San Raffaele Cimena

San Raffaele Cimena is a small hill site east of Turin, launching from a grassy field known locally as Paperino at 419 m, with only about 200 m of height above the landing. That margin is thin: there isn't much room to find a thermal before running low, and one that doesn't come together can mean an early trip straight to the bailout landing near the cemetery. The upside of a small site is a fast turnaround — it takes about five minutes to fly back down, or twenty-five to walk back up for another lap. The launch sits on private land inside a defined area, so pilots need to check in with the landowner before using it. Airspace is tightly bounded here too: a hard ceiling applies, and pilots must stay well clear of the Po river to the north and keep a kilometre south of the Superga church, where controlled airspace runs down to ground level. Best flown with a wind from the south; a light northerly can be tolerated but only launched on the right cycle.

Launch & conditions

Small grassy field known as Paperino, space for one glider laying out and launching at a time.

Getting there & local rules

The site is on private land inside a fenced area — check in with the landowner before flying here.

Check conditions before you fly

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