What if what you love most about flying isn't the glider- but who you become when you fly it?

The Wanderbird Academy helps you figure out who you want to become as a pilot and how to actually get there.

Sooner or later, every pilot reaches the same point. You fly. You get better. But somewhere along the way you stop knowing exactly what should be next.

New Equipment, more knowledge, another guided trip? Most of the time, what's missing is clarity about who you are as a pilot and where you want to go.

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Most pilots come to Wanderbird because of a flight that felt exactly right.

Safe, clear, alive.

And then the question: how do I get more of that and why does it matter so much when I'm back on the ground? Whether you come with a specific goal or just a feeling you can't quite name yet – if flying means something to you, you're in the right place.

A paraglider soars high above a lake, with mountains and clouds beneath a blue sky.

A Thought about Thermals

“I think of development as something that should feel like a steady, continuous climb. Like a perfect thermal—smooth, clear, effortless. But reality rarely looks like that. You enter lift. You climb. You feel aligned. Then the climb slows. You drift out of the core. You sink. You search. You question. Sometimes you circle in weak lift not sure where to go. You don’t know if it’s time to leave and find something new, or patiently make it through the inversion layer. Sometimes you fall out completely and don’t know where the next entry is. This is where development really happens. Not in strong lift. But in consciously gaining oversight. Over the years, I’ve learned something: Good pilots don’t climb in their development spiral because they are lucky. They climb because they understand how, when and where to circle. They understand the cycle itself. Development is not random. It’s a conscious loop.”

Paul Guschlbauer

Insight

It's not what you think

Most pilots who feel stuck thinking they need more thermal skills. More gear. More courage. They don't. At least not in the first place. What's missing is clarity. How do you see yourself in the air? What does progress actually mean to you? What level are you operating on? Without vision, you fly more but get nowhere. You buy gear that doesn't change anything. You take courses that don't stick. You circle, but don't climb.

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A first-person view from a paraglider wearing a blue cap, looking out over green mountains and snow-capped peaks.

How Development really works

Real progress needs three things: knowing where you stand right now, knowing where you want to go, and a way to get there that connects you, your gear, and the conditions around you. As Chrigel Maurer put it in our recent podcast: You can have all the skills, but your mindset is what decides in the end.

Who is this for?

The Academy is for licensed pilots who want to develop consciously. Not for quick fixes. If you're willing to invest real time and energy into your growth, you're in the right place.

What you bring

A solid foundation. You can fly. You've got the basics. What you want now is direction and the theory you need. A clear sense of where you're going and how to actually get there.

What you'll do

Structured Course at your own pace, live coaching calls with Paul and François and a community of pilots committed to the same path. Real work, steady progress and development that builds on itself.

Development works like a Thermal

You don't fly in a straight line upward. You circle and you lose altitude sometimes. You search for the next climb, but if you do it right, you come out higher than when you started.

That's exactly how pilot development works.

A blue, spiral-shaped swirl on a white background.

This isn't a loop. You move upward, a little further with every cycle.

Step 1 – Where you are

Understanding who you are right now. What drives you? What holds you back? Where do you want to go – not just as a goal, but as a pilot and as a person?

Step 2 – What you do

Flying with awareness. Planning every flight, executing, analyzing, but not to be perfect, to understand what happened and why.

Step 3 – Who you become

Development that compounds. After each cycle you're a different pilot. Not because you have more technical knowledge, but because you know yourself better.

Paul Guschlbauer in an orange jacket and black harness flying over a mountainous landscape.

Where This Work Comes From

I've been flying paragliders professionally for over 20 years. 7× Red Bull X-Alps finisher, 4× podium. Solo flight Alaska–Patagonia. More hours in the air than I can count.

What interests me more than my own flights: what changes when pilots stop asking "how do I fly better" and start asking "who do I want to be as a pilot." That's the question behind the WANDERBIRD Academy.

Paul Guschlbauer, Founder of WANDERBIRD Academy

Francois Montuori wearing a helmet and paragliding gear standing on a rocky mountaintop.

Meet François Montuori

François brings the technical depth. As a high-level competition pilot and coach, he leads the weekly technique and analysis call, where we look at your actual flights, your decisions, your lines and answers your questions in the community forum.

What the Pilots say

Matthias Heimberger

Austria

"After every call I need a few days to go through everything and reflect on it. Paul waits for what comes up, and then things move in exactly the direction that benefits everyone. That's his magic move. It takes me further not just as a pilot, but also as a person, and that stays with me in everyday life."

Freddy Snijders

Netherlands

"The lessons are immediately linked to real situations. You start looking differently at flying, weather conditions, and decision-making. A great example was our preparation for the Wanderbird Adventure: we analyzed the route, the terrain, the weather conditions. By the end of the call we had developed a much deeper understanding of the decisions pilots need to make. Theory truly comes to life through practical application. It's designed for those who want to grow not only as pilots but also as adventurers and decision makers."

Phil Woodtli

Switzerland

"I was sitting in my office thinking: how do I take the next step? Paul shows you the door and opens it for you, but you still have to walk through it yourself. He gives you the opportunity to push beyond your own limits and set new goals. That's incredibly motivating. In just 3 months it took me from flying around without a plan to my first 100km."

Ben Kaufmann

USA

"The coaching dynamic is far more time and attention than I had hoped to receive. State an intention, put it into action, bring the attempt back for feedback and analysis. That may be the most universally valuable thing about a group like this."

Mentored Program

WANDERBIRD Academy Pro

Structured video course, self-paced

2× weekly live calls – 1× with Paul, 1× with François

Personal track analysis of your actual flights

Community of committed pilots working on the same questions

3 months of active support, no fixed start date

After 3 months, you can stay on. Because development doesn't stop.

A first-person view from a paraglider of a sunset over mountains and clouds.

Here's how it works

1. Tell us a bit about yourself by clicking [Take the next step] – takes about 2 minutes.

2. Paula reaches out for a 15-minute call to understand where you are and whether the Academy makes sense for you. 3. If it's a fit, you'll have your personal consultation with Paul to assess your situation and help you find your path. Honest, direct, beneficial, whether you join the Academy or not. Spots with Paul are limited. That's why we take the time to make sure each conversation matters.

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