3-DAY THERMAL CLINIC
3-Days of Thermal training In Easy, Breezy Dominical
Join The Clinic For $850
THE CLINIC
3-Day Clinic: $850
Professional pilot Zion Susanno brings the ever popular 3-Day Thermal Clinic to Costa Rica, giving pilots new to thermalling a chance to learn and improve their technique. The clinic will be based in Dominical along the coastal range, which has friendly thermals for beginners to confidently learn how to climb.
Your Instructor
Get to know the fun and qualified crew that will be guiding you in the air and along the beautiful South Pacific coast of Costa Rica
ZION SUSANNO
Owner and Founder of Zion Paragliding, APPI Paragliding Instructor, APPI Pro Tandem Instructor
XC and Paragliding World Cup Pilot
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Zion has been flying since the age of 15, racking up a total of 13 years flying, over 10,000 flying hours and has flown with more than 2000 passengers in tandem. Since 2025, he is the world record holder for the Out and Return Distance record of 350KM. 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 a World Record holder!
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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
World Record Holder For Distance
Next Clinic Dates
Clinic 1: January 22-24
Clinic 2: March 19-21
Clinic 3: March 26-28
Clinic Schedule
Day 1
Meeting in Dominical Town Before Briefings and Flying Begins
Meet your instructor, Zion and the other pilots in the Thermalling Clinic.
Share your thermalling experience, flying level and goals for the clinic with your instructor to get the best out of your class time
Theory lesson on how to check the weather forecast and use it to make a flight plan using basic apps on our phones.
Weather briefing from your instructors for the day.
Site introduction to the flying area and landing zone.
Briefing on group flying for thermalling together and how to work withother pilots in the air
Transportation to take-off for flying:
Take-off briefing and group observation of the weather
Flight plan agreed with Zion based on the day’s conditions
Prepare your equipment for the day’s flight.
Once airborne:
In air radio guidance from your expert instructor.
Retrieve vehicle following the group in the air to pick up pilots as needed
Post Flight Group Lunch and Debrief (food not included)
Late lunch followed by debrief and question time.
Day 2
Use the knowledge you learnt on day 1 to check the weather conditions for the day and be prepared when showing up to meet the group at the landing zone.
Meet at the meeting point in Dominical Town
Discuss the weather conditions for the day
Transportation to the take-off for flying
Observation of the weather conditions at the take-off
Daily site and weather briefing
Devise flight plan appropriate for the days flying conditions
Once airborne:
In air radio guidance from your two expert instructors
Retrieve vehicle following the group in the air to pick up pilots as needed
Post clinic group lunch and debrief with thermalling talk from Zion (food not included)
The talk topics will include:
Thermalling the core and mapping the thermal
Speed bar use
Looking for signs of lift near you
Convergence lift
Thermalling in strong wind
Weak climbs and bubbles
Having a landing on glide
Flying in busy air
What’s a good pilot?
Day 3
Use the knowledge you learnt on day 1 and 2 to check the weather conditions for the day and be prepared when showing up to meet the group at the landing zone.
Meet at the meeting point in Dominical Town.
Discuss the weather conditions for the day
Transportation to the take-off for flying
Observation of the weather conditions at the take-off
Daily site and weather briefing
Flight plan appropriate for the days flying conditions
Once airborne:
In air radio guidance from your two expert instructors
Retrieve vehicle following the group in the air to pick up pilots as needed
Post Flight Group Lunch (food not included)
Group debrief of the days flying and question time
Clinic round-up
The clinic schedule can very based on daily flying and weather conditions
About Dominical
Flying Site
Dominical in Costa Rica has been a well-loved flying site by pilots for over 30 years. The warm weather, gentle coastal breeze and easy thermals is what keep pilots coming back year after year.
The take-off sits at 600m (1800 ft) above sea level with the landings along the spectacular beaches of the pacific coast, giving long landing strips for easy final glides.
The combination of the terrain and conditions give the perfect mix for easy thermalling conditions for beginners, stunning views and friendly take-offs and landings.
Dominical Town
Dominical Town is known as a surfers’ paradise with many accommodation and food options at a range of prices, all within easy walking distance of each other. The laid back vibes and beach front turn a flying trip into a great vacation.
Clinic Details
What’s Included
3 Days of Thermalling Guidance
Daily site and weather briefings
1-to1 time with an instrcutor to discuss current levels and goals you’re working towards
Transport from the meeting point to the take-off
Retreive from LZ
Return to meeting point
What You Need
Minimum IPPI ParaPro2 paragliding certification or national equivalent such as USHPA P2
Paragliding Equipment
Certified paraglider (EN B or above)
Certified harness
Reserve parachute
Helmet
Unlocked dual-band VHF radio – we recommend the Yaesu FT-270 or FT-65R.
Ability to confidently take off and land on your own.
Sun protective clothes – the sun in Costa Rica is strong
Comfortable and sturdy shoes
Anything else that is usually in your paragliding kit
Who is the 3-Day Thermal Clinic Right For?
IPPI P2 and P3 Pilots or national equivalent license holders, who want to learn and improve their thermalling technique or maybe have not done much thermalling before. From experience, we have noticed that all pilots learn more when in a group of mixed abilities
Pilots who want to explore the paragliding in Costa Rica area with a guide that knows the local flying
Pilots who can launch and land with minimal or no help
Not Included
Airline flights or travel to the destination of Dominical Costa Rica
Food and drink
Cost of any additional or optional activities
Insurance
Accomodation
FAQs
Where To Stay?
We recommend staying in Dominical Town to have easy walking access to restaurants and shops throughout your trip. You can see our recommended accommodations here.
How do I get to Dominical?
Dominical can be easily accessed from San Jose airport by taxi, bus or rental car, the journey takes about 3.5 hours. Our team are happy to assist you with getting here once you have reserved your space.
When should I arrive for the Clinic?
We recommend arriving to Dominical the day before the clinic starts. The clinic will begin early on the start date, so arriving one day ahead ensures you are well rested and ready to fly.
When should I Leave After the Clinic?
We recommend to fly out of Costa Rica the day after the clinic finishes to allow for plenty of time to travel to the airport and not miss any of the clinic classes.
Can I Fly After The Clinic?
Yes, staying for a day, week or longer after the clinic will help you practise all you have learnt on the clinic and our pilot shuttle will be running to bring you to the take-off.
Do I need a Variometer for the Clinic?
No, we will begin to learn to thermal without a vario and by feeling the air and thermals. Learning by feeling means you can always thermal without relying on something else.
Reserve Your Space on The Clinic Today! Book Now
Have a question about the Thermal Clinic? Ask Us now
Pricing
All prices are subject to local tax at 13% for card or paypal payments
3-Day Clinic: $850
What’s Included
3 Day Thermal Clinic
Includes everything listed under tour details
Book The Clinic
Reserve your space on the 3-day thermall clinic in Costa Rica with a non-refundable $200 Deposit (plus $26.00 VAT)
The remaining balance of $650 (plus local tax) is due upon arrival at the clinic, payable by cash or card.
Reserve your space on the 3-Day Cross Thermal Clinic in Dominical, Costa Rica for $200.00 (plus $26.00 local IVA tax). The remaining amount of $650 (plus local tax) is payable on arrival.
