Signal Hill Bench
📍 Western Cape , City of Cape Town · Nearest city: Cape Town (2 km)
50 XC score / 100 · takeoff at 295 m · 📍 View on map
Coordinates and external links
-33.92140, 18.39760Forecast next days
Updated: 2026-05-02 16:24 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo · Thermal window 10:00–18:00 local time
Very favorable day for XC, cloud base ~690 m, wind 18 km/h, precipitation 1.1 mm.
base ~690m · wind 18 km/h · precip 1.1mmVery favorable day for XC, cloud base ~356 m, wind 17 km/h, precipitation 1.4 mm.
base ~356m · wind 17 km/h · precip 1.4mmComposite flyability score (CAPE + LI + wind + precip + low clouds). Cross-check with local pilots before flying.
🌬 Daily wind (next days)
Daily summary (10m wind). Full hour × altitude chart is being added progressively.
Takeoff orientations
Green = good orientation · Yellow = possible · Gray = not suitable
🗓️ Best season to fly (2024 climatology)
Monthly climate score: historical avg of temp, wind, rain and cloud cover. Green = optimal month.
⭐ Best month: May (90/100, 19°C, 23mm lluvia) · Worst month: Jul (43/100, 315mm lluvia)
Why this site has thermal potential
| Factor | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot density (5 km) | 3 | Medium |
| Avg thermal probability | 0.88 | Based on thousands of aggregated IGC flights |
| Solar orientation | 0.45 | Slope faces north in southern hemisphere |
| Own flight history | 0.00 | Thermals detected in platform IGC tracks |
Takeoff description
Sports-rated (advanced site) above city of Cape Town for sea-breeze saoraing with some thermals. Easy slope launch. Advanced because wind gradient can increase rapidly and no landing options if blown over. Also, landing if not on top can be difficult due to flying over buildings. DO NOT FLY unless suitably rated and accompanied by experienced local pilot. 'The Point': for NW winds, drive all the way to the end of the road, and park in the large tarred car park. The launch is on the grassed picnic area just to the left of the car park. Any suitable area below the chains just before the car park. 'The Bench' is 1km S along the ridge, and is more suited to W winds. It is accessible from the tar road via a little gravel turnoff and car park. The lay out area is behind the scenic bench.
Nearby sites
Lions Head (Cape Town) (38) · Table Mountain (48) · Constantiaberg (37) · Llandudno (42) · Noordhoek Peak (38) · Kommetjie (42)