Corio

Corio is a Piedmontese XC take-off north of Turin — a good option when Val della Torre isn't cooperating. The 1,332 m launch is exposed southeast and works on E, SE, S and SW flow, with best flying in summer under light easterly winds. Cross-country routes head to Val della Torre or S. Elisabetta. After take-off, look for thermals on the left (over the parking, not over the ridge), on the village with the antenna tower straight ahead, or over/around Corio town down on the plain. Do NOT try to soar at low altitude immediately to the right of take-off — no emergency landing options in that sector. The site sits inside the Caselle Airport CTR above 1,500 ft AGL: commercial traffic doesn't fly toward the mountains and the area is generally calm, but do NOT venture more than a few kilometres from the mountains toward the airport, and always check the current VFR flight map before an XC. Helicopter traffic can appear over the Lanzo valley.

Launch & conditions

SE-facing field, not particularly steep and not particularly big; alternate takeoff on the NE side for N/NE conditions. Do NOT fly low to the right of launch — no bail-out options. In hot season thunderstorms can form very quickly and cause suck-in, strong easterlies or severe gusts on the landing site even if the storm stays over the mountains 10 km away. Do NOT launch if cumulonimbus are nearby. Never fly on W or NW winds, especially föhn — even if launch feels calm, the LZ can exceed 10 m/s.

Getting there & local rules

From Turin, take the SP2 motorway toward Caselle Airport but continue past it — the road becomes a two-way highway. After Ciriè and Nole, turn right and follow signs to Corio. From Corio centre: coming from Nole/Turin, turn right at the traffic light, then follow the road about 600 m until factory/storage buildings with a small picnic site on the left — the landing field is the meadow on the left. Prevailing landing direction is southeastward from the summer easterly breeze; the field has a slight down-slope toward SE and a phone line at the end, so enter at low altitude from the west corner and never try to land long. High-tension power lines run further west of the LZ — steer clear.

Local rules & hazards

The site sits inside Caselle's control zone above 1500ft AGL, so don't push out over the plains toward the airport; expect helicopter traffic over the valley. Avoid west, north-west or föhn winds, which can top 10m/s at landing even when launch feels calm. In hot weather thunderstorms build fast; never launch with cumulonimbus nearby.

Check conditions before you fly

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