Your Flight in 6 Steps

The meeting point sits near Kélonia, at the north entrance of Saint-Leu, fifteen minutes before the agreed time. Parking is free there, and lines 30, 31, 37 and 42 of the Kar'ouest network serve the departure point for anyone arriving without a car. This step is used to check the passenger's weight, confirm the chosen package and answer any last questions. The team at Air Lagon reviews the conditions of the moment before driving the group up: the flying window depends on wind and cloud cover over the relief of Les Colimaçons. The shuttle takes the mountain road, about ten minutes of climb between the sugar cane fields, up to the launch strip. Passengers on the Vol du Maïdo are driven higher, towards the rampart overlooking the cirque of Mafate.

The briefing takes place on the strip, facing the lagoon, once the shuttle reaches Les Colimaçons. The instructor, who holds the state Brevet, explains the stance to hold at take-off, how to run a few paces without trying to jump, and the posture to adopt once airborne. This step lasts a few minutes and requires no prior knowledge. The passenger mainly learns what not to do: the pilot keeps the controls throughout, and nothing is expected of the person flying. Safety instructions are repeated on the spot, with the equipment in plain sight. The strip overlooks the lagoon of Saint-Leu, and the instructor from the school Air Lagon points out the planned track, from the conservatory of Mascarins down to the landing area. The lagoon of Saint-Leu and the heights of the Maïdo serve as visual markers throughout.

The equipment is provided and fitted on the strip by the instructor. The passenger puts on a padded harness, a helmet and a seat connected to the wing, and the straps are adjusted to their build. No personal gear is needed beyond closed shoes and clothes comfortable enough to run a few paces in. The wings flown meet the EN 926-1, EN 926-2 and EN 1651 standards, and the equipment is checked daily before the opening rotation. The instructor, who holds the state Brevet, ends with a cross-check of the attachment points, the harness buckle and the helmet. The check happens on the strip of Les Colimaçons, at 800 metres above Saint-Leu, before the pair moves to the launch area of the school Air Lagon. The same protocol applies at the Maïdo launch as at Saint-Leu, on every site the school operates.

Take-off happens from the strip of Les Colimaçons, at 800 metres above Saint-Leu, on a gentle slope facing the prevailing wind. The instructor from the school Air Lagon inflates the wing behind the pair, checks that it is properly open, and gives the signal. This step asks for a few running paces, never a jump: the wing lifts the pair after three or four strides, and the ground falls away smoothly. The passenger stays upright until the instructor invites them to sit into the harness. The pair heads towards the lagoon of Saint-Leu, and within seconds the passenger takes in the coral barrier, the conservatory of Mascarins and the west coast as far as the heights of Saint-Paul. From the Maïdo, at 2,200 metres, the procedure stays identical but follows a short forest walk to the rampart of Mafate.

The flight lasts fifteen to sixty minutes depending on the package. From Les Colimaçons, the track crosses the sugar cane fields and the botanical conservatory of Mascarins, before reaching the lagoon of Saint-Leu and its coral reefs, whose drop-offs are visible in clear weather. The endemic birds of the island regularly join the pairs in the thermals. This step is where the passenger may ask to take the controls for a moment, under the watch of the instructor from the school Air Lagon. Acrobatics become available from the Vol Extra Long upwards, on request. From the Maïdo, the track runs along the rampart of the cirque of Mafate and opens onto the Piton des Neiges, before dropping back towards Saint-Leu. The return always heads for the landing area of Saint-Leu, close to Kélonia.

Landing takes place beside the lagoon, on the dedicated area a few hundred metres from Kélonia. The instructor makes one or two passes over the zone to line up the approach into the wind, and sets the pair down gently. This last step asks the passenger to stretch their legs out and stay seated until contact, with the instructor handling the run-out. The debrief follows immediately: the pilot shares impressions of the flight and hands over the photo media if the option was taken. The area sits between the beach and the road, a short distance from Kélonia, and buses on the Kar'ouest network run back towards the centre of Saint-Leu if needed. Otherwise the team at Air Lagon drives passengers back. Flights from the Maïdo and those from Les Colimaçons land on the same area, at the lagoon's edge.