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Green Bay

Brief history

The waters around the north coast have long been contested, this area was a battleground during 8 months of the Sino-French war in 1884 when Courbet lead the French Navy to invade Keelung. Over 500 French are buried in the nearby cemetary. Green Bay (aka Fei Tsui Wan) is a bay on Taiwan's north coast, not far from Keelung. Keelung's climate might sometimes remind you of London, so good flying days are precious and come when least expected. Preferred wind direction is northeast, though many who should know better will fly in a southerly wind.

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Flight

The launch area is about 20 minutes drive from the LZ up a decent ashphalt road through a housing estate. The launch itself is big and grassy and the wind over the hill is often glass smooth, easy launching and ideal for practising your ground-handling technique. There is a large area of astroturf over the hill which helps with line snags, but also covers some pretty deep holes and ruts, so it's easy to trip. The usual LZ is below the hill and is difficult to see until airborn. It's large enough, but restricted with power lines in back and some walls and fences to catch the unwary. It goes without saying you had better go walk the LZ before flying, and Novices should land on the beach. The area in front of the resort is closed to the non-paying public, but you can land there and avoid paying their (exhorbitant) entrance fees. Don't fly over the resort or do acro over the swimming pool etc., they hate it.

Soaring

Soaring is possible when the onshore breeze is above 10kmh and in a direction between NNE and E. There is a Patriot missile base right behind launch, so don't overfly it. There is thermal activity on days when the wind is lighter and unstable airmasses are present. There are often thunderstorms over Taipei on such days. Cloudbase is typically about 700 to 800m on a flying day, zero otherwise. On a perfect day it's possible to cross the valley to the south and fly the ridge towards Keelung. It's not advised to fly when there is any southerly component in the wind.

Green Bay launch area, looking to the NE.

View back at the launch, looking to the west.

Landing area, looking to the south-east.

Issues

There is a Patriot missile battery on top of the hill, and an ammo dump at the bottom, don't overfly them as it really annoys the soldiers and they make life miserable for the club as a consequence. They may mistake you for a communist spy and shoot at you. You are also not supposed to overfly the power station in the next bay, even if the thermals are tempting.
It's worth taking a look at the obstacles around the LZ. First is the power line that runs behind the area which makes setting up a figure-eight approach quite tricky. You'll notice the very high wall behind the LZ which makes a huge rotor to nail you if you decide you don't have enough height to cross the power lines. Then there's the building on the south of the LZ, the corrugated iron fence behind that (in another rotor area), and the rough stone with the broken glass on top that runs off to the north.

Weather and season

This site is most reliable during the summer months when the winds are light and south-westerly, though my favorite days are those with light winds and more thermal activity. Come fall the site is shut down as the prevailing north-easterly gets too strong from about October onwards. Best flying season - May through October.

Suitability for beginners?

The landing area is not directly visible from the launch which in and of itself makes this site unsuitable for beginners. On the positive side, the 3m high edge of the landing area is perfect for ground handling practise and short hops down to the beach.
The launch is usually occupied by force majuere by some groups who make a living from paragliding, whether it's through flying tandems, giving 'lessons' or selling equipment. How they treat everyone seems to depend on what the business relationship is. If you want to learn at this site take note that it's a busy site, people fly recklessly, and those on launch doling out the free advice may not have your best interests at heart. The cry of "Go go go" is more often than not followed by a pratfall, but hey, the crowd loves it. They may even get out of your way long enough for you to take off.
If you manage to make it off the hill the landing area poses some challenges of it's own. Of course the beach is a huge a perfect landing area for students, being unobstructed, large and soft. Sadly the coaches may not like you to land on it because of the sand that will collect in the glider and they may try to get you to land instead in the official LZ.
If the launch rates as Novice and requires guidance, then the LZ is properly rated as Advanced, though the beach itself is suitable for Novices.

Other notes

Local pilots are generally quite friendly (though they have their cliques) and the launch area is relatively clean and unspoiled by onlookers. The local tandem pilots and touts are quite aggressive in both marketing services and defending 'their' turf. Night and day difference between weekdays and weekends, especially Sunday afternoons. Ridge rules are not being ignored, they were never taught, they are a figment of your imagination.

Listen only to the Colonel. Everyone else, just nod your head and say "hsi, hsi, hsi". Don't let the tandem whores bully you.

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