Linlu Mountain International Gliding Base

　　The Linlu Mountain International Gliding Base is situated at the mountaintop of Linlu Mountain, over 1,600 meters above sea level. The winding mountain road leads to the summit, where the vast scenery of the Taihang Grand Canyon and the Linzhou Basin can be fully appreciated. It truly embodies the poetic sentiment of "standing atop the peak, all other mountains seem small."

　　Linlu Mountain has now become an international gliding base that is "first in Asia and top-class in the world." "Using sports as a platform and tourism as the main act," the annual Linzhou International Gliding Tourism Festival has become another new project launched by Henan Province to promote opening-up and develop the tourism industry.

　　Overview of the Linlu Mountain International Gliding Base

　　In 1987, Zhang Jie, the then president of Anyang Aviation School, and his friend Li Kaihe visited Linlu Mountain and concluded that it was an ideal site for gliding. In 1989, Lin County invited Wu Yingcheng, the then chairman of the National Paragliding Association, to conduct a site survey, further confirming its potential. In November of the same year, José Hale, the then Secretary-General of the International Aeronautical Federation, who was invited to conduct testing and trial flights on-site, praised it as the "No. 1 gliding base in Asia and among the best in the world." Subsequently, athletes from Japan, South Korea, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Iceland, the United States, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Taiwan (China), the Northeast region, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Sichuan, and others have conducted numerous gliding flights here. They unanimously agreed that the Linlu Mountain Gliding Base has multiple advantages, including favorable geographic conditions, excellent landing sites, beautiful scenic spots, and well-developed transportation and communication facilities. With the support of the Anyang Aviation School under the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, it is regarded as one of the most ideal and best gliding sites in Asia and the world.

　　The Linzhou Linlu Mountain International Gliding Base is located on the eastern side of Linlu Mountain, where the mountain elevation ranges from 1,000 to 1,700 meters, while the elevation within the basin is 280 meters. The flight area spans 50 kilometers from east to west and 150 kilometers from north to south. Among them, Launch Site No. 1 (Nanjiaochang, Shibanyan Township) sits at an elevation of 1,210 meters and is suitable for east and north winds; Launch Site No. 2 (Jiaoding Mountain, Chengjiao Township) is at 1,100 meters and is suitable for east, south, and north winds; Launch Site No. 3 (Tiantai Mountain, Heshun Town) is at 710 meters and is suitable for west winds; Launch Site No. 4 is located within the territory of Wulong Town. Among these, Launch Sites No. 1, 2, and 3 can be accessed directly by car. The summits have large parking lots, flat terrain, and favorable natural conditions.

　　The base is suitable for gliding flights throughout the year except during the windy season from February to March. From April to October, there are good thermal updrafts and dynamic updrafts, with an average updraft speed of 2–4 meters per second, which can reach 5–8 meters per second between May and July. The base has a continental climate, with updrafts extending up to 2,000–3,000 meters, and sometimes over 4,000 meters in March and April. Most updrafts come from cumulus clouds, which are easy to locate and accompanied by a moderate amount of cloud cover, mainly consisting of fair-weather cumulus clouds.

　　The base features distinct landmarks for easy navigation, with open and flat landing areas connected by roads for convenient recovery.