Paragliding pilot dies in Lion’s Head crash
SAHPA has confirmed a licensed pilot died in a paragliding accident on Lion’s Head while flying a high-performance parakite.
Image: File
CAPE Town’s paragliding community is reeling after a licensed pilot was killed in a crash on Lion’s Head this week - an incident involving a newer, highly reactive type of wing that has previously prompted concern among experienced local pilots.
The South African Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA) confirmed the fatality in a statement on Wednesday, saying a member “was fatally injured in an aviation accident at Lion’s Head, Cape Town, on Tuesday, November 25”.
The pilot had been flying a Flare Moustache parakite, described by SAHPA as “a new, highly responsive hybrid wing designed for strong-wind coastal soaring and speed-focused flying”.
While parakites fall within the paragliding category under aviation rules, SAHPA noted they “handle very differently from the larger wings used in conventional paragliding training or tandem operations”.
Nine months ago, the Cape Argus reported warnings from veteran Cape Town pilots who said the fast, compact wings required advanced skill - particularly in the often turbulent, high-wind conditions around Lion’s Head.
In Wednesday’s statement, SAHPA chairperson Louis Stanford said: “SAHPA extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and the wider community.”
He added that the association is cooperating fully with investigators.