Paragliding Locations
Cape Town & Western Cape

Signal Hill is Air School's primary tandem training site. Consistent southeasterly ridge lift above the Atlantic Seaboard provides reliable conditions for instructional tandem flights, with iconic views of Lion's Head, the Twelve Apostles, and Table Bay.

Lion's Head is used occasionally as an alternative tandem training site when conditions suit. The site offers a different perspective over the City Bowl and Atlantic Seaboard, with the same reliable SE ridge lift as Signal Hill nearby.

The Sea Point beachfront is used for ground school training — the kiting and ground handling practice that every student must master before any solo launch. Open, consistent sea breeze and a flat open area make it ideal for high-repetition kiting sessions.

The Langebaan dunes provide one of the best high-repetition flying environments for student pilots. Southwest sea breeze off the Atlantic creates consistent ridge lift along the dunes, allowing students to complete multiple short flights in a single session — exactly the repetition needed to build feel and control.

The Hermanus ridge is a 200-metre coastal escarpment that generates excellent ridge lift in southeaster conditions. A clean SE sea breeze funnels along the cliff face, providing steady lift for student training. The site is forgiving by mountain standards and offers a longer soaring window than many Cape Town sites.

Sir Lowry's Pass is a student training site in winter and spring when NW flow produces manageable thermal conditions over the Hottentots Holland mountains. Two takeoff options provide flexibility across a range of wind directions. The sweeping view over False Bay and the Overberg makes it one of the most rewarding student training sites in the Western Cape.

Kardoesie has two takeoff sites covering a wide range of wind directions, making it a versatile winter training location. In winter, thermal strength is low enough for student-level flying while still providing meaningful soaring experience. The dual-launch setup means there is almost always an appropriate option when conditions are right.

Porterville is one of the most versatile training destinations in the Western Cape. Two takeoff sites cover the full range from southwester to northwester, and in winter the thermal conditions are ideal for student training — strong enough to be interesting, manageable enough to be safe. In spring and summer it hosts the annual Porterville Paragliding Competition, attracting South Africa's top XC pilots.

Piketberg mountain is a student training site for easterly wind days — a wind direction that produces clean, manageable conditions at this site when other Western Cape mountains are unflyable. In winter, the combination of lower thermal strength and reliable easterlies makes this an excellent site for building mountain flying experience early in a student's training.

Chapman's Peak offers dramatic coastal ridge soaring on the False Bay side of the Noordhoek Valley. A favourite site for extended soaring sessions when the South Atlantic high is well established.

The Franschhoek valley provides world-class XC flying in a spectacular mountain setting. Strong thermal development over the surrounding peaks creates reliable lift in the correct wind conditions.

Wilderness and Sedgefield on the Garden Route offer beautiful coastal soaring above the lakes and lagoons. The SW ocean wind provides consistent ridge lift, and the scenery is among the most beautiful in South Africa.