We have a punchy spring season in March & April, summer June & July are typically too hot and soupy to be very good (but can be great if there’s a drought!), and fall flying brings beautiful leaf changing views but light thermals. It’s best to come for at least a full week, as the flying is not very consistent – two days in a row is great, and we typically have at least one day a week that’s flyable. 

 Thermals are generally between 200 and 600 fpm, quite small in size. There’s usually cumulus clouds to guide the flying as well, and many local birds. I usually check windy.com for Dunlap, TN, and look at all models for  congruence. We don’t have one “most reliable” model in our area, so look at all of them and take the similarities as most likely. 

Favorable wind is best for NW up to 8mph on the ground, or can also take NE up to 6 or so. The site can also take straight north but not very well. I usually launch around 1pm, but some days it turns on earlier so it can benefit from an earlier arrival. 

At Tree Toppers, there is space to camp up top on the launch. It’s free to camp, has a beautiful view, and the space includes a hot water bathroom with a shower you can use.

If you need a house or hotel, it’ll cost about $75/night.

It’s best to rent a car for a visit, as the launch is about 45 minutes from the nearest airport, Chattanooga, and it’s fairly rural. Car rental varies, roughly $25/day. You can also fly into Atlanta and drive up, it’s a 2.5h easy drive. 

Pilots of all skill levels are able to fly at Henson’s Gap. A current USHPA membership is required along with a waiver and small fee paid on the TTT website. Local members will likely ask you, so it’s good to go ahead and pay it to support the club, it’s reasonable.