Rainbow Valley - West Patterson
📍 Arizona , Maricopa County · Nearest city: Buckeye (26 km)
11 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 300 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
Lat / Lng:
33.18890, -112.41600Loading real-time wind…
Takeoff orientations
NNEESE
SSWWNW
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
☀️ Sun times (local · America/Phoenix)
Best flying hours: thermals start ~2h after sunrise, peak at solar noon, glass-off from golden hour
Sunrise: 05:51
Solar noon: 12:28
Golden hour: 18:05 (last thermal + glass-off)
Sunset: 19:05
Day: 13.2 h daylight hours
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 0 | Low |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.00 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.38 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
Four launch sites allow always towing into wind, regardless of what the current wind direction is. This means that the site is flyable year-round, as long as it's not too windy, or raining (which it rarely does in Arizona) If you come fly with the Arizona Tow Group, then winch fees will be $40 per day, tow count unlimited.
Nearby sites
Rainbow Valley - East Patterson (11) · Rainbow Valley - North Bullard (20) · South mountain (17) · Shaw Butte (12) · Houser Rd - Towing (47) · Mingus (11)
Information derived from public data (ParaglidingEarth, kk7). Before flying: contact local pilots, check the METAR of the nearest airport and review today's forecast.