18 Oct – 31 Oct 2026 | 1 Mar – 14 Mar 2027 · 8 spots per course · €1400
Get your license in Wilderness, South Africa
You’re already flying, soaring or groundhandling, but you never got around to getting licensed. Two weeks in one of the best flying spots on earth, and you walk away with an IPPI4 card and a South African basic license that’s recognized worldwide.
Why Wilderness?
Wilderness is flyable nearly every day of the year. Within a 45 minute drive the terrain shifts completely: strong coastal soaring with parakites on one site, cross-country over forests and lakes on another, and ridge and thermal flying in between.
Few places let you progress this fast.
Reliable conditions
Because of the reliable weather you’ll log serious airtime.
Diverse terrain
Dunes, ridges, thermals, XC. Everything within a 45 minute drive.
Active flying community
There’s seven schools residing in Wilderness. So you’ll always find a friendly face in the air.
What you’ll learn
Since you’re already flying or groundhandling, we go over the basics quickly and spend the real time on the skills that matter:
- Launching, flying and landing under different conditions
- Thermalling
- Soaring
- Reading the weather
- Reading terrain and staying safe
- Rapid descent techniques
- Flying a parakite, or flying yours better
We still cover the formal theory and any fundamentals you’re shaky on. The heart of the course is airtime and decision-making.
A typical day
Mornings start with a weather and site briefing with some touch of theory, then we head to whichever site fits the conditions.
You fly as much as conditions allow, with radio guidance in the air and debriefs on the ground between flights.
On the rare day that the weather doesn’t cooperate, we’ll do groundhandling, theory or go sightseeing.
Your instructors
Chloé Sole
Grew up partially in Knysna, 30 minutes from Wilderness, and learned to fly there. She worked alongside Johan for a year teaching students before moving to the Netherlands, where she now co-owns Paragliding is Fun with Simon.
Johan Anderson
Local instructor with 30+ years in aviation across ultralights, hang gliders and paragliders. Johan flies these sites basically every day and knows every thermal trigger, every wind shift, and every corner of the airspace.
Simon Doornenbal
Born in the Netherlands but now teaches paragliding internationally. He’s passionate about helping you in your personal progression. In his last visit to Wilderness he flew 27 out of 33 days. He was amazed by Wilderness and the endless opportunities it offers.
The details
Dates & price
- Dates: 18 – 31 October 2026 | 1 – 14 March 2027
- Max participants: 8
- Price: €1400
Included
- 14 days of instruction and guidance from experienced instructors
- Use of equipment(contact us for availability)
- Local transport at the flying sites
- Your IPPI4 license
Not included
- International flights to South Africa (roughly €1000 from the Netherlands, cheaper non-direct options from Brussels)
- Accommodation (we help you find it)
- Food and drinks
- Travel and flying insurance (required, we’ll point you to good options)
- License fees – (roughly €140 to become a member, request the license & ship it home)
Getting there
Fly into Cape Town or Johannesburg, then take a one hour domestic flight to George airport, fifteen minutes from Wilderness. With an extra day, the drive from Cape Town along the Garden Route is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Accommodation
Accommodation isn’t included, but we’ll help you find it. We work with local hotels and guesthouses to get our students good rates.
Requirements
Reasonable general fitness and the ability to run a few steps on launch. No upper age limit if you’re healthy and active. Any concerns, get in touch before booking and we’ll talk it through.
About the license
You’ll walk away with an IPPI4 card & a South African Basic License, the international rating that lets you fly recognized sites worldwide.
Ready to get your license?
Spots are limited to 8 per course. Book your place below, or send us a message first if you want to talk it through.
Or reach us directly:
- Simon: +31 6 81701085
- Chloé: +31 6 87032079
