Your Safety, Our Absolute Priority
Air Lagon is a state-approved paragliding school based in Saint-Leu since 1984. Safety here rests on facts you can check, not on claims. The approval from the French Ministry of Youth and Sports dates back to 1988. Every pilot holds a state diploma. Wings meet the EN 926-1 and EN 926-2 standards, and harnesses meet EN 1651. Each flight starts with an equipment check and a reading of the day's conditions. The flight is cancelled if any doubt remains. Over forty-two years, more than 50,000 flights have taken off from Les Colimaçons and from Le Maïdo, at 800 and 2,200 metres. The Quality Tourism label and the 2008 Tourism Award confirm this framework. Guests rate the school 4.9 out of 5 on Google, and the same on TripAdvisor.
Recognised by Official Authorities
Three official credentials frame the work of the school. The first is the state approval, granted in 1988 by the French Ministry of Youth and Sports. It covers the instructors, the equipment and the flying sites. The second is the Quality Tourism label. It rewards a level of service that is measured, not claimed, and it is reviewed rather than granted once and for all. The school is still the only paragliding company on the island to hold it. The third is the 2008 Tourism Award, granted by the Ministry of Tourism. These three titles are not self-declared: they are checked. They call for qualified instructors, tracked equipment and written procedures. The pilots who fly at Saint-Leu all hold a state diploma. That diploma is required to teach paragliding and to fly tandem for a living.
State-approved since 1988
The school has been approved by the French Ministry of Youth and Sports since 1988. That approval covers the instructors, the equipment and the flying sites. Every instructor holds a state diploma.
Quality Tourism Label
Air Lagon is the only paragliding company in Reunion Island to hold the Quality Tourism label. The label marks a checked level of service: welcome, information, safety and follow-up.
Tourism Award 2008
The Ministry of Tourism gave the school its Tourism Award in 2008. The prize rewards the quality of the service and the commitment made to visitors to the island.
Pre-flight checks
Before every take-off, the pilot checks the wing, the lines, the maillons and the harness. EN D certified gear is inspected every day, not once a season.
Live weather
Wind, visibility and the state of the air are watched without a break from the site at Les Colimaçons or Le Maïdo. At the slightest doubt, the flight moves later in the day.
Safe landing
The landing area is kept clear at all times. The descent runs in gradual steps, and the pilot receives the passenger on the ground. The drill is the same on all five options.
Safety Every Day
Every flight follows the same run of checks, from the store room to take-off. Pilots inspect the wing, the lines, the maillons and the harness before they leave. Gear is checked every day, not once a season. Wings meet the EN 926-1 standard for structural strength, and the EN 926-2 standard for tandem flight. Harnesses meet the EN 1651 standard. At the site of Les Colimaçons, as at Le Maïdo, the pilot reads the wind, the sight lines and the state of the air. Only then does the passenger clip in. The call to fly belongs to the instructor, never to the client. One doubt is enough to move a flight: at Saint-Leu, conditions shift fast between the lagoon and the heights. Third-party liability cover applies to every passenger, and instructors train all year.
Experience That Makes the Difference
Forty-two years of work yield numbers that few outfits can match. The first paragliding flight in the history of the island was made in November 1984 by John Jourdain, who founded the school. Since then, more than 50,000 flights have taken off from Les Colimaçons, at 800 metres, and from Le Maïdo, at 2,200 metres. Every instructor holds a state diploma. The 4.9 out of 5 rating rests on 408 reviews on Google and 221 reviews on TripAdvisor. That adds up to more than six hundred public reports. These volumes matter for safety: they reflect daily practice on the same sites, in known conditions, with a settled team. At Saint-Leu, sea breezes and thermals follow a rhythm the pilots have read for forty years. Experience does not replace the procedures; it makes them sound.
The Rule That Outranks Every Other
The pledge comes down to one rule: no flight leaves if the pilot is not sure. That rule outranks the schedule, the forecast and the wishes of the guest. It explains the delays, which are not always well received on the day. Tandem paragliding is an outdoor sport, bound by the conditions of the day. The wind, the sight lines and the state of the air decide on their own. The nine daily slots, from seven in the morning to five in the afternoon, exist to move a delayed flight later the same day. The team at Saint-Leu answers seven days a week. All five options, from the Vol Découverte to the Vol du Maïdo, follow the same drill. The stated length changes; the level of control does not. All these pilots hold a state diploma.
Fly with Confidence
Since 1984, thousands of passengers have trusted us. Our certified team guarantees an experience that is as safe as it is unforgettable.