Westbury is a public site with lots of public doing everything from kiting to model flying so avoid putting them at risk when flying low or landing.
The kiters who fly on the large grass area behind the car park are generally very considerate about our operations. Hang gliders are easily visible when coming into land on the back area and the kiters will stop still or pull their kites down for them. Paragliders can surprise them as we can appear to suddenly be among them without warning. They ask if, should we head over the back for a car park area landing, that we should out to them so they can take action to avoid any collisions. If you have the height, fly over them and let them see you are landing. Kites fly at about 80 feet above the ground.
The Modellers will fly on the front of the slope with model gliders, and rarely, with an electric powered model over the back of the hill. In a westerly they may fly above the horse and in a north wind they will fly at the far eastern end of the Bratton fort. They have as much right as we do to be there so we should probably try to give them a clear piece of airspace around them to enjoy their hobby. Also it would avoid getting hit by a model!
SITE RULES...
Landings - make sure you know where you can and must not land.
BOMBING OUT - There is only one field we are allowed to bottom land in. It is the very large square field in front of the horse bowl area. We are expected to only land there if we have no other landing choice - i.e. an emergency landing. The Avon Club say, "if you can't stay up you shouldn't take off." The reason for this unfriendly situation is that the tenant farmer frankly doesn't like us much. He uses the field's grass crop for winter feed and will get hot under the collar if we land in this field when his grass is getting long and almost ready to cut. So if you can try side landing instead of going down.
SIDE LANDINGS - When flying the horse bowl and it's western slope be aware that side landings should only be attempted on the grass around and in front of the white horse. The western slope is an SSSI - it has a bit of grass that the biologist-types want us to avoid standing on. The best place to side land in the horse bowl in in front of the horse's nose, on the main spur but do not land on the little spur to the left of the takeoff area because the tenant farmer gets upset.
When flying the Bratton Fort (i.e. in a north wind) you should side land as the field below is not for landing in. However, safety comes first and if you get more than half way down the hill don't try to side land as you will probably get hurt. Continue to the bottom of the hill and land facing east in the 'set-aside' area between the cropped field and the hill. Pack up there and walk back up - the best way is to continue walking east along the hill and at the end of the field there is a public footpath with a gentle walk up.
PARAGLIDERS & HANG-GLIDERS TOGETHER - We fly among each other usually without problem. In lighter winds or thermic conditions a hang-glider pilot may find himself getting low on the ridge and will then want to top land. If he bottom lands his day is effectively over. Under these conditions paraglider pilots should either land or stay well out of the hangie's way until he has gained height for a safe landing. Give him ten minutes to try to get to a safe height to land. He will need between 100 and 150 feet to make it safely to the car park. If after this time he is still not making headway it is reasonable to fly again and let him go to a bottom landing.
This is not a rule as such, as it is unenforcable, but it is something that has always been done at Westbury for safety's sake. Hang-gliders need to take a long path along the lifting ridge to gain height when it gets light so please let them have the slope for a few minutes when they desperately need to top land.