SkyWings is based in Auckland, New Zealand. We are the longest operating Paragliding and Paramotoring School in New Zealand.

Auckland enjoys a very mild climate and we fly and teach all year round. We have a large number of sites within about an hour of the city and they cover all the wind directions, so we can train in most conditions. We have some of the finest coastal ridge soaring in the world and this gives an amazing chance for new pilots to grow really quickly in their skills and get a lot of airtime.  With long soaring flights you really get to know your glider and understand the feel and handling much sooner. Our smooth coastal conditions allow you to master all your takeoff and landing techniques, and long hours soaring prepare you for confident and relaxed flying much sooner. SkyWings students graduate with more airtime than anywhere else in New Zealand.

We have good sites close by suitable for thermalling 8 to 9 months of the year. If you wish to thermal we can prepare you for this much sooner because you'll have done so much, so quickly and got so good in our smooth, safe coastal air. The ability to catch thermals requires basic skills and confidence which takes time and good conditions to develop.This we have in abundance.

If you wish to learn to paraglide, the most important question for you is - how good is your Instructor?

SkyWings founders Alan and Belinda Hills started in the sport 21 years ago when paragliding first started in Auckland and have been flying and teaching almost every flyable day since.

Alan and Belinda are joined here and in the surrounding areas by a team of great Instructors, Ed Gordon, Wayne Roberts, Bruce Vickerman and Russell Read. Their talents and enthusiasm are a huge asset.

We started in the sport at the very beginning and naturally were full y involved in the competition scene, setting a number site and cross country records and National firsts, and gaining a second place New Zealand ranking and consistently achieving a top ten placing over the early years. As our love for teaching blossomed, we realised that the competition psychology was at odds with teaching students the foundation skills necessary to stay safe and get the most out of the sport. More importantly was the idea that "the pilot having the most fun was the real winner!" So more of late our focus has been away from the competitive idea and fixed firmly on developing excellent techniques that progress a student as quickly and as safely as possible. And our every recreational moment has been spent progressing our love of long, relaxed and exhilarating cross country flying and sharing this with our ever growing family of graduated students.

Auckland enjoys smooth, strong winds like nowhere else in the world, so from day one we have been perfecting the art of high wind flying - and finally with the coming of purpose built gliders for the job, we were able to bring this exciting, riveting new sport of Speedflying to New Zealand, and have been instrumental in its direction and evolution globally.

Having also started Paramotoring in the earliest days, and enjoyed exploring New Zealand with motors, Alan was the only teacher of this fantastic form of free flight for most of these years.

Our obssession with safety and developing new, innovative teaching techniques has transformed the way students are taught. It became clear over the years, that with the right techniques, we could make you better, safer pilots more quickly. The thing that will strike you most is our diligence and passion for the teaching process.

We really feel we can deliver you the best possible start in Paragliding.