Kiona PG Launch

• Wind directionNNW (340°) → NE (50°)
• Ideal speed5–14 mph
• Upper limits≤ 17 mph base · gusts ≤ 20

Kiona is the Tri-Cities (TC Freefly club) site on Kiona Ridge / Red Mountain near Benton City, WA. The ridge is N-facing; the local club site guide lists the primary working direction as North, and the site has four launches running east-to-west: PG (easternmost), Dead Dog, Saddle, and HG. PG launch works best in N to NE flow, with E acceptable as an edge/cross condition (matches the N/NE/E orientation hint). Difficulty rated Easy-Moderate. Hazards from the club guide: collapse risk when getting low in the ravine just east of the PG spine; mild over-the-back (OTB) rotor turbulence; strong thermals can occur (thermal sources at the PG bowl, Dead Dog spine, and HG spine/bowl). Best smooth-air window is the wind-assisted glassoff a few hours before sunset until sundown (smooth, stable, floaty air); mid-day can be thermic/strong. Access: 4x4 and good ground clearance recommended to reach PG, Dead Dog, and HG launches; the Saddle is reachable by 2WD. Landing only at the Trailhead and Bailout LZs (Anelare winery property is off-limits). No explicit numeric wind-speed or gust limits are published in the club guide, so the speed range/gust figures are inferred from typical PG ridge-soaring thresholds, not from the source. Live monitoring: TC Freefly runs an on-site weather station and a Kiona-specific experimental weather model on their weather page.