2026 Public Calendar of Workshops & Assemblies
DEMEN CIEL ORCIERES invites valley residents, young students, parents, and outdoor educators to participate in our year-round series of subsidized public events. Organized in cooperation with municipal authorities in the Haut-Champsaur, every gathering is 100% non-profit and educational.
Whether you are an aspiring pilot looking to practice ground inflation, a family eager to explore alpine ecology, or a community volunteer wishing to coordinate youth programs, our calendar offers accessible entry points for all.
Free Public Access & Non-Commercial Policy
All activities are funded through public subsidies, institutional grants, and educational partnerships. All membership dues and resource allocations are fully reinvested in the association's public interest missions. Participation in all community seminars is fully subsidized and free of commercial fees.
Chronological Schedule of Public Gatherings
All events are held under the direction of qualified volunteer educators and mountain sports coordinators. Advanced registration is recommended to ensure optimal gear allocation and safety supervision.
Spring Canopy Inspection & Youth Ground-Handling Workshop
A weekend civic workshop dedicated to safety inspections, rigging line calibration, and hands-on ground handling on the practice slopes. Designed specifically for local adolescents (ages 12 to 18) entering the flight progression program for the spring season.
- Schedule: Saturday 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM & Sunday 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
- Venue: Galerie Le Chamois assembly room & Merlette lower landing field.
- Topics: Visual canopy inspection, line porosity, wind directional readings, harness fitting.
- Cost: Fully subsidized / 0€ fee for registered valley youth.
Public Forum: Avian Raptors & Airspace Coexistence
An intergenerational public seminar featuring guest naturalist speakers from the Écrins National Park. The forum highlights the preservation of local raptors—specifically Golden Eagles and Bearded Vultures—and educates sports pilots on preserving avian tranquility zones.
- Schedule: Saturday 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM (open to the general public).
- Venue: Orcières Community Center (Village).
- Program: Slide presentation, bird migration maps, no-fly zone cartography, open Q&A.
- Public Access: Free public admission for all valley residents and visitors.
Session 1: High Alpine Youth Flight & Bivouac Expedition
Our flagship 5-day educational summer camp for adolescents aged 14 to 19. Participants undertake high-altitude ridge treks, tandem instructional flights, backcountry bivouacs, and teamwork challenges designed to cultivate emotional resilience, group solidarity, and autonomy.
- Capacity: 20 youth participants (priority given to Haut-Champsaur residents).
- Logistics: All camping gear, food preparation supplies, and safety gear provided.
- Supervision: 4 state-certified volunteer flight instructors & 2 youth camp mentors.
- Funding: Fully subsidized through departmental youth mobility grants.
Annual General Assembly & Public Moral Report Presentation
The statutory annual gathering of DEMEN CIEL ORCIERES. All members, parents, municipal representatives, and civic volunteers are invited to review the annual moral and financial report, audit public grant expenditures, and vote on operational orientations for the 2027 season.
- Schedule: Saturday 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM.
- Agenda: Moral report, financial accounts presentation, board renewals, community reception.
- Governance: 1 member = 1 vote in accordance with Association Loi 1901 statutes.
Autumn Micrometeorology & Advanced Aerology Clinic
An intensive educational weekend analyzing autumn thermal structures, thermal inversion layers, and laminar ridge soaring across the upper Champsaur valley. Open to local adolescents who completed the spring basic flight progression.
- Focus: Barometric pressure analysis, tephigrams, thermal trigger triggers, and valley venturi effects.
- Instructors: Volunteer certified pilots and meteorological specialists.
- Equipment: Handheld digital anemometers, variometers, and GPS flight trackers provided.
- Access: Subsidized educational workshop / Zero cost for registered valley students.
Youth Winter Avalanche Rescue & Backcountry Safety Clinic
Essential winter emergency preparation for valley adolescents. Co-organized with volunteer high-mountain guides to teach hands-on snowpack evaluation, avalanche beacon (DVA) search techniques, probe grid maneuvers, and backcountry team rescue.
- Schedule: Saturday 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM.
- Equipment: Digital 3-antenna transceivers, telescopic probes, and shovels provided free.
- Safety: Supervised in controlled non-hazardous alpine terrain with safety monitors.
How to Register for an Event or Clinic
Due to strict pedagogical instructor-to-student ratios and equipment availability, spots in our youth flight clinics and summer bivouacs are limited. Families and youth are encouraged to submit registration inquiries early. Our team provides detailed orientation packets, safety medical forms, and parental consent documents upon receipt.