Meet The team
Get to know our team of professionals who will be flying with you in Costa Rica
our team of professionals are ready to get you safely in the air on a tandem Tour or as your own pilot on a paragliding course or tour.
We believe of all things, that flying should be an enlightening and life changing experience, whether you're a passenger or learning with us. We've created a business built around making sure our clients see the world from a new perspective and feel the joy and freedom of flying in a safe space and environment.
OUR TEAM
We're a small team who love all things to do with flying and exploring. We care a lot about our clients, so your time spent flying with us will be personalised and exclusive. There are no frills here, just dedication to flying, safety and having fun.
With more than 20 years of combined experience and over 10,000 hours of air time, we’re the most experienced Costa Rican flying school and tandem company.
Zion Susanno
Owner and Founder of Zion Paragliding, APPI Paragliding Instructor and APPI Pro Tandem
XC and Paragliding World Cup Pilot
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Zion has been flying since the age of 15, giving him a total of 14 years flying, over 10,000 flying hours and has flown with more than 2000 passengers in tandem. Zion is a qualified instructor through APPI, which offers the highest standard of instructor training internationally. As an instructor and a Costa Rican, you are in the best hands when it comes to local flying knowledge, combined with expertise for teaching and in-air guidance.
Outside of teaching and flying tandems, Zion enjoys XC paragliding, competing and hike and fly missions - what can we say except the guy loves to fly and that’s why he’s the World record holder for the fastest ground speed on a paraglider, and longest distance flight in Central America.
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Owner and founder of Zion Paragliding
APPI Paragliding Instructor
APPI Pro Tandem Instructor
Number 1 ranked pilot in Costa Rica
First Aider
Bilingual in Spanish and English
Second to none local knowledge of flying sites and weather
William Pardis
Advanced Paragliding and Tandem Instructor, and Tour Guide
XC and Paragliding World Cup Pilot, All Round Adventurer
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Originally from the USA and the Philippines, Will is an accomplished paragliding pilot with a global reach. With over 3000 flying hours accumulated since learning to fly in 2015, Will has soared across more than 15 countries and competed in three World Championships. As a certified USHPA advanced and tandem instructor, Will's extensive experience includes serving as a test pilot for Gin Gliders, ensuring the highest standards of safety and expertise.
Will's journey in paragliding has been marked by a dedication to safety and professionalism. From novice to tandem instructor and competition pilot, Will's calm, laid-back demeanor translates into a reassuring and enjoyable flight experience.
Since 2018, Will has partnered with Zion, bringing extensive knowledge of flying all around the world to create unforgettable adventures.
Whether you're exploring a new paragliding site abroad or seeking an exhilarating experience on a tandem, you can trust Will's precision and expertise to ensure a safe and relaxed flight under his expert guidance.
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Holds USHPA Advanced and Tandem Instructor Ratings in the USA and P4 License
World Cup Competitor
Gin Gliders R&D Test Pilot
Number 1 ranked pilot in the Philippines
First Aider
Billingual in English and Filipino
Chase KabisCh
Tandem Instructor
Professional Tandem Instructor, XC pilot and Base Jumper
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Chase has been flying for 9 years accumulating over 3000 flights, of which, more than 1000 are with happy passengers. He is a certified USHPA tandem instructor in the USA, giving him professional training specific to providing passengers with comfortable, safe and exhilarating paragliding flights. With a diverse background in air sports, Chase began his days in the air as a sky diver before switching to paragliding. He has flown in 15+ countries worldwide with an affinity for South America, Peru being the country where he began his paragliding career.
Outside of flying paragliders he enjoys BASE jumping, travelling and learning languages. Travel is a huge part of Chases’s life, allowing him to explore new cultures and try new paragliding sites.
Ever since he began flying he wanted to share the experience with others which is why he dedicated his training specifically to tandem paragliding, guaranteeing you will have an excellent experience clipping into your harness and flying with him
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Holds USHPA Tandem Instructor Rating in the USA and P4 Paragliding License
BASE Jumper
Advanced knowledge of flying in Dominical
Fluent in English, Spanish and basic Portuguese
First Aider
Juan Francisco Ortiz
Advanced Paragliding and Tandem Instructor
XC and Paragliding World Cup Pilot
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Also goes by the name Jota and is a dual national of Peru and the USA. At the age of … Jota learned to paraglide, following in the footsteps of his dad who is also a paragliding pilot and instructor.
When he is not flying here in Costa Rica, he runs his own tandem operation just outside of Lima in Peru with his dad.
Jota is hoping to complete his non-commercial pilots license in the next year to be able to fly airplanes in Peru.
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Holds Peruvian Tandem Instructor License
World Cup Competitor
First Aider
Billingual in English and Spanish
Matthew Pardis
Tandem Instructor
Professional Tandem Instructor, and XC Pilot
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Matt, is a dual national of the USA and Philippines and one of our other instructors, William, younger brother. Matt learned to fly in 2021 with Zion and never looked back, dedicating himself to 3 years of intensive training to receive his tandem license. Matt might be the new kid on the block but his three years of training have taken him to four continents paragliding around the world and gained over 1500 hours of airtime.
Matt flies most days making him current and consistent in his abilities, not to mention one of the friendliest guys you will fly with.
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Holds USHPA Tandem Instructor Rating in the USA
First Aider
Billingual in English and Filipino
Agus Arenas
Shuttle and Logistics Manager, Intermediate Paragliding Pilot
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Agus joined the team in 2024 as our shuttle and logistics manager and take-off assistant and is also an intermediate pilot, training to improve his flying throughout the season in Costa Rica. Agus comes from the southern region of Argentina , Bariloche in Patagonia and is no stranger to the mountains and stunning vistas.
Agus will be on hand throughout your tandem paragliding tour to assist with questions, help set up equipment and make sure you get safely off the ground, assisting pilots with take-offs where necessary. He is the friendly face that drives the shuttle vehicle to the landing and meets the passengers and pilots there, making sure the team gets back to the meeting point at the end of the tour.
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Shuttle and Logistics Manager
Excellence In Customer Service
Fluent in English and Spanish
Intermediate Paragliding Pilot
