TANDEM PARAGLIDING cape town

Experience the thrill of a lifetime while having your first paragliding lesson.

I WANT TO GO

TANDEM PARAGLIDING
GARDEN ROUTE

Experience a birds-eye view of one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world while having your first paragliding lesson.

I WANT TO FLY WILDERNESS –

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I WANT TO

LEARN TO PARAGLIDE

We have been teaching since 1987!
You want to learn to fly with us!

I WANT TO LEARN TO FLY –
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what people say

The training you receive in Wilderness is just outstanding the scenery mixed with great flying conditions makes this place just perfect. I could not think of a better place and school to do my course.

Before my first flight I was extremely nervous, but Pete and his crew managed to make me feel totally comfortable. Just a great trip with so many great people.

Gregor Kury, Basic License Course

A great experienced pilot whit a passion for flying and to teach you all his skills. He is more worried to get you perfectly flying than to make money. Hard to find these days!! Highly recommend this school for learning and for future flying fun!!

Alex B, Basic License Course

INCREDIBLE flying experience! The flight exceeded all our expectations. The pilots were professional and created an amazing experience for us!

Pete was unbelievable as a pilot and I personally thoroughly enjoyed flying with him… there is no better way to take in the Cape Town sights! Must do when you are in town.

Erika & Markus L, Tandem Flight

An absolutely fantastic tour. Peters knowledge and his calm demeanor in assisting and coaching the pilots on the tour. I would recommend Wallend Air to both students and qualified pilots.

Robin H, European “Gypsy” Tour

I didn’t just gain the ability and knowledge to be able to prance off mountains, I also gained a family. Pete is the best instructor in the world. He invests all his time into his students for the entire course – nothing is more important.

Hannah C, Basic License Course

COME HAVE FUN WITH US!

EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY – SAFELY.

Wallend-Air has been flying since 1987, with more than 30 years of flying experience, we are the most experienced operators in the country. All our pilots are SAHPA certified and TFI (Tandem Flight Instructor) licensed. So you are in safe hands

If you are aching to fly – we offer tandem paragliding in Cape Town and Garden Route.
Our Cape Town mother city flights launch from Signal Hill and Lions Head. Centrally located, and easily accessible by car, bus or taxi.
Our Garden Route flights, travel the majestic coastline of Wilderness, Map of Africa and Sedgefield, and are a must experience for tourist and local alike – at unbeatable prices!

TANDEM PARAGLIDING CAPE TOWN – LEARN MORE

TANDEM PARAGLIDING WILDERNESS – LEARN MORE

Book your front seat on an unforgettable experience today. No license or previous experience required. Just you. Your pilot. And the most beautiful city in the world, beneath your feet. Flight time is weather dependent.

Tandem Paragliding PRICES 2023

WILDERNESS

TANDEM STANDARD FLIGHT | 10 MIN

R1100

BEST PRICE. BEST VIEWS. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.
10 Minute Flight
We Collect + Return to takeoff site
We fly everyday weather dependant
In-flight photos /video (including 4GB SD Card) + R300

GARDEN ROUTE

TANDEM ADVENTURE FLIGHT | 20 MIN

R1900

BEST PRICE. BEST VIEWS. UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE.
20 Minute Flight
We Collect + Return to takeoff site
We fly everyday weather dependant
In-flight photos /video (including 4GB SD Card) FREE – INCLUDED IN PRICE

CAPE TOWN

TANDEM FLIGHT

R1500

5-15 Minute Flight
We Collect + Return to takeoff site
We fly everyday weather dependant
In-flight photos /video (including 4GB SD Card) +R300

SIGN UP FOR OUR INTRO AND BASIC LICENCE COURSE TODAY!

View our 2023 – 2024 Course dates

MEET THE TEAM

Pilot & Instructor

PETE
WALLENDA

Pilot & Instructor

SUE
WALLENDA

Pilot & Instructor

CAROLINA BURD-ROCCHINOTTI

Pilot & Instructor

STEVE
BURD

Pilot & Instructor

DUTTON
DAMES

SAHPA licence #: PG1009
Instructor Grade A | TFI Tandem Instructor

SAHPA licence #PG3420
Instructor Grade A | TFI Tandem Instructor

SAHPA licence #PG1007
Instructor Grade A | TFI Tandem Instructor

SAHPA licence #PG41873
Instructor Grade B | TFI Tandem Instructor

SAHPA licence #PG13187
Instructor Grade B | TFI Tandem Instructor

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BOOK A SERVICE

I WANT TO VIEW YOUR

PARAGLIDING EQUIPMENT

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Frequently asked questions

What is paragliding?

Let’s start with what it is not. Paragliding is not hang gliding or parasailing, it’s not base jumping or speed flying and it’s not skydiving. All of these disciplines also have a glider of sorts overhead, but it’s not the same as paragliding. In fact, it’s very different. Paragliders are made to stay in the air and are designed to be steerable. Paragliding entails an aerofoil shaped glider. This is attached to a harness with lines which also assists with steering the glider. Note that you don’t jump off a mountain with a paraglider, you fly off the mountain. After taking off you try and stay in the air for as long as possible while having as much fun as you can surfing the wind. Depending on the weather conditions and the flying site, you can try and fly as far as possible. Anything from straight to the landing area or 250km+ further depending on your experience and skill. It is a sport where no flying day is the same and you never stop learning.

Is paragliding in Cape Town fun?

Paragliding in Cape Town, South Africa is incredible. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places in the world and to be able to paraglide here and have a bird’s eye view is an amazing experience. It also takes your photo album to the next level. Come and try a tandem paragliding flight with one of our qualified and highly experienced instructor pilots and see for yourself.

Where can you paraglide in Cape Town?

The most popular tandem paragliding (pilot and passenger) sites in Cape Town, South Africa are Signal Hill (landing in front of the Winchester Mansions Hotel on the Sea Point Promenade) and Lions Head (landing at The Glen Club, Clifton). It depends on the weather which one you can fly from. Table Mountain is a National Park and we’re not allowed to fly any tandems from Table Mountain take off-site because it’s a cliff launch. Solo gliders with advanced/sports licenses can take off from Table Mountain’s designated sites and site rules have to be adhered to. The landing site is at The Glen Club, Clifton if you take off from the North face. Camps Bay beach is also a landing option but due to the high traffic nature of the area, we recommend The Glen Club landing field. There are over 7 popular flying sites in and around Cape Town. The site you choose to fly at will depend on the day’s weather forecast. They are Signal Hill (sports), Lion’s Head (basic), Table Mountain (sports), Sir Lowry’s Pass (basic), Porterville (basic) check weather with a local guide, Langebaan (basic), Kommetjie (basic) etc. For an extensive list of take-off sites in the Western Cape and the site-specific site rules, you can get in touch with the local flying club which is The Glen Club in Cape Town or you can get it from the SAHPA website.

What weather conditions do you need to paraglide in Cape Town?

To paraglide from any take-off site, you need a range of area-specific weather conditions to safely paraglide from that site. You also need to consider the micro-meteorology that is caused by mountainous regions as the wind wraps around obstacles to create different conditions to the prevailing weather forecast. In it’s very simplest form you need the wind direction to be perpendicular to the direction that the take-off site is facing as you need to take off into the wind and the wind strength can be anything from 0 – 25km/h depending on the pilot’s skill or the site guidelines. Also, be aware of how the conditions will be changing during the day and how you need to adapt your flying accordingly. A starting point would be to look at the weather forecast around the site that you want to fly from. Windfinder and Wind Guru are two popular Apps that provide all the necessary information to determine wind direction and strength. From here you can determine which time slot will be best but you only ever really know if it’s flyable once you’re standing on the take-off site. The amount of lift for the day is determined by the strength of the prevailing wind which creates ridge lift or thermals which are columns of upward-moving air that get triggered from certain points (temperature differences or topography).

Can a paraglider take two people?

Tandem paragliding is different from solo paragliding in that a pilot can take a passenger along with them. You need to progress from a solo pilot license to a tandem pilot license by complying to certain practical requirements and have a certain number of solo flights. The pilot and passenger each have their own harness and both get clipped in into the spreader bars which gets attached to the tandem paraglider. The passenger has no responsibility except to stay on their feet and run/walk forward on take-off.

What is the difference between hang gliding and paragliding?

A paraglider is a non-motorised wing and is made of soft material that is sewed into an aerofoil design that gets inflated by the wind into an oval shape. The paraglider is attached to a seated harness from which you steer it. It can be bunched into a quick pack carry bag and fits into the boot of your car. A hang glider is also a non-motorised, but a semi-flexible triangle-shaped structure that you assemble and disassemble as you need it which can take about 15-30minutes. The pilot harness requires a laying position while you steer it with a bar. Hang gliders are usually flown in stronger wind conditions. In its packed-up state, it requires roughly 3-4 meters of space and has to be secured to the roof rack of your car.

How safe is paragliding in Cape Town?

Paragliding can be compared to activities like riding a motorbike, mountain biking or driving a car. Safety in paragliding comes down to three things: equipment, weather and pilot aptitude. Equipment: Paragliders are inherently built according to very high, internationally controlled safety specifications and design certification testing and they are regularly serviced as part of the maintenance requirements stipulated per manufacturer. You get high-performance gliders that exchanges safety for performance but tandem paragliders are not high-performance gliders, they’re equal to EN-B certification which is very safe. Weather: Weather forecast Apps like Wind Guru and Windfinder helps to assess whether conditions are safe to fly in. Generally, you’re looking at the topography, wind direction, wind gradient and wind strength besides other more technical indicators. There are also site-specific guidelines and we discuss the weather amongst the community to share our knowledge. Pilot aptitude: The risk of flying in adverse conditions are mitigated by comprehensive pilot testing, licensing and currency requirements, similar to other aviation disciplines. Pilot experience also adds to the safety factor and a general sharing of knowledge and expertise ensures that consistent safety protocols are met.

Is paragliding dangerous?

Just like driving a car, it can either be done safely or dangerously. So too, a paraglider can be flown safely or dangerously. If one sticks to the safety parameters, it’s as simple as crossing the road safely. As with anything in life we reduce the risk by putting certain checks in place, and in paragliding safety revolves around equipment, weather and pilot aptitude. Besides the fact that paragliding equipment is made to stringent, international standards we also service our gear regularly according to manufacturer specifications. We choose what weather conditions we fly in by consulting the weather forecast on Apps like Windfinder and Windguru and we generally look for wind direction, wind strength, wind gradient and topography amongst other things. Pilot testing and licensing are rigorous and their currency requirements are as comprehensive as one would expect from other aviation disciplines.

Is paragliding scary?

Because we’re pretty much earth-bound beings there’s always the fear of the unknown. Not knowing what to expect can make paragliding seem scary but it’s actually a very peaceful experience. When I went on my first flight I was struck by how quiet and peaceful everything became once we lifted off the ground. It’s not an adrenaline filled, speed chasing sport. When going for an instructional tandem flight you can trust our pilots as you would trust the pilot of a 747 Boeing. Their qualification, weather knowledge and experience should put your mind at ease.

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