Canaan Valley

• Wind directionSSW (200°) → WSW (250°)
• Ideal speed6–13 mph
• Upper limits≤ 15 mph base · gusts ≤ 20

SW-facing launch at the 4,400 ft summit of Weiss Knob, Canaan Valley Resort State Park (one of only two US sites accessible by chairlift). The launch faces the prevailing SW wind over Red Creek Valley. The MHGA (Mountaineer Hang Gliding Association) Risk Management Plan sets EXPLICIT hard limits: takeoff is prohibited when wind direction is greater than 290 deg or less than 190 deg (so the usable arc is 190-290, centered on the ~225 deg SW launch), and prohibited when average wind exceeds 15 mph OR gusts exceed 20 mph. Pilots are also told not to fly when the wind crosses launch at more than 45 degrees, which reinforces the 190-290 marginal band. Ideal is a steady SW (roughly 200-250 deg) cross-to-on launch. Access/rules: USHPA membership required, P-2 minimum rating, signed liability waiver (available at mountaineerflyers.org), and scheduling launch times in advance with MHGA. Chairlift fee ~$7; lift runs mid-Dec to mid-March and Memorial Day to end of October. Paragliders only - hang gliders cannot ride the chairlift. Best/most favorable conditions are afternoons in summer and fall in the Potomac Highlands. Two nearby family-farm LZs are set up. Hazard note: high elevation (4,222-4,400 ft) means thinner air and stronger thermals/turbulence on summer afternoons; respect the gust limit.