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Guide · Safety
Is paragliding in Switzerland safe?
No sport in the air is free of risk, but a tandem flight in Switzerland runs inside a tight system of licenses, insurance and limits. Is paragliding in Switzerland safe enough for you? Here are the rules and the figures.
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Editorial team, murrentandemparagliding.comUpdated October 20, 2026Reading time 6 min30 sources
Quick answer
- 01Licenses
- The SHV issues the official Swiss pilot licenses on behalf of FOCA.1
- 02Tandem pilots
- Flying paying passengers needs the Biplace 3 license, renewed every 3 years for commercial flights.2
- 03Insurance
- Tandem insurance is required by law and protects passenger and pilot.3
- 04Accidents
- The BFU counts around 1000 accidents a year among paraglider pilots living in Switzerland, not tandem passengers alone.4
- 05Your limits
- The Airtime listing excludes people over 91 kg and children under 5.
The honest answer first
Paragliding carries real risk, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. What a tandem passenger can count on in Switzerland is a system built around that risk. On behalf of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, the Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV) keeps the hang glider register, runs the pilot examinations and issues the official Swiss pilot licenses.1
The legal ground is an ordinance on aircraft of special categories, the VLK, which the SHV names as the most important legal basis for hang gliders, a group that in Switzerland includes paragliders.5 In practice that means the pilot strapped behind you has passed exams, holds a specific tandem license and flies with insurance that the law requires.
None of that removes the wind, the ground or human error. It does mean the questions worth asking are concrete: who is my pilot, what license and insurance stand behind the flight, what limits apply to me, and who decides whether we fly today.
From student to tandem pilot
The path to flying passengers
-
Exam
Pilot license
At least 50 altitude flights from 5 different sites to register.6
-
2 years later
Ready for tandem training
200 flights, a 50 km cross-country flight and safety training.7
-
Biplace 1
Tandem with pilots
At least 20 training flights under a tandem instructor.8
-
Biplace 3
Passengers allowed
-
Every 3 years
Renewal
50 flights in 3 years, at least 10 each year.11
Who may fly you: the paragliding license in Switzerland
A tandem pilot does not start as one. To begin tandem training, called Biplace 1, a pilot needs a paragliding license in Switzerland held for at least 2 years, at least 200 flights since then, a cross-country flight of at least 50 km and a safety training.7 The training itself includes at least 1 instruction flight with a flight instructor and at least 20 training flights with another pilot as passenger.8
That first level is not enough for guests. Biplace 1 only allows tandem flights with other pilots, or with students under an instructor's supervision.12 The next step adds the subject of passenger care: candidates must have completed their 20th year and hold the Biplace 1 license, and the passenger-care course is a compulsory part of the training, ending with a written test.910
A Biplace 3 pilot may fly passengers, commercially or not, and for commercial flights the license must be renewed every 3 years.2 Keeping it requires 50 flights in 3 years, at least 10 of them in each year; a pilot who meets none of the requirements is limited to non-commercial flights, called Biplace 2.1113
License levels
The Swiss tandem license ladder
| Level | What it allows | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot license | Solo flying | 50 altitude flights from 5 sites to sit the exam |
| Biplace 1 | Tandem with other pilots | 2 years, 200 flights, a 50 km cross-country flight |
| Biplace 3 | Passengers, commercial or not | Age 20, passenger-care course |
| Renewal | Keeps commercial flying | 50 flights in 3 years, 10 a year |
| Biplace 2 | Non-commercial only | Renewal requirements not met |
From the SHV's pages on exams and licenses; the SHV issues them on behalf of FOCA.6712921113
Limits by listing
Who can fly on which flight
Up to 91 kg
30 to 115 kgPanorama, Mürren
Birg or Schilgrat
- Heavier guests
- Set times
- Excluded
- Pregnancy
- Price
- from $235
80 or 90 kgSkywings, Interlaken
Beatenberg
- Children
- From 5
- Excluded
- Heart problems, epilepsy
- Price
- from $223
Decision helper
Should you fly, and with whom?
Find the line that describes you
The panorama flight
Airtime's listing stops at 91 kg; the panorama flight accepts up to 115 kg, with set times above 90 kg.
Mürren rather than Zermatt
Airtime has no upper age limit; the Zermatt listing stops at 65.14
Do not fly
Both Mürren listings exclude pregnant women.
Book with free cancellation
Airtime charges nothing if weather stops the flight.16
The liability insurance only covers damages if the pilot has made a mistake. If the passenger is injured through no fault of the pilot, the passenger's accident insurance comes into play.
Insurance: what the law requires and what it pays
Under article 13 of the ordinance for special category aircraft, liability insurance is mandatory in Switzerland for owners of hang gliders.18 For tandem flights there is more: the SHV says a special tandem insurance is required by law from the first tandem training stage, and it protects the passenger as well as the pilot.3 The cover the SHV arranges for commercial tandem pilots guarantees up to CHF 5 million for claims by passengers.19
There is a catch worth knowing. The SHV explains that liability insurance only pays if the pilot has made a mistake; if a passenger is injured through no fault of the pilot, the passenger's own accident insurance applies.17 Check your travel or health policy for adventure activities before you fly.
The listings themselves name insurance in the price. The Airtime flight includes insurance, and the Mürren panorama flight lists third-party and accident insurances among its inclusions. Airtime's own site also names insurance among what its classic flight includes.20
Safety checklist
Before you book and before you run
01
Check the flight
- Insurance named in the listing
- Weight and age limits
- Free cancellation for weather days
02
Check yourself
- No pregnancy, recent injury or heart condition
- Closed-toe shoes, no loose objects
- No alcohol before the flight
03
At the briefing
- How long to keep running
- When to sit back
- How to hold your legs for landing
Video
PARAGLIDING IN INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND | What to Expect + Full Experience with POV footage!
Until you tap play, the video stays unloaded.
Paragliding accidents in Switzerland: what the figures cover
The official source for paragliding accidents in Switzerland is the BFU, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention. It says around 1000 paraglider pilots living in Switzerland have an accident each year, often serious or even fatal.4 It also calls paragliding by far the most popular air sport in the country, with by far the most air sport accidents.21
Read those numbers for what they are. They count pilots resident in Switzerland across all paragliding, solo pilots and cross-country flights included, and they do not single out tandem passengers on commercial flights. They are not a measure of tandem flights with a professional pilot, and they should not be read as one in either direction.
The BFU adds a useful detail: air sport accidents usually happen at take-off and landing, not in the air.22 That is where your own part matters. Run when you are told to run, keep your legs down for the landing, and follow the briefing word for word.
Weight, age and health limits
Each listing sets its own limits. The Airtime listing is not suitable for people over 91 kg, children under 5, pregnant women or people with mobility impairments. Airtime itself says its usual limit is 90 kg, often 95 kg for taller guests and up to 100 kg in good summer conditions, and it suggests a minimum age of 5 with no upper limit.2314
The Mürren panorama flight takes 30 to 115 kg, and its operator gives a minimum age of 6 with no maximum for anyone who can run 10-15 m.24 In Interlaken, Skywings excludes people with heart problems or epilepsy and sets a maximum age of 60 on its 80 kg slots.
Zermatt is stricter on age: the Matterhorn Paragliding listing excludes people over 65 years and people with back or heart problems. If you have a medical condition, a recent injury or a pregnancy, the safe answer is not to fly, or to ask the operator before booking and follow their reply.
Weather: the pilot's call, not yours
A large part of a tandem pilot's job is reading the sky before take-off. MeteoSwiss describes the foehn as bringing warm and above all dry downdraughts on the leeward slopes, often at gale force, and says the southerly foehn blows on the north side of the Alps.2526 Thunderstorms mainly occur in summer and often bring heavy rain, hail and strong gusts.2728
Flights are moved when the sky looks wrong. Jungfrau Region Tourism's listing for Airtime says flights from Mürren are possible in almost all weather except rain.29 In Interlaken, Skywings says conditions can change quickly and that it usually makes the final decision very close to the flight time.
Accept a postponement gracefully. Airtime says that if it cannot fly because of the weather you pay nothing, and you get a full refund if the flight cannot be rescheduled.16 A pilot who cancels on a doubtful day is doing exactly the job you are paying for.
Your part in a safe flight
Come dressed for a hike and wear closed-toe shoes; the Airtime listing does not allow sandals, flip-flops or bare feet. It also rules out alcohol and drugs, luggage, selfie sticks and cellphones. Loose objects are a hazard in the air and on the run.
Tell your pilot honestly about your weight, any injury and how nervous you are. Airtime asks for moderate fitness: an uphill walk of 10 minutes and a few running steps at take-off.30 If that walk would be hard for you, say so at booking rather than on the hill.
Then listen. The briefing is short, but it is the moment that matters most for a smooth take-off and landing. Ask questions until you are sure, keep running until the pilot says stop, and enjoy the view in between. A calm passenger who follows instructions makes the pilot's work easier, and that is your part of the bargain.
Your turn
The meadow above Mürren is waiting.
Pick a time, walk up from the cable car and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
You ask,we answer.
Who licenses tandem pilots in Switzerland?
The SHV, for FOCA. The SHV runs the exams and issues the official licenses on behalf of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation.1
What license does my pilot need?
Biplace 3. It allows flights with passengers; for commercial flights it is renewed every 3 years.2
Is insurance included?
On both Mürren listings, yes. Airtime includes insurance; the panorama flight lists third-party and accident insurances.
Do I need my own insurance?
It is wise. Liability insurance pays only if the pilot made a mistake; otherwise your accident insurance applies.17
How many paragliding accidents happen?
Around 1000 a year, all pilots. The BFU's figure covers paraglider pilots living in Switzerland, not tandem passengers alone.4
Is there an upper age limit?
Not with Airtime. Airtime has no upper age limit; Matterhorn Paragliding excludes people over 65.14
What is the weight limit in Mürren?
91 kg on the Airtime listing. The panorama flight from Birg accepts 30 to 115 kg.
Who decides if we fly?
The pilot, on the day. Airtime charges nothing if the weather stops the flight.16
Sources
What this text is based on
- 1Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)The SHV - Your association↩
- 2Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 3↩
- 3Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Member Service Insurance↩
- 4BFU, Swiss Council for Accident PreventionGleitschirmfliegen: Sicher durch die Lüfte↩
- 5Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Legal basis↩
- 6Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)How to become a pilot↩
- 7Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 1↩
- 8Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 1↩
- 9Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 3↩
- 10Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 3↩
- 11Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Mitgliederservice Biplace↩
- 12Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Gleitschirm Biplace 1↩
- 13Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Mitgliederservice Biplace↩
- 14Airtime Paragliding (operator of listing 582655)FAQ - Good to know↩
- 15Interlaken Tourismskywings Paragliding↩
- 16Airtime Paragliding (operator of listing 582655)FAQ - Good to know↩
- 17Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Member Service Insurance↩
- 18Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Member Service Insurance↩
- 19Swiss Hang Gliding Association (SHV/FSVL)Member Service Insurance↩
- 20Airtime Paragliding (operator of listing 582655)Tandem Paragliding Flight The Wall↩
- 21BFU, Swiss Council for Accident PreventionFlugsport↩
- 22BFU, Swiss Council for Accident PreventionFlugsport↩
- 23Airtime Paragliding (operator of listing 582655)FAQ - Good to know↩
- 24Switzerland Paragliding (operator of listing 775288)Paragliding Murren Lauterbrunnen and Lucerne Region↩
- 25MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology)Foehn↩
- 26MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology)Foehn↩
- 27MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology)Thunderstorms↩
- 28MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology)Thunderstorms↩
- 29Jungfrau Region TourismAirtime Paragliding Lauterbrunnen↩
- 30Airtime Paragliding (operator of listing 582655)Tandem Paragliding Flight The Wall↩
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