White Horse

White Horse is a Dorset chalk-hill site above Broadmayne, working on south through southwest flow at a 143 m launch. A hybrid coastal/inland venue — the sea is about a mile in front — with real thermal activity on summer afternoons and evenings. XC potential is genuine but under-exploited: thermals don't trigger well behind the site for several kilometres, so many XC flights turn into 'one-thermal wonders'. Connect a second thermal and, with careful airspace and hazard planning, impressive distances are on the table. The launch area is unusually pilot-friendly — plenty of layout space, few obstructions, a gentle slope that steepens rapidly. But the site can be VERY turbulent in any wind with an easterly component, due to rotor from the ridge in front, and hang-gliders should note that above 18 mph it is always turbulent (though often 100–200 feet above launch smooths out from the upwind cliffs).

Launch & conditions

The launch is very open with a gentle-then-steepening slope. Any easterly component turns the site into rotor from the upwind ridge — pilots should walk down on those days. Above 18 mph the launch is turbulent; the air often smooths 100–200 feet above thanks to the cliffs. Avoid scratching too low near the trees at the bottom of the hill — turbulence lurks there too. Aero modellers use the bowl to the right of take-off, so keep clear.

Getting there & local rules

From Dorchester, follow the A354 toward Weymouth. Two miles from the bypass, bear left onto the Broadmayne road; two miles on, 300 m past a crossroads signed for Sutton Poyntz/Preston, bear right onto the chalk track. From Weymouth, A353 to Preston, left at the roundabout, immediately right into Coombe Valley Road to the top; turn right toward Broadmayne for 300 m and bear right onto the chalk track. From Wareham/Wool, A352 into Broadmayne. Landowner runs a horse-riding establishment: never spook horses — no flying low, no wing inflation near them, no landing near them.

Local rules & hazards

Any east in the wind makes this site very turbulent, with rotor off the ridge in front; it also gets rough behind the trees at the base, so don't scratch too low. Model aircraft use the bowl right of launch, and the landowner's horses graze nearby, so take care not to spook them.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to White Horse, 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 White Horse with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.