Cape Town · Guided Paragliding
Spectacular Paragliding For Any Level of Pilot
Guided day trips around Cape Town's best flying sites. From Hermanus to Porterville and everything in between.
Cape Town · Guided Paragliding
Guided day trips around Cape Town's best flying sites. From Hermanus to Porterville and everything in between.
Birdmen Paragliding, founded by Barry & Candice Pedersen, is Cape Town's household name for guiding and paragliding tours. Grant Smith and WJ de Vries are Birdmen's guides and coaches. Between them they've set multiple regional distance records and bring a wealth of experience to flying in the area. Every guided day runs on their local knowledge of the sites, the weather windows, and the optimal routes for the day.
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Guiding rate (2 pilots minimum) | R3,200/pilot/day |
| SA resident discount (3 pilots minimum) | R2,000/pilot/day |
| Private 1-on-1 coaching | By application |
| Multi-day XC courses & package deals | By application |
Pickup is at a central meeting point. Minimum 2 standard-rate pilots per trip (3 local-rate minimum), maximum 4. Base package covers up to 300km round trip; beyond that, a R5/km surcharge is split across the group. Guiding is charged for the full day once confirmed, as the guide is committed to the day and has driven out to the site.
Birdmen Instructor, Guide & Coach
Grant realised his childhood dream of flying when he got his licence through Birdmen in 2008. Today Grant is dedicated to paragliding mastery and flow coaching, holding multiple site records including the longest foot-launched flight on an EN B glider in South Africa, and is one of only a handful of pilots to have flown over 200km in the Western Cape. But for Grant, the true goal isn't to achieve but to learn, grow, and fly in flow.
Questions? Message Grant →
Birdmen Guide & Coach
WJ's love for flying began with kites and parafoils as a kid, then skydiving — until mentorship from Birdmen introduced him to paragliding, where he found more joy in the canopy ride than the freefall. With over 11,700km and 950 flying hours, WJ holds the African XC distance record using 3 turnpoints at 276km, and coaches pilots on building confidence and making sound flying decisions.
Questions? Message WJ →
All pilots must arrange their own medical insurance and hold a valid IPPI card and SAHPA registration (temporary membership for visiting pilots — apply online at sahpa.co.za before your trip). Signal Hill requires an IPPI 5 card.
A South African SIM (Vodacom or MTN for best coverage) is recommended; retrieve works on an international number, it just costs more. All guiding is in English. Due to our changing weather patterns, the flying site is decided the night before. Every day includes a morning briefing to decide where we fly, and a post-flight debrief.
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| Guiding rate (2 pilots minimum) | R3,200/pilot/day |
| SA resident discount (3 pilots minimum) | R2,000/pilot/day |
| Private 1-on-1 coaching | By application |
| Multi-day XC courses & package deals | By application |
| Equipment hire | R2,000/day |
Pickup is at a central meeting point. Minimum 2 standard-rate pilots per trip (3 local-rate minimum), maximum 4. Base package covers up to 300km round trip; beyond that, a R5/km surcharge is split across the group. Guiding is charged for the full day once confirmed, as the guide is committed to the day and has driven out to the site. For equipment hire, let us know your skill level and weight so we can bring the right gear.