Paragliding Whangaparaoa North Face Army Bay

Whangaparaoa, New Zealand This site is located at the end of Whangaparaoa Peninsula, primarily within Shakespeare Regional Park. To get there, take State Highway 1 to just south of Orewa, then turn right and head east, following the signs for Shakespeare Regional Park. Army Bay is the most frequently flown site in this area. It offers nice evening lift, but be aware that wind speed and direction can be very changeable. For takeoff, use the large grassy area towards the cliff top, just after the last house on the left side at the park entrance. In dry conditions, you can drive up to the clifftop under the Pohutukawa trees. The takeoff spot is just to the left side of these trees, almost in front of them. Note that there is no fence between the takeoff area and the cliff edge, just gorse. Landing is best done in the car park or on the beach in front of the car park at the eastern end of the cliff. Be cautious, as wind speed can be much higher here than at the takeoff point. Avoid flying too far back in stronger winds if you intend to land on or in front of the car park. If the wind gets too strong while flying, a safe landing is possible in front of the cliff to the east side of the takeoff area (only at low tide) or way behind the car park on the flats in the wetland. The ideal wind direction for this site is north. The site radio channel is Channel 20 - 476.900MHz. Paragliding at this site requires a PG2 rating plus 20 hours of flight experience. Takeoff here needs some practice, as it is a cliff launch with little wind to help inflate the canopy. In weak conditions, the wing fills only when you get within about a meter of the cliff edge. In strong conditions, be especially careful as the wind can fill the canopy suddenly, which needs to be controlled to avoid being lifted and then collapsing the wing. Do not fly this site if the wind is coming more from the east than the northwest tip of the army area you can see, as it becomes too turbulent. The flight ceiling is 2,500 feet ASL. Free access is available to this site. For more information, you can contact the site monitor, Stefan Sebregts, at 027 225 2255. Tony Turner achieved a notable flight from this site to Big Manly Beach in 2007. For more details, visit: - [Cloudbase](https://www.cloudbase.org.nz/site-guide/flying-site-whangaparaoa-army-bay) - [Parawait](https://parawait.org/sites/whangaparaoa-army-bay/) - [YouTube Video]( )