Days Out NI
Air sports Magilligan

Magilligan Coastal Paragliding Site

A club coastal soaring site for licensed pilots — not a turn-up-and-fly day out.

4 photos
MembersPilots / club members only — not bookable…
No public costContact the club
MagilliganCoastal cliffs below Binevenagh, near Mag…
Get directionsOfficial website
Flying siteWhat it is
No public costCost
Pilots onlyLimits
MembersAccess
Weather-ledConditions

Magilligan Coastal Paragliding Site — A club coastal soaring site for licensed pilots — not a turn-up-and-fly day out.

  • What you can do: Nothing as a one-off visitor — qualified UHPC members fly it; the public may watch pilots from the road on a good wind day.
  • Who can go: Pilots / club members only — not bookable by the public.
  • Weather: Highly weather-dependent — flying needs a suitable westerly sea breeze.
  • Booking: Not applicable — no public bookings; to learn, book with an accredited school.
  • Cost: No public cost; UHPC membership is about £24/year for pilots (check current prices).
Plan your visit

What this site actually is

Magilligan is a coastal ridge-soaring site controlled by UHPC, the Ulster Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, who hold the landowner permission and maintain the rules for it. Pilots launch into a westerly sea breeze and soar the cliffs below Binevenagh, with the Foyle, Donegal and the Magilligan beaches below. It is not an experience you can book — there is no operator selling flights here. To fly it you need to be a UHPC member with the appropriate BHPA pilot rating, and visiting pilots are expected to check in and read the site rules before flying. If you just want to look, the right wind day can give you pilots working the ridge above the coast.

Members-only site Qualified pilots only UHPC / BHPA club Coastal ridge soaring Westerly sea breeze Watch from the road
Good to know before you go:

Flying here runs on the weather, so slots move at short notice — take the reschedule, it’s part of the sport. Some of the sites and clubs listed on Days Out NI are for members and qualified pilots rather than walk-in visitors, so check what’s on offer before you set off. And check the age, weight and health limits before you book: they’re set by the aircraft, not by anyone being fussy.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 📱A bookingAlmost everything up here runs on a slot you’ve arranged ahead — clubs included.
  • 🧥Warm layersIt’s colder up there than it is on the ground, and colder again waiting on the airfield.
  • 🗓️A flexible dayFlights move with the wind. Keep the day loose and you’ll enjoy it far more.
  • 📷A cameraThe view is the whole point — coast, lough and mountain, all in one lap.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
members-only free-flight club site
What you can do
Nothing as a one-off visitor — qualified UHPC members fly it; the public may watch pilots from the road on a good wind day
Public access
Pilots / club members only — not bookable by the public
Booking
Not applicable — no public bookings; to learn, book with an accredited school
Weather
Highly weather-dependent — flying needs a suitable westerly sea breeze
Cost
No public cost; UHPC membership is about £24/year for pilots (check current prices)
Location / airfield / site
Coastal cliffs below Binevenagh, near Magilligan Point, on the Causeway Coast
Address
Magilligan, Co. Londonderry
Questions

Before you go

Can anyone go, or is it members only?
Pilots / club members only — not bookable by the public
What actually happens on the day?
Nothing as a one-off visitor — qualified UHPC members fly it; the public may watch pilots from the road on a good wind day
Do I need to book?
Not applicable — no public bookings; to learn, book with an accredited school
What happens if the weather turns?
Highly weather-dependent — flying needs a suitable westerly sea breeze
How much does it cost?
No public cost; UHPC membership is about £24/year for pilots (check current prices)
Getting there

Magilligan Coastal Paragliding Site is at Magilligan, Co. Londonderry. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around MagilliganSee what else is close by More air sports across NIFlights, gliders, helicopters and flying sites
The story

About it

UHPC is the Ulster Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club, a BHPA-registered club founded as the Ulster Hang Gliding Club in 1975 and now covering paragliding, paramotor and powered hang gliding across Northern Ireland.

The club manages over 40 flying sites for every wind direction, with the coastal sites near Magilligan and Binevenagh among them. Site access and rules are held in a members' sites guide, and pilots flying cross-country must carry current airspace information and hold a BHPA Pilot rating.