How to become a pilot with Paraglide Africa
Hello to all the paragliding enthusiasts and those who will still become one!
I want to tell you about my experience with Paraglide Africa and how I learned to fly. It's probably not ideal to begin a blog post with the question, "Where do I start?", but since I'm really not quite sure where to start, I’ll start my story a few years back before I tell you everything about my adventure in South Africa.
Let’s start the story back in high school when I tried many kinds of sports. I started early with gymnastics, played soccer, and rowed on the river in my hometown. Over time, I also added more action-packed activities to my list, like parkour, boxing, and breakdancing. Even though I tried many different sports, there had never been one as dependent on weather and wind as paragliding—nor as adventurous.
I remember my first tandem flight very well. I was on holiday in Cape Town in 2021, and I flew with a friend in Hermanus, a beautiful little town just one and a half hours from the Mother City. Standing at take-off, the wind blew in my face, my knees shook slightly, and my stomach tingled with excitement. I almost bailed out, but luckily, I didn’t. Once we took off, I couldn’t believe what was happening. We weren’t just gliding down from a mountain with a small piece of fabric; no, we were FLYING through the sky looking down on Hermanus and the ocean from bird’s view.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE, but way too short. That’s why I just had to repeat it again and another time, where I fly with Paraglide Africa for the first time.
I would have never expected to do something so crazy. And even less could I have imagined that about two years later, I would get my very own pilot license and be running off mountains as a solo pilot, flying through the sky like a little bird. And all of that became possible because I met the guys from Paraglide Africa and booked a beginner paragliding course for my next holiday in South Africa.
So let me tell you about my experience with Paraglide Africa!
Admin, Ground Handling & Bunny Hops
After a relaxing night at the Beachhouse Backpackers in Wilderness, I met the team from Paraglide Africa in a little hippie-like coffee shop for a morning coffee and some admin/pre-course briefing. It was a nice sunny morning, and I was in a great mood. Me and the other three students, another girl and two guys, were already super excited to finally start with the practical training and get moving. I had expected to do a little more theory before starting the practical training, but since the topic of the day was ground handling and getting familiar with the equipment, theory wasn’t our main focus. Also, we all had already read through the theory basics ourselves on the online learning platform. Finally, we jumped into the van and drove just around the corner to 'The commonage'.
We were presented with a big grass field with a lot of space to practice our ground handling and to engage with the equipment for the first time. The school provided each of us with our own paragliding kit, which we were to use and maintain throughout the course. It’s also possible to buy the full kit if you decide you want to continue flying regularly after finishing the course. I wanted to try it out first and then decide if I would buy my own equipment. On the training field, our instructor explained the different parts of the wing, lines, and harness. We lined up next to each other and jumped into the harnesses to get the first feel of our future pilot seats. Next on the agenda was ground handling - the process of properly lifting the glider over our heads, running forward while controlling it, simulating the take-off process, and then collapsing it on purpose. Our instructor mentioned that the first training day(s) would be the most exhausting and that once we started flying, it would be more mentally exhausting than physically… And he was totally right.
Over and over, we ran across the field, some attempts better than others. Let me tell you, I was sweating so much! - The instructor gave us feedback over the radio, explaining how certain actions, like pulling too much brake, influenced the glider. He advised us to avoid very strong inputs that will cause the glider to oversteer or spin and always keep some forward speed. After a lot of pull-ups, we took a short break, and the instructor told us what was next on the training plan: “Bunny Hops”, our first tiny flights down the dunes at Kleinkranz beach.
I was super excited for my first little flight down the dunes. The height wasn’t impressive, maybe 10 meters high in total, but we were always in radio contact with the instructor to guide us. Setting up and getting ready, lifting the glider, maintaining control, keeping on running, gliding down - and after about 20 seconds, we already had to flare and land on the beach. It was great fun... but walking up the dunes took my breath away more than one time.
In the afternoon, the weather changed, and the wind became too strong for the first top-to-bottom flights from other take-offs, so we finished the training for the day. In the evening, I took the opportunity to study more flying basics online and went through the Moodle learning platform to prepare for the next day, when we would have our first real flights in Sedgefield. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sleep that night but climbing up the dunes had caught up with me, and I was knocked out after just a few minutes, sleeping like a baby.
First Flights!
We met up early in Wilderness Village and drove to Sedgefield after grabbing a coffee and snacks at the Waves cafe. The drive was filled with anticipation as we chatted enthusiastically about the upcoming flights. First, our instructor showed us the landing field. He asked us to identify any obstacles that could influence the landing approach or the wind at the landing site. I was so excited when we finally reached the take-off site. It wasn’t too busy; only two other pilots and another flying company, preparing for their tandem flights of the day. We grabbed our kits from the van and were instructed to lay them out at the take-off and get ready. Before our first flights, we looked again at the landing field, but this time from above, and discussed our flight plan. It sounded pretty simple:
- Take-off
- Fly (right turn, straight, left turn)
- Land
I wasn’t the first one to take off, so I watched the others before it was my turn. The wind wasn’t strong at all, so we had to run fast to take off nicely and smooth. The other students were successful, and everything worked out well. Then it was my turn. I checked my harness and that all my buckles were closed at least ten times, while my stomach started to tingle like crazy. After the radio check, I was ready to run: Nice and committed, long strides forward, lifting the glider evenly, controlling it with the brakes while continuing to run, and then… my feet left the ground, and I was flying!
It's hard to describe the feeling of flying on your own but let me tell you, it was an insane feeling. I heard my instructor over the radio: “Now fly straight and follow the little gravel road. And don’t forget to enjoy the view!” I tried to control my breathing, which was a bit erratic from the adrenaline rushing through my body. Even though it wasn’t extremely high or very long, the two-minute flight was amazing, and I was proud of myself for doing something so cool. Then it was time for the landing. The other instructor from Paraglide Africa was waiting at the landing field and took over the radio control to guide me. We had already been told that take-off and landing were the most crucial skills to master to avoid injuries in paragliding. “Okay Zee, now turn left,” I pulled the left brake, “looking good, but a little more left.”
I turned more and flew towards him. “Get out of your harness and be ready for the flare.”
The ground was coming closer fast, and I felt a bit nervous, knowing I only had one chance to get the timing right. “Wait for it, wait for it, flare, flare, flare!” I pulled down the brakes all the way to my hips, held them, and felt the glider pitch up a little, then slowly descend, letting my feet touch the ground very gently.
WOW!
I bent forward, supporting myself with my hands on my knees. As I caught my breath, a happy tear escaped down my cheek. I took a moment to celebrate this significant milestone and reflect on my first solo flight. "I want to do it again!" I exclaimed. "Great landing!" the instructor congratulated me. I laughed with joy and gave him a high-five. Excited and eager for more, we prepared to drive back to the take-off site with the other students for our next flight. I was hooked and ready for more!
New Take-off side & Parawaiting
The following days were filled with excitement and progress as we continued to train our skills with a lot of top-to-bottom flights. Each day, we practiced more and more, focusing on perfecting our take-offs and landings. After each successful landing, you feel your confidence growing a little bit more. At the end of the third day, we had already the chance to stay up a little longer. The feeling of staying in the air, even just a few extra minutes, feels just amazing. All other students, including me, managed to soar along the ridge in Sedgefield before we landed. One of the guys flared a little too late and had to run very fast to avoid faceplanting on the grass field. Most of my landings were pretty good so far, but I am sure that I will also land on my bum at some point.
On the next day, we went to another take-off in Wilderness, which mixed up the training experience. The take-off is named “Map of Africa” and is well known by all the local pilots and tandem companies. The view was absolutely stunning! – I was excited because the flying site was higher than in Sedgefield and we would have to land right at the beach. But before starting the fun part, we had to wait for the wind to pick up. When the wind is not strong enough the take-off itself is tricky and the chance to land in the bush instead of flying over it is higher. That was the time we were introduced to a new part of the sport: “Parawaiting”. We sat there for around 1,5 hours and talked about obstacles at the side, wind direction, clouds and other questions we had after the last days. When the wind was getting slowly better one of the instructors drove down with the van and got ready at the beach to help us with the landing approach. We were setting up our gliders and flew down, towards the ocean. It was such a special feeling to fly over the ocean and to look down at the people sitting at the beach.
Since the drive up to the take-off involves very steep roads and turns, it always takes some time to drive up. We had two more flights and met for a beer at the beach house after we finished the last one. Flying down and walking straight over to the backpackers for a beer felt pretty badass.
A Rainy Weekend
Not every day was sunny and perfect for flying. After a few very successful training days a cold front was coming our way and it started to rain a lot. Instead of heading out, we spent the day indoors, taking advantage of the downtime to hit the books. We logged onto the Moodle learning platform and started going through the online modules. There was a lot to learn about flight theory, aerodynamics, and safety protocols. We also began answering the first set of questions for our theory exam, which would be essential for obtaining our pilot's license.
Since the other students were also staying at the same hostel, we decided to make the most of the rainy day by studying together. We quizzed each other on the material, discussed different scenarios, and even practiced emergency procedures in the common area. It was great to bond with the others, sharing tips and learning from each other's experiences. We laughed a lot, shared stories from the previous days, and supported each other in preparing for the upcoming exam.
Although I was initially disappointed that we couldn't fly for two days, the chance to dive deeper into the theory was very valuable. It gave me a better understanding of what we had been practicing in the air and how to apply those principles to become a safer and more skilled pilot. Plus, spending time with the group in a more private setting was fun. In the evening there was an Open Mic night in the Backpackers and some people showed off their talent. Also, I had to remind myself that it was still a holiday, even though it felt like I was in a paragliding training camp, so enjoying the music and some beers felt just right on this evening!
Our day in Paradise
The next morning the team from Paraglide Africa told us that we were about to have a very special day. After flying off from two different take-offs already, we added even more to our list. The drive to the flying side was an adventure itself, taking us up and over some sandy dunes in the van. Once we reached the top, a short walk down the hill brought us to a beautiful cliff overlooking the ocean. “Welcome to paradise!” said our instructor and we were absolutely thrilled. The view was impressive, and we could immediately see why they called it "Paradise."
Paradise Ridge is known for its great conditions for ridge soaring, thanks to the consistent winds coming off the ocean. We spent the morning practicing flying along the ridge, learning how to use the updrafts to stay airborne longer. It was a fantastic experience, giving us a chance to refine our skills in a stunning setting and adding airtime. When the wind got stronger, we swapped to reverse take-off, which added a whole new dimension to our training. Before that, we had only trained it a few times on the landing side in Sedgefield. It required a lot more coordination and timing, as you have to pull up the glider facing it, then turn around and take off. I must admit, my first attempt was not the smoothest—I stumbled quite a lot while turning—but with the instructor’s guidance, I slowly got the hang of it. We not only trained our reverse launches but also top landed multiple times. We talked about the top landing before and got a briefing before we took off that day, but when I eventually did it I had actually no idea what I was doing at that moment. In these situations, you really need to trust the instructor to guide you through the landing attempt and just do what he tells you over the radio… even if it doesn’t make complete sense to you YET.
But one of the most memorable experiences on that day was flying over a group of Dolphins that were playing in the water and surfing the waves. There must have been at least 20 Dolphins just jumping out of the water, diving back into it, and enjoying that nice day. I felt unbelievably lucky and could not believe my eyes!
Overall, we had an amazing day at Paradise. Even the fact that I had to walk up from the beach twice before we trained the top landings, didn’t cut back on the fun. Every take-off and every landing contributes to the learning experience and can give you an idea about what to do better next time to improve your paragliding skills. In the afternoon the wind got too strong, and we had to stop flying. Then it was time for the more advanced pilots to enjoy the ridge and have it just for themselves. Me and the other students on the other side had the pleasure of enjoying some South African Braai and eating some Hotdogs with traditional Boerewors while observing the other pilots. We stayed until the evening and even watched a stunning sunset before packing up our things and leaving Paradise behind.
More flying, more learning, and more unforgettable moments awaited!
Looking back on the past two weeks, my experience with Paraglide Africa was just amazing!
Not only did I have an unbelievable amount of fun, but the team was also incredibly supportive and welcoming. Throughout the entire learning process, I always felt safe and well-guided. We only flew when the conditions were just right for us, ensuring that safety came first. As our instructor always said: “It’s better to be on the ground wishing you were in the sky, than in the sky wishing you were on the ground.”
Now, all that’s left is to complete my basic exam, and I’ll officially be a pilot!
I’ve already started working on it and hope to finish within the next few days so I can apply for my paragliding license. I can’t wait to call myself a real pilot. How cool is that?
If you’ve ever dreamed of flying, why not make it a reality? - Believe me, once you’re soaring through the skies, you’ll wonder why you didn’t take the leap sooner!
Thank you so much guys!
Author- Sina Marcella Duenkel
