Days Out NI
Air sports Hilltown

Spelga Pass Paragliding Site

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

3 photos
MembersPilots only — not a book-and-go experience
Free to watchContact the club
HilltownTop of the Spelga Pass, Mourne Mountains,…
Get directionsOfficial website
Flying siteWhat it is
Free to watchCost
Pilots onlyLimits
MembersAccess
Wind-dependentConditions

Spelga Pass Paragliding Site — A Mournes ridge-soaring site for club pilots — not a turn-up-and-fly day out.

  • What you can do: Qualified UHPC pilots fly; the public can only watch from the road in the right wind.
  • Who can go: Pilots only — not a book-and-go experience.
  • Weather: Wind-direction sensitive; flying only in the right conditions.
  • Booking: Not applicable — you cannot book a flight here.
  • Cost: Free to watch; UHPC membership around £24/year for qualified pilots.
Plan your visit

Who can actually fly here

Spelga is a UHPC club site, which means it is open to club members who are trained and qualified paraglider or hang-glider pilots. A member of the public cannot rock up and have a go. The club holds permission from the landowner and maintains a sites guide of rules for each site, including Spelga, that members follow. If you want to learn to fly, the proper first step is a Club Pilot novice course with one of the accredited local training schools — UHPC offers new students a free year of club membership once they start training. Only after qualifying do pilots get to use sites like this one.

Members-only site Qualified pilots only Not bookable Wind-direction sensitive Mournes ridge soaring Watch from the road in the right wind
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 site
What you can do
Qualified UHPC pilots fly; the public can only watch from the road in the right wind
Public access
Pilots only — not a book-and-go experience
Booking
Not applicable — you cannot book a flight here
Weather
Wind-direction sensitive; flying only in the right conditions
Cost
Free to watch; UHPC membership around £24/year for qualified pilots
Location / airfield / site
Top of the Spelga Pass, Mourne Mountains, above Hilltown
Parking
Lay-bys near Spelga Dam
Address
Spelga Pass, Hilltown, Co. Down
Questions

Before you go

Can anyone go, or is it members only?
Pilots only — not a book-and-go experience
What actually happens on the day?
Qualified UHPC pilots fly; the public can only watch from the road in the right wind
Do I need to book?
Not applicable — you cannot book a flight here
What happens if the weather turns?
Wind-direction sensitive; flying only in the right conditions
How much does it cost?
Free to watch; UHPC membership around £24/year for qualified pilots
Getting there

Spelga Pass Paragliding Site is at Spelga Pass, Hilltown, Co. Down. Lay-bys near Spelga Dam. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

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

About it

The Ulster Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club traces back to 1975 and was the first paragliding club in Northern Ireland registered with the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA). It runs a network of inland and coastal sites across the province, each catering to different wind directions, and Spelga is one of its well-used inland Mourne sites.

Club sites are flown under permission from landowners and governed by a members' sites guide. That structure keeps flying safe and lawful, which is exactly why access is limited to trained, qualified club pilots rather than the general public.