town. Planfait is in its zone; Forclaz stays in waiting.
2. Middle of the day (11:00–15:00): breeze combines with slope thermals. Forclaz comes alive, Planfait turns turbulent and incompatible with the southerly breeze. This is the XC window: launch Forclaz, transition to the Semnoz or the Bornes.
3. Late afternoon and evening (from ~16:00–17:00): the breeze softens, restitution begins on Montmin. Summer evenings give golden soaring flights until dark.

That rhythm is very reliable under a summer anticyclone. It breaks the moment a synoptic wind — especially a strong northerly — takes over: Forclaz turns sporty, Planfait becomes dangerous (rotor off the Tournette), and the flying moves elsewhere in the Aravis. A westerly can flip the whole day without warning — keep an eye on cloud on the Tournette.

Season: when to fly Annecy

• Late April to early June: the best XC window. High ceilings, readable air, fewer people. Bring layers — snow lingers up high.
• July–August: peak season. Reliable breeze but also fast-building cumulus and afternoon thunderstorms. Launch early, decide decisively.
• September to mid-October: beautiful late season, quieter, often milder. Evening breeze can be magic.
• Winter: dynamic soaring possible from Planfait or Forclaz on calm days. Watch for inversions and low visibility. Not an XC season.

The official LZ: Pré Vaquin

Pré Vaquin at Doussard is the FFVL field: a big grassy LZ with windsocks and a school on one edge. In summer it becomes very busy — enter from the south, align with the windsock direction, and avoid overflying tents. The thermal breeze can create crosswinds on approach — check the sock the old-fashioned way, not from the harness. Never bomb out into the neighbouring cultivated or hayed meadows — the whole LZ arrangement depends on the landowner relationship.

Additional marked LZs sit at Talloires (Forclaz side) and near Faverges for the north-east XC finish.

Airspace: know it before you push XC

Annecy is boxed in by:

• Annecy-Meythet CTR to the west — don't push into it at IFR-approach altitudes.
• Geneva TMA — stepped ceilings to the north and west.
• Occasional military zones around Chambéry, depending on the day.

Before any XC, check the FFVL sites map and a current VAC chart. Simple rule: stay below 2,500 m QNH unless explicitly cleared, and don't run the lake towards the old town at approach altitudes.

The four rookie mistakes at Annecy

• Launching Planfait in early afternoon. Thermal breeze runs up the lake, launch becomes crosswind, inflation goes sideways, flight is a scare.
• Crossing the lake too low. Thermal breeze creates real sink over the water — you need altitude and a clear read of surface indicators (waves, cumulus shadows).
• Staying on Tournette's north face too long. Mechanical rotor in a northerly — exit early.
• Bomb-outs in hayed meadows. The official LZ exists precisely to avoid this — respect the landowner arrangement.

Making the right call, the right day

Picking the right Annecy launch is about the hour and the actual wind, not about theory. An app like OutDare helps cross-check high-resolution forecasts (AROME over France) with the local thermal breeze on each of the three launches, gives you 7-day visibility on wind, and records your flights in 3D so you can review what the day actually did — useful when you arrive at a site this active.

The day Annecy is 'on', stay calm on the decision-making: this is a place where ego pays worst. The lake will still be there tomorrow.