St Catherine's Down (Hoy Monument)

St Catherine's Down is a long chalk ridge on the southern tip of the Isle of Wight, and the Hoy Monument the tall Alexandrian Pillar near its northern summit makes a striking foreground with the whole southern Wight coast, Chale Bay and the Channel spread below. At around 240m it is one of the island's finest viewpoints and a superb landscape for aerial work. It is a caution entry because parts of the down, including land toward St Catherine's Point and Knowles Farm, are National Trust, where take-off is banned, and the monument itself is a listed structure keep well clear and confirm your launch point is on a public right of way or non-Trust access land rather than assuming. Airspace is simple open Class G with no aerodrome zone nearby; Bembridge airfield is around 14km northeast. The exposed ridge catches strong, gusty southwesterlies straight off the sea, so pick a settled day and expect lively lift near the scarp. It is quiet compared with the island's beaches, mostly walkers on the coast path and the Worsley Trail. Ground-nesting birds and grazing stock use the down. Parking is limited to laybys near Niton and Blackgang. A rewarding, big-view island flight if you sort your take-off ground first.