Plaine Joux (Passy)
📍 Rhone-Alpes , Departement de la Haute-Savoie · Nearest city: Passy (5 km)
66 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 1353 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
45.94960, 6.73970Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-04-19 16:02 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Día volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~1269 m, viento 13 km/h.
base ~1269m · wind 13 km/hDía muy favorable para XC, base de cúmulos ~1483 m, viento 10 km/h.
base ~1483m · wind 10 km/hDía volable, condiciones decentes, base de cúmulos ~2205 m, viento 9 km/h.
base ~2205m · wind 9 km/hComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
Wind chart — altitude × time
Color: green < 20 km/h · yellow 20-30 · red >40. Arrows point to where the wind is blowing. Each column = 1 hour. 4 altitudes: 10m surface, 80m first thermal, 1500m (850 hPa) thermal cruise, 3000m (700 hPa) top.
Wind next days (Open-Meteo model)
Wind rose 10m — 2026-04-20
| Date | Morning 08-12h | Midday 12-16h | Evening 16-20h | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-20 | 4 km/h W | gust 13 | 11 km/h SW | gust 20 | 6 km/h SW | gust 19 |
| 2026-04-21 | 3 km/h SW | gust 11 | 7 km/h W | gust 20 | 7 km/h NW | gust 23 |
Colors: green < 15 km/h (optimal) · orange 15-25 · red >25 (flying not recommended). ⚠️ = shear >25 km/h between 10m and 850 hPa (potentially broken thermals).
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 7 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.83 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.71 | Slope faces south in northern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
At Plaine Joux. Wide take off, nicely prepared. Can be windy the afternoon (valley brise)
Rules and notes
The cliff behind the takeoff is part of the national park - it is not allowed to fly closer than 300m from it. The cliff more to the to the west is OK to fly close. At both landing sites the approach should be the standard 'C' approach, please respect this rule as the sky over the landing fields, especially Chedde, is often very crowded. At landing sites the kiting should be interrupted when pilots are on the approach. At the Marlioz landing site the hang gliders have got the prioriity on the approach. ATTN: if flying towards Chamonix/ Mont Blanc: observe flight restrictions: no TO, landing and overflight! (>> see pix) > France - LF R30B: July-August - LF R30A: permanent > Italy: 4.8. - 15.9.2016
Pilot comments
Chedde landing site is usually more crowded, higher chances of getting shuttles from there.
Nearby sites
Frioland (64) · Platé (60) · Barmerousse (53) · Varan dit "Verdun" (61) · Saint-Gervais-les-Bains - Plancert (49) · Varan dit "Pobu" (55)