The six things that matter most
- Adventure activities carry real risk, including the risk of serious injury. We reduce it. We do not remove it.
- Flying depends on the weather one hundred per cent. We do not guarantee a day, a number of flyable days, or a specific launch.
- The final decision is made by the instructor or guide. It is not up for debate. Equally, nobody can make you go.
- Insurance is mandatory for flights, courses and XC trips and must explicitly cover the activity in the country you do it in.
- You follow the instructions of the instructor and staff — before, during and after. Alcohol and substances: zero tolerance.
- Activities are performed by independent licensed operators and pilots. SkyAtlantida organises and coordinates.
How this briefing is accepted
The briefing is accepted at whichever happens first:
- you tick “I have read the safety briefing” when you book;
- you write “agreed” in WhatsApp, Telegram or by email;
- you confirm verbally at the briefing — the guide records it on the group list;
- you sign the participant document before the trip starts (mandatory for XC trips).
We record which version you accepted and when. If we change anything later, it does not apply to a booking you have already paid for.
1What adventure activities really are, and the real risk
This is a set of activities with real risk. We will not tell you it is safe — we will tell you what we do to keep the risk as low as it can be.
Paragliding, courses, XC trips and mountain activities are adventures with real risk. Serious injury and death are possible and have happened worldwide. No equipment, experience or organisation removes the risk completely — it can only be reduced.
What we do to keep it low:
- we operate and fly only in suitable conditions, and postpone when they are not right;
- we work with pilots and instructors who hold current licences and have real hours, not just a certificate;
- we use certified equipment and track reserve parachute repack dates;
- we brief before every day and debrief afterwards;
- we keep groups small — four to eight pilots on XC trips — so the guide sees every one of you.
We say this once, directly, because an adult has the right to know what they are getting into. No scare tactics further down.
2Weather, and why plans change
The weather decides everything. We do not control it and we do not promise flyable days. What we promise is telling you the decision early.
Flying depends on the weather one hundred per cent. We do not guarantee a specific day, a number of flyable days, a specific launch, or a duration. The programme can change at any moment — including moving location or cancelling the day.
When you get the decision:
- Tandem and single-day programmes — the evening before, by 20:00, and again in the morning if conditions changed. We message you either way.
- XC trips — decided each day at the morning briefing, on the forecast and the state of the group.
The weather can turn while you are at launch or in the air. In the mountains that is normal. A non-flying day on an XC trip is not empty: debriefs, theory and work on mistakes run then too.
3Who decides whether it happens
The instructor or guide can say no, and that is final. But nobody can make you go if you do not want to.
The final decision is made by the instructor or guide, on safety grounds. It is not up for debate. The grounds can be anything: wind, thermals, visibility, the state of the launch, the equipment or the person, traffic in the air. The reverse is equally true: nobody can make you go. Declining needs no explanation. For XC trips a stronger rule applies (see that section): in the air you are pilot in command.
4Instructions from the instructor and staff
Listen to the instructor. Especially at launch and landing — that is where seconds count.
You must follow the instructions of the instructor, guide and ground staff — before, during and after. This applies to everyone.
- at launch — how to stand, when to run, when to stop;
- during — radio calls, changes to the task, the call to land;
- on equipment — how to handle it, where you may and may not be.
If you systematically ignore instructions, behave dangerously, fly above your level or disrupt the group, we may stand you down for the day or remove you from the trip, with no refund. A last resort, rarely used, but it exists.
5Health and medical conditions
Activity is a physical load. Almost everyone can do it, but there are things we need to know in advance. Saying nothing is the worst option.
Activity loads the body: the launch run, G-force in turns, altitude and pressure change, cold, sometimes a firm landing. This rules out almost no one, but we need to know about some conditions beforehand.
Tell us before booking and check with a doctor if you have:
- heart or vascular conditions, arrhythmia, high or low blood pressure;
- epilepsy, fainting, neurological conditions;
- balance disorders, chronic ear conditions, a recent ear infection;
- spinal/joint injuries or surgery, recent fractures, osteoporosis;
- asthma, diabetes; pregnancy;
- panic attacks, significant anxiety, claustrophobia;
- general anaesthetic in the last 3 months; scuba diving in the last 24 hours.
None is an automatic no. You are responsible for the accuracy of what you tell us; if a material condition was concealed, we may cancel with no refund.
6Alcohol, substances and medication
Zero tolerance. Turn up impaired and you do not go, and the money is not refunded.
No alcohol or substances affecting reaction or judgement for 12 hours before and throughout the day — last night included. Prescription medication is not banned, but tell us if it affects attention, reaction, blood pressure or the vestibular system. If the instructor judges you unfit, you do not go, and it is not a conversation at launch.
7Insurance — mandatory
Without insurance covering the activity we do not let you into the air. Sort this out at home, not at launch.
Insurance is mandatory for all XC-trip and course participants and, by programme, for a number of activities. The policy must cover the activity explicitly by name; medical treatment (at least €100,000); search and rescue including helicopter evacuation; medical repatriation; and validity in the country of the trip. Tandem passengers are covered by the policy we arrange for the flight — this does not replace your own medical/travel insurance or repatriation.
8Who actually performs the service
We organise and coordinate. Licensed operators fly and run activities. That is an important distinction, not a formality.
SkyAtlantida (Sole Entrepreneur Serhii Mykhailiuta, Georgia) organises and coordinates flights, training, trips and activities. The flying, training and guiding is performed by independent professional pilots and instructors who hold current licences and act as pilots in command on their own responsibility. Cable cars, drivers, local guides, launch owners, airlines and medical providers are independent companies on their own terms.
9Photos and video
We film activities. If you would rather your footage did not appear anywhere, just say so.
We film flights, briefings and trip life and use the material on social media, the website and in presentations. If you do not want footage of you published, tell us before or at any point after — we remove it, no questions asked. On tandem flights a hand-held camera is not allowed: anything dropped at launch goes into the lines. Chest or helmet mounts only, agreed with the pilot beforehand.
10Personal belongings
Anything you take up, you take at your own risk. Phones are lost more often than you would think.
You are responsible for your belongings. We do not compensate items lost or damaged in flight, at launch, on landing or during retrieve. Phone on a lanyard or zipped pocket; glasses on a strap; empty open pockets before launch; leave earrings, chains and scarves on the ground.
11Children and minors
We fly children in tandem with a parent’s consent. XC trips are 18+.
Tandem — from 5 years old. The child must understand the pilot’s commands and be willing to walk to launch; a parent or legal guardian must be present and consent. If a child gets scared and refuses, that is fine — we do not push. XC trips and courses are 18+; under 18 only by separate written parental consent and at the instructor’s discretion.
12Tandem flight — what a passenger needs to know
You need no skills. You need proper shoes, to listen to the pilot, to run when told, and not to grab the lines.
You do not control the wing and are not expected to know anything — the pilot does everything. Your job is a few steps at launch, sitting in the harness, and putting your feet down on landing.
Age and weight. Tandem is available from age 5; there is no strict upper age limit — mobility is what matters (guests over 75 have flown with us). Passenger weight — 25 to 125 kg (including clothes and shoes); a price surcharge applies from 80 kg. Near the upper limit you need reasonable fitness to run confidently down an uneven slope. Children — with parental consent.
What to wear. Closed sports shoes with a fixed heel, long trousers, a jacket/windproof (5–10 °C colder up there), gloves autumn to spring. We provide the helmet.
Launch and landing. The pilot clips you in, checks everything and explains the command. On “run” you run forward and do not sit or jump until your feet leave the ground. On landing the pilot tells you when to put your feet down; until then, stay seated.
In the air — do not: touch the lines, brakes or handles; unclip carabiners or harness; take out a phone; stand up before the command; grab the pilot. If you feel unwell or scared, tell the pilot — he will level off and head to land. Wingovers and spirals only happen if you ask.
13Training courses — basic, advanced, SIV
On courses you learn to fly yourself. Weather and readiness decide what happens today, not just you.
Basic (10 days, from zero): ground handling, theory and first training flights; you finish with independent launch, straight flight and landing under instructor control.
Advanced (9 days, three 3-day blocks): wing control → thermals and slope → route. Ratio 1 instructor : 5 pilots. Entry — after the basic course or as a confident independent pilot (from ~10 h for the first block; 20 h recommended for the full course).
SIV (over water, Ölüdeniz, Turkey): collapses, stalls, spirals and reserve work, with boat and radio. Group up to 6, 1:1 in the air. Managed risk in a controlled setting — but the risk is real and all briefing rules apply.
14XC trips — for independent pilots
In the air you are in command. The guide gives the forecast, the task and advice — the decision to launch and continue is yours alone.
Entry. XC trips are for independent licensed pilots with their own equipment: unassisted launch, thermalling on your own, safe landing in unfamiliar terrain. Detailed requirements are on the XC Trips page.
You are pilot in command. The decision to launch, continue, turn back, land or throw the reserve is yours alone. The guide analyses the forecast, chooses the area, sets the task, briefs and debriefs — guidance and coaching by advice, not a command or a clearance.
Ratio 1:4 (group 4–8, second guide for a larger group). Deposit 30% (non-refundable, except if the group does not gather). Early booking −20% — Georgia only.
Mandatory equipment: wing, harness, reserve, helmet; vario/GPS with track log; a dual-band radio (144.000 and 433.000 MHz); charged phone and power bank; clothing for weather and altitude. A satellite tracker (Garmin inReach Mini 2/3) is strongly recommended. After landing, report immediately: alive, coordinates, condition.
15Snowmobiles
Powerful machines on snow. Listen to the guide, keep your distance, stay on the route.
Rides run with an instructor and a briefing. You drive after instruction; a helmet is mandatory and provided. Keep distance, do not overtake, do not leave the marked route — rocks, drops and avalanche slopes hide under the snow. Warm waterproof clothing, gloves and goggles required. Alcohol: zero tolerance.
16Husky sledding
Sled dogs are living and energetic. The musher gives the commands; approach the team only with permission.
Rides run with a musher/instructor. Approach the dogs and sled only with permission; avoid sudden moves and shouting. In the sled hold the rails, feet inside, brake on command. Warm clothing, gloves, snow boots. Children only with an adult and by the age the instructor states. Seasonal and weather-dependent.
17Horse riding
A horse is a large living animal. Stay calm, no sudden moves behind it, listen to the guide.
Rides run with a guide and a briefing, in a helmet. Approach calmly from the side, never suddenly from behind; do not shout, wave or feed without permission; keep distance between horses. Age 4–75; children aged 2–3 ride in a carrier backpack with the rider, under the rider’s responsibility; rider weight up to 110 kg; the horse for each rider is chosen by the instructor. Closed shoes with a small heel, long trousers.
18Rafting
A mountain river means current, rocks and cold water. Life jacket and helmet always; paddle on command. We guarantee kilometres (5 / 9 / 12 km), not minutes: the time depends on the river.
Rafting runs with a certified guide and a full briefing on the bank. Life jacket and helmet are mandatory and stay on. Paddle to the guide’s commands; if you fall in, feet downstream, back to the raft on command. Being able to swim is preferable — tell us in advance if you cannot. Quick-dry clothing, fixed shoes. Children: 5 km run (≈30 min) — from age 4 with parental permission, this route only; 9 and 12 km — from age 9; pregnancy and some conditions are contraindications.
Rafting routes are defined by distance, not by minutes: 5 km (≈30 min), 9 km (≈50 min), 12 km (≈80 min). The distance is guaranteed; the time is approximate and depends on the river level and flow. The stated time covers the whole experience — meeting the instructor, the safety briefing, gear preparation, the rafting itself and the transfer back; the clock starts when the instructor begins the briefing and preparation, not when the raft enters the water. Put-in and take-out points are fixed (safe spots with vehicle access); extending “to the next take-out” is not possible — that is a different route with a different time and price. The same route can take more or less time on different days — that is normal.
19Buggies and quad bikes
Off-road machines. Belt/helmet, both hands on the wheel, speed to the route, stay on the trail.
Rides run with a briefing; a helmet is mandatory (buggy — a seatbelt). Drive after instruction, both hands on the wheel, feet inside. Speed to the terrain and the guide; keep distance, stay on the trail. Closed shoes, goggles for dust. Driver age per the operator; children as passengers by the instructor’s age limit. Buggy: the driver must hold a valid category B driving licence (proof that you can drive a car). Before the ride, the driver signs a document accepting full responsibility for the vehicle. Only the person who signed it may drive — one driver per buggy, everyone else rides as a passenger. Swapping seats or handing the wheel to a passenger is not allowed. Alcohol: zero tolerance.
20Skiing and snowboarding
The mountain means speed, other people and avalanche terrain. Ski to your level and to the FIS rules.
Lessons run with an instructor; skiing is to your level and the FIS conduct rules (control your speed, priority to the person below, safe overtaking). A helmet is strongly recommended. Off-piste (freeride) only with a guide, avalanche kit and an understanding of the risk — avalanches are real. Rental gear is fitted to height/weight/level. Dress for the weather; sun protection is essential.
21Skydiving
The jump is performed by a certified dropzone operator under their rules. We coordinate the booking.
The tandem jump is performed by a certified dropzone operator under their own rules and weight/age/health and weather limits. A briefing is mandatory; all instructor commands are to be followed. Requirements and the final price are confirmed by the operator; seasonal and highly weather-dependent. Insurance recommended.
22Emergencies and communication
If something goes wrong, first report that you are alive and where you are. Everything else comes after.
Duty number during a trip: +995 551 355 000 — emergencies only, not a booking line. Your group guide’s direct number is given at the briefing. If you lose radio contact, silence is not an instruction: continue with the last task or land if in doubt. If you land off-plan, report immediately — alive, coordinates, condition — then pack up. The cost of a search and rescue operation falls on the pilot and their insurance, which is why a policy covering search, rescue and helicopter is mandatory.
23What you sign, and when
A tick box when you book, a verbal confirmation at the briefing, and a signature before the trip. Three points, one substance.
At booking — a “I have read the safety briefing” tick box next to the booking terms; the confirmation is written into your message. At the briefing — verbal confirmation, recorded on the group list. Before an XC trip — you sign the participant document: insurance declaration, level and equipment, acceptance of risk, medical declaration and emergency contacts. If you are not prepared to sign it, we cannot take you — better to know in advance; the deposit is returned under the cancellation rules.
24Documents before the trip
Download the participant document, print, fill in and sign it. Send it with photos of your passport and pilot licence. Once, before the trip.
Mandatory for every XC-trip participant. Until it is signed and received, we cannot let you fly. Best right after we confirm the group. Send: the completed, signed document (all pages, scanned or clearly photographed), a photo of your passport main page, and a photo of your pilot licence. Optionally your insurance policy — we will flag a gap if we see one (a friendly heads-up, not confirmation of adequacy). To: skyatlantidabooking@gmail.com or WhatsApp +995 597 035 421. We use the data only to organise the trip, do not pass it on outside those purposes, and delete it afterwards.
25The legal part
We are not trying to disclaim everything. We describe honestly what we are responsible for and what you are.
This briefing is an informational and operational document. It explains the risks and rules but does not replace the booking terms: the Terms & Conditions and the XC-trip terms. If a discrepancy appears, the booking terms prevail — tell us and we will bring them into line.
By accepting this briefing you confirm that you understand and voluntarily accept the risks inherent in adventure activities and paragliding, including risks arising from ordinary negligence in providing the services.
Nothing here excludes or limits any liability which cannot be excluded or limited under the law of Georgia — in particular for intent and gross negligence, and for death or personal injury to the extent the law does not permit. These rules and any dispute are governed by the law of Georgia; the place of resolution is the courts of Georgia, in Tbilisi.
Questions? Ask them before, not after.
There is no such thing as a silly question here — write to us and get a straight answer.
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