
About
Cloudbase Paragliding offers tandem flights, paragliding tuition, license courses, powered paragliding tuition, accommodation, tours, and equipment sales and rental.
We are based in the Garden Route town of Wilderness on the East Coast of South Africa.
Our nearest large town with an airport is George, 20 km to the Northwest.
There are 24 flying sites within an hour’s drive. These range from easy coastal soaring to cross country thermals.
Jan Minnaar and Khobi Bowden apply their extensive local and international knowledge to enable you to fulfill your dreams in this on-going skill development sport.
Cloudbase Paragliding
- 581 Lake Road, Wilderness, 6560
- +27 (0) 82 777 8474
- info@cloudbase-paragliding.co.za
Jan Minnaar, is the Chief flying Instructor, and proprietor of Cloudbase Paragliding School, and has been paragliding since April 1991.
He learnt to fly in Cape Town with Daedalus Paragliding under the instructorship of Kobus Botha and Springbok Parachutist and multiple National Paragliding Champion, Jay van Deventer... Read more
Khobi-Jane Bowden became an integral part of Cloudbase Paragliding in May 2002.
Khobi’s passion for paragliding started in 1999 in Venezuela whilst on a sailing vacation with her Dad. On returning to London she signed up with a school to continue paragliding. Unfortunately it was also at the time of Foot and Mouth disease and very few British schools could operate. This was followed by a long period of bad weather... Read moreSince the dawn of history, man could not fail to have been impressed by the mysterious phenomenon of flight. As birds and insects were constantly around for him to observe and admire, he must have longed for wings of his own so that he, too, might take off and experience the rush of cool air as he swooped and turned in the skies. Unobstructed and free, he would escape the constraints of his earth bound existence. The notion of flight would have seemed even more of a miracle then than it still appears today, so it is no wonder that wings, with their power, mobility and speed, symbolized the unearthly, the superhuman and the divine... Read more
Cloudbase Paragliding School is a SAPHA approved school. All licenses issued are therefore internationally recognized as SAPHA is F.A.I affiliated through the Aeroclub of South Africa. Cloudbase Paragliding has also established international partnerships to facilitate the conversion of the SAHPA license to your national body if required.
All the school equipment has DHV/ACPUL certification. All school training gliders are rated for student use. All school training harnesses comply with SAHPA regulations regarding foam back protection. Each student is issued with a radio and helmet... Read more
Jan Minnaar, and Khobi-Jane Bowden, your SAHPA 'A" rated Tandem Flight Instructors and their team, offer an easy introductory flight to paragliding.
TRUSTED by 10,000+ customers to date.
We want to give you the opportunity to experience the exhilaration, joy, and sharing of nature that paragliding allows you.
Our priority is to be safe and to have fun!
Khobi-Jane was South Africa's first female tandem flight instructor.
No previous experienced required... Read more
Accommodation is offered to fellow free-flyers in our home on an informal Bed & Breakfast basis.
Accommodation is available in the following rooms:
- The CUMULUS Room - this room has three single beds (or one double and a single) and can be used by couples or singles. It has an en-suite bathroom. There is shared access to the large deck.
- The NIMBUS Room - this room has three single beds (or one double and a single) and can be used by couples or singles. It has an en-suite bathroom. There is shared access to the large deck.
- The CIRRUS Room – this room has three single beds, and wardrobe space for each person. It also opens out onto a shared deck with views of the neighbouring park. This room is ideal for friends traveling together, or small families, or couples.
- The STRATUS room – is a double room, with large wardrobe space and also opens onto the shared deck with views of the neighbouring park. Ideal for couples.
- The LENTICULAR room – is two single beds, and also opens onto the shared deck with views of the neighbouring park. Ideal for friends.Cirrus, Stratus and Lenticular share 2 bathrooms, each containing hand basin, shower and toilet.
We can comfortably accommodate 13 persons. All bed linen; pillows; duvets, and towels are supplied. The house has 4 bathrooms upstairs with a shower, toilet and sink in each. The lounge has satellite TV; video machine; DVD; Hi-Fi and a variety of books and magazines. There is also a comprehensive video & DVD collection. WiFi available.
Breakfasts consist of fresh home baked bread, cereals, eggs, fruit and yoghurt, the normal tea, coffee, fruit juices and honey from our own hives.
Weather briefing and recommended site information given each day at breakfast
Cloudbase offers a number of different tours, as you are all different people!!
For those of you visiting South Africa, who wish to fly but also have the opportunity to see some of our culture and interesting places, we offer the two week Garden Route Tour.
For those who live in the cities of South Africa and wish to have a weekend away, where they can fly, and be looked after, we offer the Weekend Fly Away.
For those who wish to experience flying on the Alps, and not have to worry about accommodation, food, where to buy cable car tickets, when is it safe to fly…… we offer the 'Smile While You Scream Alpine Tour', end of July and August.
And for those who wish to combine a bit of flying with a bit of ski-ing/snow boarding we offer the Ski/Fly Tour in Stubai in Austria, end of March beginning of April.
We have a number of sites within an hour’s drive of Wilderness, with varying wind direction and requirements, and we will take you to which ever is the best site for the days conditions and skill level.
Please remember with all our sites we are very lucky to have been given permission to use them from the land owners and therefore we ask that you treat all sites with respect. If you have never been to a site before please find a local and ask them the rules, and also read all the requirements on the site boards. Most of the sites are close or in airspace so please make sure you know the restrictions that are applicable to us.
All pilots must be a member of SAHPA, whether permanent or a foreign temporary member, and will be required to prove current membership.