Flying Site Information
Revised 20210930
Robin Hastings wrote a nice article "Southern New Mexico - Sampling the offerings of southern New Mexico" that appeared in Volume 50, #4 (July/August 2020) of USHPA Pilot Magazine. (Download PDF)
The two primary RGSA flying sites are the Franklin Mountains in El Paso and Dry Canyon in Alamogordo NM.
The Franklin Mountains State Park is in El Paso, Texas. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has graciously given active members of USHPA permission to launch, land, and fly anywhere within the TPWD Park system (including FMSP), subject to the approval of the local Park Superintendent - AND subject to closely following the regulations and protocols, which include but are not limited to filling a yearly flying permission form and notifying the Superintendent prior to and after each flight. We have three "maintained" launches within FMSP: Agave Hill, Nelson's and North Mount Franklin. "Maintained" is within quotes because those launches are still rocky and snaggy compared to typical California launches. There is no prohibition for launching anywhere within the park, but the terrain and vegetation make that very difficult anywhere other than Agave, Nelson's or North Franklin.
Franklin Mountains State Park - Agave Hill
- Agave Hill Launch 31.913033, -106.506967 , El Paso, TX;
- Main LZ 31.910659, -106.519001, El Paso, TX;
Franklin Mountains State Park - Nelson's Launch
- Nelson's Launch 31.872852, -106.498522, El Paso, TX;
- Alt Nelson's LZ 31.876043,-106.518821, El Paso, TXFranklin Mountains State Park - North Mount Franklin
- North Franklin Launch 31.902917° -106.493700° , El Paso, TX;
- Main LZ 31.910659, -106.519001, El Paso, TX;The Dry Canyon launches are on Forest Service land in the Sacramento Mountains east of Alamogordo, NM. Dry Canyon LZ, aka Cox Field aka Hang Glider Park, is located in Alamgordo, NM. The Medevac helicopter at Gerald Champion Hospital in Alamogordo should be notified whenever launch operations are about to commence, to reduce the risk of midair collisions over the landing zone in Alamogordo. Their phone number is (575) 635-3494.
Dry Canyon
- Robin Hastings Launch (HG, PG)32.927171, -105.885846 Alamogordo NM
- Bo Frazier Launch (PG)32.925986, -105.883702 Alamogordo NM
- LZ 32.928433, -105.945367, Alamogordo NMLa Luz
- La Luz, NM 32.971658° -105.917189° 5,856' MSL 1,100' AGLAnapra Mesa El Paso
- Launch 31.786567° -106.582500° 4,081' MSL 200' AGL
- LZ - either top land, or land directly below (east) of the mesaEast Potrillo Mountains NM
- Torrey Paso launch 31.864917° -107.006817° 4,944' MSL 800' AGL
- LZ 31.86905 -106.99456Guadalupe Ridge NM
- Launch 1,600' AGL, launch 6,000' MSL, H/P3 rating
- PG launch 32.2605710º -104.8963580º
- HG launch 32.2537955º -104.8933776º
- LZ 32.2618089º -104.8919299º
- Camping 32.2614743º -104.8945816ºKilbourne Hole Marr NM
- East Launch 31.968833° -106.953967°, 4,360 MSL 440' AGL (main LZ)
- Main LZ 31.971866° -106.963756°Windy Point Ruidoso NM
- HG launch and start of hike for PG 33.396142° -105.764624° 1,950' AGL LZ 10,000' MSL>
- LZ 33.385098° -105.748773°Lee's Lookout
- Listed as closed on RRRG site. Use Nelson's Launch instead. If you have historical interest in this site contact an RGSA officer.
Contacts for helpful site information
(please text the pilots below, if possible)
Robin Hastings (575) 541-5744 HG
Bill Cummings (575) 541-0803 HG
Steve Crye (915) 412-5769 PG
Lee Boone (915) 256-1772 PG & HG
Wyatt Lines (520) 289-7512
Site Rules
All pilots must abide by our genral site rules. Flying in the Franklin Mountains State Park has additional rules which are enforced by Texas Parks and Wildlife Rangers and Texas Parks and Wildlife Police.Do not fly RGSA sites if you are unwilling or unable to abide by the rules. Those rules come in part from the landowners who permit us to fly there; violating the rules could result in all PG and HG being prohibted at the site.