Flying Site
Take off:
Kijabe is a 600 meters high (2600 amsl) isolated conical mountain attached to the North-East bank of Rift Valley. A 2 km long saddle connects it with North-East highland plateau. There is a South take off (0°54’37.71″S 36°32’47.68″E) for 3-4 wings, a South-West take off next to it for 2-3 wings and a North take off (0°54’30.77″S 36°32’43.36″E) for 3-4 wings 200 meters away. Landings are the numerous big fields at the bottom, along the road between Mai Mahiu and Naivasha.
The official Landing Zone is behind Cornerstone Preparatory Academy (0°54’12.81″S 36°31’15.87″E).
In summer (May-September), Kijabe is exposed to the Southerly winds, which are channeled along Rift Valley. Winds can be strong and clouds can be low.
In winter (December-March), Kijabe is slightly away from the typical North-East winds, which fall down from Nairobi highlands. This gives 1-3 hours take off window, before their increase in the afternoon.
(1) In winter, the day starts with the catabatic Northerlies from Abardere mountain, the adjacent plateau and Naivasha area toward the lower South parts of Rift Valley (Suswa, Magadi, Natron). The North take off starts working about 10-11 am and can be used with light thermals around take off area or near the repaired high-voltage electric poles (0°54’17.11″S 36°32’7.69″E). A high-voltage power line runs South of Kijabe hill, along the rounded edge of a 300 meters high terrace, with several thermal triggers.
(2) About 11am-1pm the South and South-West take offs start working. The first thermals are 2-300 meters in front of take off (2), starting low over the smooth slope below, without obvious thermal triggering features. The thermals there are usually big enough, so enter them properly before turning in them. If, these thermals don’t work, then fly South-West or West and look for thermals over the high-voltage power lines or the main tarmac road at the bottom. Low saves are quite common.
(3) About 12am – 2 pm, the typical North-Easterly winds start affecting Kijabe hill. The anabatic upslope breeze may still allow taking off from the South or South-West launch,but the North-East is felt well outside outside the hill envelop and and usually washes thermals away. The best solution is to go downwind, in the smooth flow around the rounded conical hill. Further downwind the 2 flows split by the hill meet again and form the rear stagnation line, which nests some thermals (3). Often, this is around the repaired high-voltage pole (1), which triggers thermals in Northerly winds. Mind, that the two converging flows can meet at different areas at different altitudes, so the thermalling requires several upwind-downwind adjustments, before finding a classic vertical climb. This lee side thermalling is not turbulent, because of the rounded conical shape of Kijabe hill nearby, but still mind, that thermals quickly become 3-4 m/s strong.
(4) In all above scenarios with Northerly, Southerly and North-Easterly winds, after the initial climbs it is worth flying back over the conical Kijabe hill, as several thermals usually trigger from there (4). The saddle or the area, where it connects to the highland plateau (4), also trigger thermals, which are generously visualized by the cumulus clouds above.
