ROCHESTER AREA FLYERS / FLIGHT DECK

BRISTOL MOUNTAIN

South Bristol, New York
Mountain soaring site · about 900 ft AGL

QR code for the Bristol Mountain flight deckPERMANENT SITE QR / NO PILOT DATA
VERIFY TODAY'S SITE STATUSOFFICIAL RAF CHANNELS ARE THE SOURCE OF TRUTH

FLIGHT DAY COMMAND · LIVE OPERATIONS

ONE SCREEN. ZERO GUESSING.

Site status, planning evidence, people, emergency guidance, and your next action—kept together at the point of decision.

bristolCONNECTING…
01 · SITE + STATUSbristolSTATUS UNVERIFIEDNo current timestamp—verify through the controlling club.
02 · READINESS GATECHECK-IN PAUSED
  • Access status · verify
  • Compliance · unavailable
  • Weather + field conditions · review instruments and observe
  • Personal readiness · sign in, verify eligibility, use judgment
These are separate controls. No single green item authorizes launch.
03 · CONDITIONSWEATHER + SITE INSTRUMENTS

Forecast fit, observations, gusts, hazards, and field evidence.

OPEN INSTRUMENT PANEL →
06 · EMERGENCY + SITE GUIDECALL 911 FIRST

Call 911 with the Bristol/Stid Hill location. Launch access may be limited to foot or ATV; send someone to meet responders.

OFFLINE REFERENCESITE GUIDE ↗

LIVE FLIGHT DECK

VERIFY STATUS BEFORE FLYING

No Rochester Area Flyers status message has been posted. Use the controlling club’s official channels and complete the required briefing.

Awaiting today’s controlling-club update
SITE COORDINATIONVerify with controlling club

No current public coordinator record is available.

Operations must publish and keep this record current.
EMERGENCY / OFFLINECall 911 first.

Call 911 with the Bristol/Stid Hill location. Launch access may be limited to foot or ATV; send someone to meet responders.

Open offline-ready site reference →
CHECK IN / CHECK OUT →

FLIGHT WATCH · VOLUNTARY REGIONAL PLANNING

What is developing at Bristol Mountain?

0maybe0on the way

No one has shared a voluntary plan for this site yet.

Flight Intent is planning information only. It is not physical check-in, eligibility, access permission, site opening, flight authorization, or a safety decision.

COMPARING WEATHER MODELS…HRRR · GFS · ECMWF · ICON · GEM · NWS · WORKERS AI

TODAY'S ENTRY POINT

Check before you fly.

A gentle-slope west-facing slot with ridge and thermal soaring across from Bristol Mountain Ski Area.

Good direction rangeSW–WNW (225–290°)
Best directionSW–W (225–270°)
Controlled guidanceStatic outage fallback
Pilot requirementH3/P3; H2/P2 only under direct supervision by a site-familiar H3/P3+
LaunchTrees border the slot. Access is at 5580 Stid Hill Road, followed by a rocky/muddy quarter-mile trail; carpool and leave emergency access clear.
LandingPrimary LZ is the ski-area outer parking lot/adjacent field, about 0.5 mile away with a published 2.9:1 minimum glide.

STRUCTURED SITE BRIEFING

Know the whole site.

Official guide updated January 9, 2026
Occasional November–December hunting-season closure; verify the RAF calendar and current club status.

Weather + terrain

  • Published ideal wind about 6 mph; maximum 12 mph; published gust allowance 6 mph.
  • Narrow-valley rotor can develop from airflow over the ski-area ridge.
  • Launch may turn katabatic in late summer afternoons; the valley LZ can be turbulent and switch direction quickly.

Access + stewardship

  • Current RAF and USHPA membership required.
  • New-to-site pilots require a site briefing.
  • Replace the access rope as found, drive slowly, carpool, and keep the road clear for responders.
  • No mini-wings; dogs must be leashed and kept clear of flight operations.

Hazards

  • Trees beside and below the launch slot.
  • Major road and powerlines along the east side of the LZ.
  • Trees/rotor west of the LZ, wooden posts, a large oak, and a hard-to-see electric horse fence south of the field.

Pilot requirements

  • Use USHPA operating limitations for rating and wing.
  • Move toward the LZ side of the valley soon after sinking below launch.
  • Confirm current site opening and seasonal status before traveling.

Landing facts

  • LZ about 1000 ft MSL; launch about 1900–1920 ft MSL.
  • Emergency responders may need to approach launch by foot or ATV.
  • Set up approaches with changing valley wind and leave generous obstacle clearance.

Source control

This summary supports planning. The current controlling-club guide, officers, landowner permission, site briefing and conditions in the field remain authoritative. Do not fly in rain or thunderstorms.

Read the complete official guide ↗

DRIVE / MEET / RETRIEVE

Directions for Bristol Mountain.

Directions do not grant access. Verify current RAF status, permission, briefing, parking and vehicle procedures before traveling. Occasional November–December hunting-season closure; verify the RAF calendar and current club status.

Landing zone

Bristol Mountain primary LZ

Bristol Mountain Ski Resort, 5662 Route 64, Canandaigua, NY 14424

Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Map destinations are planning aids. Follow the current official site guide if its access route, gate, meeting point or parking instructions differ.

EMERGENCY

Call 911 with the Bristol/Stid Hill location. Launch access may be limited to foot or ATV; send someone to meet responders.

Give the site name, exact location, access route, number of patients and known hazards. Emergency details must also remain printed at the physical site for use without cellular service.