Safety, licences and rules for paragliding in Medellín

Who licenses a tandem pilot

Paragliding in Colombia is regulated as sport aviation. The civil aviation authority sets the frame in chapter 25 of its aviation regulation RAC 4, while the licences themselves come from Fedeaereos, the national air sports federation. A pilot who flies passengers needs a tandem licence and has to belong to a club affiliated with the federation. RAC 4 also requires that both the pilot and the wing hold the tandem rating before a two-person flight. The regulation lets the Aerocivil inspect clubs and sanction breaches.

Source: paragliding regulation of the municipality of La Calera (2020), which sets out the national rules, including RAC 4.

The adventure tourism standard NTS-AV 013

Companies that sell paragliding to tourists are tourism service providers as well. For them Colombia has a technical standard for adventure tourism, NTS-AV 013, which covers paragliding. In an answer published in November 2025, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism explains that Resolution 612 of 2024 made certification mandatory for adventure tourism and that the standard is therefore binding for providers. The ministry speaks of the sector standard for adventure tourism; the number NTS-AV 013 appears in the citizen request it answered. Insurance is part of the picture too. RAC 4 asks clubs and operators to keep an insurance policy in force, the La Calera regulation requires a medical assistance policy for commercial adventure flights, and most listings on this site name an insurance or a medical assistance card among the inclusions.

Sources: MinCIT, answer of 11 November 2025; La Calera regulation (above) on the insurance.

An open question about paid flights

The two sets of rules do not fit together neatly. The same citizen request that MinCIT answered in 2025 argued that RAC 4 limits paragliding to aeroclubs and does not allow commercial flights, while NTS-AV 013 regulates exactly such flights for tourists. The ministry did not settle this. It said it is not competent to interpret the aviation regulations and referred the question to the Aerocivil. We have found no published answer from the Aerocivil. For you as a passenger this means that a valid certificate under one set of rules does not tell you how the other authority sees the business.

Wind is the main limit on the day

RAC 4 says a pilot should not take off when the wind exceeds 75 percent of the wing’s maximum speed. At San Félix the wind is light for most of the year: APPI, an international paragliding association, describes it as soft, up to about 30 km/h, from October to July. In August and September it gets strong, up to about 50 km/h, and the site is then flown early in the morning and at the end of the day. Fog and cloud are a second reason to wait; a 2024 guide in El Colombiano advises against flying in cloud or on very overcast days.

Sources: La Calera regulation (above) on RAC 4; APPI flight site San Félix; El Colombiano (18 March 2024).

The accident at San Félix on 17 September 2026

Around midday on 17 September 2026 a tandem paraglider carrying a tourist and a pilot came down in the San Félix area and struck a ravine near the road from Medellín to San Pedro de los Milagros. The passenger died at the scene; the pilot was taken to hospital in a critical condition. The mayor’s office of Bello said that, on first assessment, the weather may have contributed to the loss of control, and witnesses reported strong wind before the crash. The prosecutor’s investigators inspected the scene, and the authorities found the documents of the company that ran the flight in order. The investigation into the cause was still open when we last checked on 10 October 2026.

Sources: Vanguardia, Telemedellín, Minuto30 (all 17 September 2026).

Questions worth asking before you fly

None of these answers guarantees a safe flight, but an operator that answers them readily is easier to judge than one that does not.

• Can I see my pilot’s tandem licence from Fedeaereos, and which club does the pilot fly for?
• Which insurance covers me as a passenger, and what does it pay for?
• Is the company certified under NTS-AV 013?
• What happens if the wind is too strong when it is my turn: do I wait, move to another slot or get my money back?
• What is the weight limit for this pilot and wing, and does it include clothes?

What is up to you

Tell the operator about health conditions before you book. The listings commonly exclude pregnancy, heart or back problems and epilepsy, and they ask for closed shoes; sandals are not accepted. Listen to the briefing and follow the pilot’s instructions at take-off and landing. You can say no on the day: if the wind looks strong to you, ask for a later slot or another date. Most bookings on this site can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the flight.