KALE PARAGLIDING POINT

Due to its unique scenery, the Kale paragliding spot, located 3 km east of Tillo city center, is one of the most preferred visiting points not only in Botan Valley but also in Siirt city. The flight point is located right next to the asphalt road leading to Alkumru Dam and 25 minutes drive from Siirt downtown. The take off point is 1415 meters above sea level and 860 meters above the landing point.

Please click here to see the route that goes from Siirt downtown to the Kale paragliding point. You can also download the maps from the below given links.

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Details of the paragliding spot

Difficulty Level

The Kale paragliding spot is considered the most challenging flight spot in the Botan Valley. Therefore at least P4 and P5 rated pilots can fly. It is not suitable for tandem flights!

Winds and thermals

Take-offs can be done only in east winds because of the direction of the flight spot. These east winds are only seen very early in the morning. When the sun rises, because the cliffs do not warm up enough in the morning sun, strong thermals do not form at the Kale paragliding spot. When the rocks start to warm up, the direction of the wind changes which does not allow the flight.

Flight

Take off: The best time for take off is between 7-8 AM. Since the direction of the wind turns later to the north, it is usually not possible to take off after 8 AM.

Flight: After gaining altitude, those who want to make a cross-country flight may fly towards Tillo downtown located 3 km west or Şirvan downtown 12 km to north. The pilots who prefer to fly over the valley can continue to fly with westerly winds.

Landing: There are two landing points of the Kale paragliding point. The approach should be towards east in both landing points. 925 meters above sea level, the first landing point is located right under the rocky cliff under the flight spot. It is 300 x 500 m wide and has a soft surface. The second landing point is at the bottom of the valley, on the banks of the Botan River. This landing point, which is about 3 km away from the take off point, is also located on a large field with soft surface. However, due to the high-voltage power lines nearby it is necessary to be careful not to be blown away by the wind towards the Alkumru Dam during landing.

Remarks

P4 and P5 pilots can fly early in the morning at Kale, and later make another flight after lunch from Botan paragliding spot just 15 kilometers away from the former. Therefore Botan Valley allows different flights from two different points on the same day. The pilots who would like to fly from Kale are recommended to get in contact with the experienced pilots of the Beron Sports Club who has been flying from the valley for years.