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Company Founder & Instructor

Richi mantilla

Richi was living in California, USA in 1998 where he got his tandem license from USHPA and then his instructor license. There were some schools, but the tandem business was very new. So he founded his company in California in 2001. And started the school and tours business right away.

He returned to his country in 2005 after the death of his father and founded Colombia Paragliding in his hometown Bucaramanga.
In 2006 Richi started his international school, teaching in English and becoming very popular for students from all over the world. Now with more than 1300 students and 95% foreigners we became the # 1 school in our country.
Now we´re in Piedechinche, Valle del Cauca with four take offs and an amazing huge landing zone. Richi is a certified instructor with such an experience, professionalism and great attitude that make all our clients look for him and after the course they always recommend him.

MORE INFORMATION

"Our experience, your best option"

about the courses

Advance Course

Become an intermediate pilot in no time. You will learn basic cross country techniques and concepts, high wind takeoffs, and thermal flying in this course. You will be able to fly anywhere in the world without supervision or an instructor.

15 days $7.800.000 COP

Begginers Course,

You will become a beginner paragliding pilot with a minimum of 20 solo flights at the end of this course. We specialize in teaching good takeoff and landing techniques and teaching you to be able to make good decisions before, during and after the flight. You will get certified, but you will need the supervision of an instructor for a few more days after the course.

10 days $5.800.000 COP

Introductory Course,

Discover paragliding. Three days of ground handling including an instructional tandem flight. Minimum 8 solo flights at the end. No license in this course, just a log book and the instruction to keep learning.
5 days $3.000.000 COP

Mini Course

Start your first paragliding experience with a trial course and see for yourself how easy it is. Feel the sensation of flying and discover why birds sing. If you wish to continue your training after this mini course this will count towards future courses. Includes two tandem flights
2 days $1.500.000 COP

FAQ SCHOOL

OUR APARTMENTS

Full furnished apartments in Santa Elena:

LA TERRAZA: 3 bedrooms, 1 tent (Glamping), 1 share bathroom for all, balcony, internet-wifi, hot water and the location is 2 blocks from the square PRICE: $60.000 cop x person
EL NIDO: 2 bedrooms, 1 share bathroom, internet-wifi, hot waterand the location is right in the square. PRICE: $60.000 cop x person
Laundry is 30.000 COP at the apartments

This are special prices for our clients.

Accommodations are NOT included in the course price

WEATHER

We have the same weather all year long, no seasons please do not trust in weather channels, does not work around here – lotm of micro climates.
Warm weather during the day and cools down at night.
We can have a 15 min rain and then can fly again.

TRAINING HILL

It is a grassy soccer field, flat so you don’t need to walk up the hill after each forward inflation exercise.
There are some grass mosquitos so we use light long pants and long sleave t-shirts.
Because is a flat area we don’t use helmets in the training . lots of sweting

TAKE OFF

We use 3 take off or launch sites

Altitud 1750msl – landing 1000 msl
They are grassy and very nice, also some mosquitos at the site
Bathroom at the take off and small cafeteria.
25 min ride to the top
Dirt roads so we use 4×4 pick up truck
Ligth winds morning and afternoons – midday stronger winds and thermals

WIND

The wind here is thermic, so there are no strong wind launches. Gentle thermals in the morning, then at midday strongers thermals.
Then after 4pm thermo dynamic conditions,
warm days with glass off or magic air, restitution.

FAQ ANSWER

Distance between town (Santa Elena) and landing zone or office is 10 minutes in pave road by car
We’ll pick up students everyday in town early morning . Then midday brake from 12 to 3pm and then back to practice until 6pm
Sundays we rest – but if we have a bad day during the week we will work on Sundays too.

INSTRUCTIONAL TANDEM FLIGHT

The student will go with one of the instructors for a tandem flight, taking controls, looking at the whole flying area and landing methods.
We will practice big ears during the tandem instructional flight

HARNESS SIMULATOR

It is very important to practice like bein in the air before our first flight, lots of practice with this amazing tool.

How to get in and out of the harness
How to steer with your weight shift
And very important to trim the harness for your body and confort

GEAR

We provide all the gear in a great shape for all our students, (If you want to bring your own helmet please do)
We have great deals in gear for our students
Full packages of wing, harness and reserve parachute for an amazing prices, Best tops brands
If you bring your own gear we’ll give you 10% discount

TRANSPORTATION

Only airport pick up is included, NOT the drop off
All the transportation from town to the office, launch and viceversa are all included.
We have a pick up 4×4 and Van master for 14 passengers for all our clients

CLOTHING YOU CAN BRING

Light long sleave t-shirt
Light long pants
Uncle support shoes preferably
Hats – baseball hats
Light jackets
Light gloves
Sun glasses

THEORY

Short periods of theory each day, lots of tips
Movies
But you have to read a lot and study

SUNDAYS OFF

Students and staff need at least one day off for resting

BOOKS

Try to get them before get here

Art of paragliding (book)
Beggines paragliding (book)
Please do not start looking paragliding videos of people crashing or blooppers before coming to learn in class
There are lots of restaurants around town and great food

Testimonials

From our dear pilots

Garth Jay

“I honestly can’t say enough good things about Richie, his wonderful team and the incredible flying created by the local conditions in the Valle de Cauca. As a relatively new P2 pilot I was able to thermal with birds, reach cloud base and fly along a cloud street – things I had only dreamed of achieving at some point in my hopefully long flying ‘career’. Richie is a Columbian but also spent many years in the US so has great multi-cultural sensitivity. He is a welcoming, fun and enthusiastic South American but who also understands that more ‘up tight’ North Americans/Europeans need to be kept informed of changing plans and the pick up vans need to arrive on time, every time! Between Richie and his dedicated team’s skill and professionalism, phenomenal flying conditions and 80 cent ‘post flight beers’ (I recommend Poker, personally!!) what’s not to love! I’ve now gone twice to be a part of his school and am planning on taking one of Richie’s tour’s later this year!!”

Chelsea Bills

I hope this review is sufficient enough that you call and book your trip right now! I spent 25 days flying with Richi at Colombia Paragliding and I can honestly say it was one of the most magical experiences of my whole life. From the second I arrived at the airport I was welcomed with huge smiles and open arms and that never ended. The progression to learn how to fly was the perfect tempo to be safe and still have fun. They welcomed us into the culture, I always felt safe, and I’ve never laughed more. Whether you go to learn at one of their courses or go on one of their tours, you will not be disappointed! Shout out to Richi for creating such a fun unique experience, for building such an incredible team and helping me create memories that I will never forget!

Midas Veraart

What a great experience. It was a dream coming true to learn how to fly, it was great hanging out in the lovely town of Santa Helena with the group and get to know paragliding and its culture.

The team of Richi, Koen, Pablo and German made sure me and the other students learned good techniques with safety as priority. First ground handeling, then instructional tandem and then the first take off with full radio instructions.

I can definitely recommend to learn it here as the price is good, the weather conditions better and the people the best. Getting a license is not the easiest (because of Columbian regulations) but in every country you get it in a different way, so make sure to check what you need before going back home.

After 10 days I got around 4.5 flying hours, 23 flights and some termaling. Enjoy!

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