Saint – Pierre – en – Port bas

Saint-Pierre-en-Port bas is a small coastal soaring site above a beach on the Normandy coast in France, launched from a grass strip about 20 m above the sand, roughly in the middle of the valley that opens onto the beach at St-Pierre-en-Port. It's a northwest-facing site with a modest height difference, so it needs a real breeze to get going — 20 km/h or more of clean northwest wind is close to the practical minimum, with the best conditions running 20–25 km/h. The site sits under the Deauville TMA (controlled airspace from 760 m over the sea) and cross-country runs are capped to the right by the restricted zone around the Paluel power station. In strong wind, from about 25 km/h up, the cliff edge can throw turbulence over the launch. Landing works either back at launch or on the beach itself at low tide, reached again by a short staircase; takeoff is best avoided from two hours before to two hours after high tide, when the beach option disappears.

Launch & conditions

Launch is a grass strip about 20 m above the beach, roughly mid-valley at St-Pierre-en-Port. The site needs a real breeze to fly — around 20 km/h of clean northwest wind is close to the practical minimum, given the modest height difference.

Getting there & local rules

Park in the lot about 100 m before the beach access, on the left side of the road, then continue on foot; launch is about 200 m further, up a staircase to the right of the beach entrance.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Saint – Pierre – en – Port bas, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Saint – Pierre – en – Port bas with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.