Westbury Bratton Camp
Wind directions:
NNW, N, NNE
Click for full site map
Location:
East of the town of Westbury, on the northern edge of the Salisbury plains army firing ranges.
Site News
See Additional Info below
Bratton Camp is an Iron Age fort adjacent to the Westbury White Horse (WWH), together they are one of the most popular paragliding sites in the UK. Bratton has lots of space, and a nice large take off area making it a friendly low air-time site.
Parking
Permission:
Open
East of the town of Westbury, on the northern edge of the Salisbury plains army firing ranges.
Site Officer:
Tim Bishop
Restrictions:
Lat, Long:
51.265266 N
2.144710 W
Launch height (ft)
750
Grid ref:
ST900 516
Height TTB (ft)
370
Pilot Rating:
Club Pilot
Take off
In the large open area to the NW of the long barrow. Hang gliders normally rig and take-off from White Horse. If hang gliders are using the Bratton take-off, please give them priority, allow them space to take off and avoid launching a paraglider directly in front of a hang glider.
Exercise caution when taking off as there is a ditch and rampart on the front of the hill that you will need to clear.
Local Flying
If you are intending to fly at Westbury (White Horse or Bratton) please put in a CANP at least the day before. Westbury is a sensitive site due to proximity to the Danger Area, we strongly recommend a CANP being submitted.
No deliberate top to bottom flights please.
Know the airspace. There is a large Danger Area to the South of Bratton (D123) and a Notam activated Danger Area to the East (D148). Make sure you know where the Danger Area boundaries are. There may be airspace concessions available on a particular day. To understand what these are read the - Concession Guide.(add link to Concession Page?)
- If the whole ridge extending West is flyable, please remember there is a riding stable just beyond the trees at the western end of the main ridge. Please do not to overfly this stable lower than 600 feet ATO or 1400 feet QNH to avoid spooking the horses.
- The eastern end of the ridge is often shared with model flyers, please allow them space to fly.
XC Flying
If you intend to fly XC make sure you have an airmap and know the position of the Danger Areas. As with local flying, airspace concessions may be available on a particular day. To understand what these are read the Concession Guide. https://www.avonhgpg.co.uk/airspaces/westbury
Note that if tracking east, the danger area extends further north in that direction.
Top Landing
Top landings should be made to the east of the long barrow on a hang glider, note that they can be difficult in lighter winds due to the slope. Paragliders can land anywhere on top. Be especially careful if this area contains sheep.
Land well clear in front of the long barrow. The area behind it may be turbulent.
Bottom Landing
Remember, no deliberate top to bottom flights please.
Slope landing early on the Bratton site is possible for paragliders - if a top landing is not possible. The higher up the slope and further to the west the better. Watch out for shrubs, rabbit holes and tree stumps. Walk up the spur at the western end of the slope, using the footpath that rises up the spur from the road at the bottom.
We have no permission to land in the field below the slope, but if you do have to bottom land please use the set-aside strip. Avoid landing in any crops. Hang gliders need to make an early decision to fly to the emergency landing fields used for the White Horse take off.
Please avoid landing in any of the fields to the East as they may contain horses /livestock.
Additional Info
When the winds are NNW it may be possible and safe for pilots to use both Bratton and WWH take offs, and in such conditions the whole extent of the site becomes flyable. For other wind directions you should choose which take off to use and take care to assessing true wind direction. Just because people others are flying from a particular take off does not mean that it is safe for you to join them – always conduct your own assessment or ask advice from a local coach.
CAUTION - During the day all pilots should monitor changes in wind direction and act appropriately.
• If the wind is west of NNW there is a risk of rotor on Bratton from behind the face of the White Horse and consideration should be given to taking off or landing there. Conversely if the wind is east of NNW then there is a risk the White Horse take-off and bowl will be in rotor.
- If the wind is from the North, the slope to the West of the White Horse may well be working, but is still best accessed by gaining height from the Bratton side and then flying across well out from the White Horse bowl. In these conditions, taking off from the White Horse take off is not advisable.
**Flying Bratton when wind is East of North. **
The best wind direction for Bratton is NNW-N. However, pilots will fly Bratton in winds East of North with caution.
If the wind goes further East from NNE there is a risk that Bratton will become turbulent with rotor forming from the Eastern end of the site. Bear in mind that the Eastern end of Bratton is a spur with the deep Combe Bottom behind. If flying in winds East of North we strongly recommend you exercise caution, be mindful of true wind direction and if it is veering beyond NNE we advise pilots to safely land.
