Oxygen Paragliding

WOW Joel was so nice and accommodating. I wasn’t sure what time I would be able to go paragliding, and he was very consistent calling me to check in and also very flexible, being able to fit my friend and I in at the last minute. THEN, he had a video camera for the whole ride, and sent us the clips! I felt completely comfortable flying with him for my first paragliding ride. Definitely an ultimate experience!

I highly recommend Oxygen Paragliding and specifically Joel McMinn. Joel and I communicated throughout the week about wind conditions for my tandem flight, and we did a short but sweet flight at the Blue Rock site on Sunday. The wind was sporadic, but Joel made sure that we took off at the right time and stayed up as long as possible. Unfortunately you can’t control the wind! Joel was very personable and fun to talk to, and he thoroughly explained the process and safety measures. He has been paragliding for twelve years and I felt extremely comfortable with him. I will definitely be back for another tandem flight. Thanks Joel!

I went flying this past weekend with Joel McMinn in Benicia and it was great! He is such a pleasure to work with. He makes sure the conditions are perfect for flying, very thorough at explaining the process and safety. I felt very safe doing a tandem flight with him for the first time.
Communication prior to our flight was very easy with Joel. He continued to e-​mail to let me know of the weather conditions and having a group of 5 people, it made it very easy to coordinate with my group. Unfortunately, I was the only person in my group to do the flight because of the wind conditions. This was out of Joel’s control. He was very concerned with safety and really glad he is. Definitely trying to set up for another flight. I highly recommend flying with Joel (707-​You-​Soar).

Paragliding is incredible! I’ve never felt so free in all my life! Klaus made the whole experience simple to understand, and he was very easy going. The instruction is thorough to a «T». I felt like I was in good hands, which is good because your life kind of depends on it. Hahaha Its nice to feel safe when you are so high off the ground. ;)

Nothing less than 5 stars!
Klaus was out of town during our scheduled flights so Joel was our tandem instructor — what a great guy, cool, patient and easy to get along with. We were amazed at his stamina! He made sure that the conditions were safe for us to fly and was determined to get all the 6 of us on air and have fun, and fun we had!
Kudos to the Oxygen team for planning everything meticulously. I had not done sky diving before, but somehow I got a feeling that most will enjoy paragliding more than the 10 – 20 second adrenaline rush of skydiving. A typical flight lasts about 15 – 30 mins depending on the wind conditions. Our take off /​landing spot was at the blue rock flying site at Vallejo and you get some fantastic views of North bay from here. In fact I was lucky to get on to the final sunset flight, magical views!
Overall, highly recommended. If you have been planning to do something different from the usual sky diving, then please give paragliding a try, and for people from the bay area. Oxygen paragliding is the place to go!

I just had my first day of instruction, and It was by far one of the funnest things I have ever done!!! Just working on the ground, learning to go with the wing was amazing. I’m planning to stick with it and one day travel around the world paragliding in as many places as I can. I have to admit, Klaus is a superb teacher, he knows paragliding so well, It seems hes the one who invented it (it was actually invented by some people in europe). I can’t wait for my next lesson and learning more about this fantastic sport/​art. For any one who thinks they might be curious, just give Klaus a call, and give it a go. I promise you will have the time of your life!

I worked with Klaus to get my P2 rating last fall. Klaus is an extremely knowledgable and passionate teacher. He has experience flying all over the world and brings this perspective for his students. Lots of bay area pilots and instructors have limited experience outside of the area so can’t share these kind of insights.
Klaus is extremely good at measuring a students skills and judging what is good for them. He never lets a student launch in conditions which are too dangerous for them.
Klaus is also knowledgable about a variety of flying sites around the bay area and within a short drive. He makes an effort to introduce students to many of these sites so that they can come back and enjoy them safely.
I definitely recommend Klaus as an instructor or tandem pilot.

Just Started Lessons with Klaus at oxygen paragliding. The First day was windy and all the other instructors went home. Klaus did some ground school with us in a simulator that we hung from a tree. The conditions were challenging for kiting 12 – 15 knts, but very good to experience. Klaus ensured that we understood how to be safe. Got pulled around a bit, fell a couple times, but quickly learned to manage the kite with his instruction. We made the most of a day that could have been canceled. Being that Sat. and Sun. only happen once a week this is important for me as a student.
The next weekend we did a couple training flights on the bunny hill, then moved up to the 300′ hill. Klaus mentioned that he wanted to organize trips for his students this year that go to actual sites with mountain flying conditions. This is a super plus for me, because I plan to travel and fly in Europe. Klaus intends to make sure his students are the safest and most prepared for the real world of flying.
After 5 flights from 300′ Klaus took us up to 1700′ launch to learn about the launch site, and to watch him launch and fly from the site. The other student and I benefited greatly from watching him fly.
This past weekend we were chomping at the bit to fly again, but the wind direction prevent a safe launch. Another lesson learned. We spent the day kiting again. Some students may be frustrated with this, but we all had a great time, and learned a lot about handling the wing. It is very clear that a solid foundation of kiting is essential. Got to fly a bit in the puffs. watch out for cow patties!!!
Really looking forward to earning my P2 and beyond with Klaus.
I race sail boats, and I appreciate Klaus’s direct instruction. This is flying that we are talking about, there is that whole thing called the ground and gravity! It’s a really fun environment, down to earth, and we are always joking around. Oh and finding big sticks for his dog to play with! If you plan to get into this sport I would highly recommend Klaus. His local and international experience gives students a more complete understanding of the world of paragliding. He travels and flies very challenging sites, and this is reflected in the instruction. If you want to fly, Find Klaus!

I just started taking classes with Klaus at Oxygen Paragliding a few months ago — and I’ll be ready for my P2 rating in no time! This has been a truly great experience.
Klaus is not only an exceptional paraglider himself, but he’s a great teacher. He’s personable, funny and hands-​on with practical tips. If you’re having a hard time putting a certain concept into practice, he slows things down and patiently explains both the theory and practice and then shows by example. He doesn’t push you further than you’re ready to go (or he thinks you’re ready to go). He puts safety first and wants to make sure that you’re confident and competent in handling the glider on the ground and during launch as well as in the air.
He’s even putting together some weekend trips for us with other instructors, their students and fellow paragliders so we can meet more folks in the paragliding community as well as familiarize ourselves with different launch sites in California — how awesome is that!
I had the chance to try out a few other local instructors before deciding to go with Oxygen, and I know that Klaus is by far the best choice!

The Instructor of Instructors.
Klaus is not only a great guy but a master on free flight and everything related with it.
Got a bunch of important information and help to achieve my goal (T-​3 rating). Learned a lot about the US methods of teaching new students, FAA regulations, weather, etc, etc…
Klaus I am very fortunate to have you as a friend, pilot-​buddy, instructor-​guide…
Thank you so much for all the advice.
See you soon the hill near you!

I went out for my first tandem flight with Klaus from Oxygen Paragliding, and it was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Period. I cannot describe the feeling as you run forward strapped to a big parachute and suddenly start flying… this isn’t bungee jumping, it is far far better than that! — Up we went into the sky, circling in thermals with the birds, playing the ridges to find lift.
Klaus is clearly a highly competent paragliding instructor and he’s well respected by the community. He’s sets you at ease from the start, and was eager to share his excitement for this sport.
My tandem flight opened my eyes, and I’ll be coming back to Oxygen Paragliding to learn how to fly myself.

Best thing about Oxygen is that you can pay as you go, four classes at a time. That’s a much better deal for me than the others offer where you have to pay up front about $ 2,000 for unlimited flight instruction. I’m likely to get my P2 for about $ 1400 instead. I dig the flexibility. Klaus is a cool guy too, picks me up at BART on our way down to fly.