I wouldn't paraglide with anyone else, but Jeff!!! Swing up to Milpitas to for training and then ask him where else he flies around read more

What a great experience!!! Jeff was a trouper all the way from when I booked it to actually doing it! It took almost a year for us to get the right combination of day, time, air and wind conditions! But - we got it and it worked. He is super knowledgeable and I would trust and recommend him for any inexperienced person and even experienced. He stresses to have fun and makes it a lot of fun once airborne. He is calm and helpful. I trust and know now that he really does care for the customer to ensure that it is a safe and amazing experience for all. Sunni B read more

Airtime of San Francisco - Hang Gliding Near Me - Pacifica, California

Jeff is a fantastic teacher. He taught me a solid foundation and tailored the lesson to my needs and ability. Super focused on safety and also fun! read more

Jeff is who you are looking for. He helped me: * Learn to paraglide * Buy my kit * Sell my kit four years later I was bit by the paragliding bug in spring of 2018. Jeff was recommended to me by an experienced paraglider. When learning to paraglide Jeff kept me safe and taught me to how to be a safe flyer. I learned at my own pace. He gave highly actionable advice that consistently improved my abilities to fly. Lastly, buying and selling a kit with Jeff is great. I did both transactions through him and found the experiences to be smooth and easy. read more

I'm a current Hang Glider pilot, skydiver, scuba diver, base jumper, so I've had quite a bit of experience with adventure sports instructors. Jeff's "superpower" is providing just the right amount of feedback to students. I've never felt overwhelmed by what he is covering, and he does a nice job of keeping instruction just challenging enough. I bought my gear from him and he not only assembled it for me, he did it with me so that it was a learning experience. He arranges mountain trips for students which are excellent learning opportunities. He has an active alumni network that is always looking for occasions to fly together. SAFETY: On a recent trip he made the very tough call of NOT having students fly when conditions got a bit too extreme. It takes confidence and discipline to make such a call. It's the kind of thing that makes me confident in his instruction and care for my safety. read more

I did not have a good experience with Jeff. He is unorganized, unresponsive, and not someone I would do business with again. It's unfortunate because he came highly recommended by someone I trust. My first time out with Jeff in May 2012, I paid a $200 deposit for me and four friends to go paragliding. Turned out the wind was too much. Ok, no biggie. My friends were visiting, so I was told I could use the credit again. I rescheduled once but Jeff forgot after confirming. I called him the day of, and he basically said "whoops." I rescheduled again late in the season, and the wind waa too light. This is a weather sport after all. I try to schedule again for the fourth time in September 2013, and Jeff still doesn't remember who I am. Gives me his loooooong spiel all over again and tells me to go online and send him an email through his website. I do this, wait a week, and then call him because I hadn't received any confirmation (and from past experience, I know how unorganized he is). Jeff once again starts to give me his spiel, and I tell him I'm calling because I didn't receive a response to my email and am checking to make sure it didn't get misplaced. He then says he believes I'm being unreasonable and impatient and doesn't want to work with me. I mention he still has $200 of mine from last year, and he says the best he'll do is give me 70% of my money back. He did refund in the end. Basically, Jeff is a semi-pro glider trying to convert his passion into a living but lacks the business skills to provide good service. I would not have continued to work with Jeff if I could have gotten my money back sooner, and I caution those thinking about signing up with him. It's too bad there are so few other licensed tandem glider instructors in the area. There's a big market waiting for someone who can provide a great experience. read more

Tried Paramotoring but wanted a more quite ride so decided to try paragliding. Found Jeff on a google search and was impressed with the good feedback he has on Yelp and Google. Since I had a wing from my Paramotor days, Jeff checked it out and said that I can use this wing for my training as well as flying. Jeff's main focus is on safety, he will check you again and again, and explain again and again what you did wrong and what you did correct. (he does have eyes on the back of his head). Jeff will drive all over the bay area to find the optimal flying site based on the weather, even if its far from his shop. Jeff's classes are kept small so you get his maximum attention - I was lucky to train during Covid19 so sometimes it was me alone with Jeff. His online Calendar makes scheduling easy as you can see when Jeff is available and when not. The website is a great place for information, training, videos and articles. Ground school during Covid19 was via Zoom and was extremely useful I strongly recommend Jeff to anyone who want to go into paragliding - I am very happy with my decision to train with Jeff Thanks Jeff read more

Jeff is hands down the best, most knowledgable paraglider in the area and beyond. He is passionate about the sport, but always puts safety first. His teaching style is thorough and intense. His main concern always is pilot safety and will not rush the process. He does have pilots who sometimes assist him but he is essentially a one man operation and gives all of his time and energy to his students. If you are serious about becoming a pilot Jeff is the instructor you want. read more

Airtime of San Francisco - Hang Gliding Near Me - Pacifica, California

Jeff is the best paragliding instructor I ever worked with. I got my P2 rating with Jeff. He is knowledgable, patient and always emphasize safety. His system help me build good & safe paragliding habit and enjoy flying! read more

Jeff is a great instructor. My friend (who is a private pilot) and I signed up to get to our P3 with Jeff and we have been loving his approach to instruction. Jeff is very focused on building fundamentals. He starts off with lots of kiting and learning to control the wing, until its second nature. He then moves on to teaching reverse launches -- which is how most people launch 90% of the time. This allows students to tackle some difficult learning up front and means they don't get discouraged later. Jeff's style is really friendly, but very professional and by-the-book. Which is *exactly* what you want when learning to fly in any aircraft. He maintains small class sizes which means you get plenty of personal attention and instruction. In my class we had a young woman from Bulgaria and a guy from New Zealand. Both of them had been recommended Jeff from pilots in their own countries. I think this speaks volumes: that people halfway round the world are recommending Jeff as the go-to pilot in the Bay Area. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jeff to anyone who asked me where to learn to paraglide -- that includes my motorcycle-riding adrenalin junkie friends or my own mother, if she wanted to learn to fly. He's just a great instructor who clearly loves the sport and loves seeing others get their wings. read more

I trained with Jeff over the past couple of years and am now on my way to being a P3 paraglider pilot. As with many other passionate practitioners of highly particular sports, Jeff is a highly particular guy, and he has some quirks that irk some people. He does tend to repeat himself (usually for the sake of safety and completeness), he may not remember exactly who you are until he's met you in person a couple of times (he deals with a lot of students), and he is close friends with his ego. All that said, I respect Jeff's teaching and coaching very highly, I have seen him at work both on the training hill and on several flying trips both in California and in Mexico, and he is really really good at what he does. Quirks and all, I would recommend Jeff without reservation for anyone interested in learning to fly paragliders in the San Francisco / Bay Area. This is not a sport to be taken lightly. Any type of flying requires a lot of training, attention to detail, discipline, respect for the environmental and weather conditions, understanding of equipment, and a mental attitude that allows you to be - or become - comfortable with free flight. If you take up the sport you will quickly find that every pilot you meet is a true individual, a lover of freedom, and most often not your average John Q Public. If you are serious about learning, pay attention to the quality of your training above all else - it will pay you back many times over during your flying career. Jeff's teaching method has been refined over his 20+ years of flying experience, and it's very clear that safety is his top priority. He is a very conservative pilot, and teaches from that point of view. In my opinion this is without a doubt the best place to start. People often ask whether paragliding is dangerous -- well, it certainly can be if you take lots of risks! Paragliding is one of the most incredible things you can do -- free flight with an aircraft that fits in a backpack!! -- and it is relatively safe, if you learn to fly well. By the way -- If you ever find yourself frustrated in your communications with Jeff, my recommendation is simply to be honest and direct with him. He's as good listener, even if it sometimes takes some effort to get him to do so ;) read more

This review is long overdue (as in several years)....as I was doing some spring cleaning of my files, I ran across a voucher my husband bought me for a tandem flight and it brought back my experience! As a birthday present, my sweet husband paid $250 for a tandem flight. Being the self conscious girl that I am, I was trying to lose weight before strapping myself to a stranger to jump off a cliff and hang in the air (visions of me weighing us down couldn't be extinguished). Time wore on, I eventually got to my goal weight, but it took about a year. I called Jeff to set up my ride and was told it had been too long. Now, I am a groupon & living social regular and get that promo values are only good for so long. However, it is the law in CA that the amount paid still applies. Needless to say, Jeff totally blew me off after several attempts to book. Oh well, $250 down the drain. I see the para gliders constantly (they fly over my house) and I always wonder if that's the jerk that happily took my husband's money, then tried to act like some sort of magic paragliding inflation occurred that warranted forfeiture of the purchase! read more

Wonderful experience with Jeff, he is easy to learn from and works with you to make flying easy. Call to set up your first or just to gain experience. read more

I started my flight training in sailplanes in AZ in the early 90s and finally got my private pilot license, Gliders, after moving to California. I flew sailplanes for several years and then left the sport (for family and financial obligations). Next, I transitioned to single engine airplanes and owned a small airplane for a couple years. The cost of traditional flight, in terms of money and time always seemed too excessive. I then happened to take a tandem paraglider flight while on vacation and I was hooked. As soon as I returned to the Bay Area, I began looking for a paragliding instructor. After viewing a number of websites and talking with several instructors, I was most impressed with Jeff Greenbaum at Airtime of San Francisco. I could tell right away that Jeff is focused on the individual success and safety of each of his students - the balance I was looking for between instructors with too few students and those who take on way too many to be able to ensure the personal attention I believe is required to become a safe, competent and confident (but not complacent or ego-centric) pilot. I found Jeff to be very detail oriented, direct, and on the spot with encouragement as well as timely constructive criticism, all focused on establishing competent and safe paraglider pilots. I purchased a full package from Jeff for instruction which also included a generous discount on an excellent quality equipment package (including additional safety items). I received my P2 rating from Jeff and recently completed my P3 rating with him as well. I highly recommend Jeff (Airtime of San Francisco) www.paragliding-lessons.com, for an introduction tandem flight, initial lessons, or a full training and equipment package, if you know the sport is right for you. Look for Jeff Greenbaum on Facebook for some excellent videos. Or, check out my iCloud share for Paragliding at https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0S5oqs3q33qui to see some of my adventures made possible via Jeff's instruction and open feedback. read more

I learned paragliding with Jeff of Airtime of San Francisco four years ago, best decision ever. Airtime of San Francisco has a well structured course, the pace is kept constantly within the student acquired skill set, and Jeff judgment is always spot on. Airtime is also a great source of study material with technical articles that support the needs ranging from beginner to advance piloting. The care and quality this material is put together with is indicative of the passion and commitment of the school to its students. The teaching does not stop at the end of the course. Jeff has been a constant source of support and instruction even after graduation. He truly creates a community of passionate friends around his school to exchange experience and fly together. After 4 years of flying, I still go to Jeff for advice on techniques, on sites, and flying conditions. I know I can still relay on his suggestions to fly better and to be safe. While there are several schools in the bay area I truly believe Airtime of San Francisco is by far the best. read more

Jeff is an amazing instructor. I originally began my training in San Diego at Torrey Pines Glider port back in 1995. Great folks down there. Shortly after I began there, I moved to the Bay Area where I finished my P2 with a well known instructor at that time. God bless him. Anyway, 2002 was my last flight until I picked up the sport again in 2012. I started shopping around and called Jeff one day on the phone. Based on my previous paragliding experience, I could tell immediately he would be my next instructor. Very easy to talk to and just full of information and real life experiences. Very technical too, I might add. Anyway, I pretty much started from scratch since the technology had advanced so much in the past ten years. Jeff has offered excellent instruction and has a keen eye for watching your flight preps and take offs. He's been flying since the '80's. One of the first to learn paragliding and teach it. He will always be your critic for good reason. Aviation of any kind is not so forgiving so you have to know your limitations and understand your level of experience. He will provide you the base knowledge and advanced as you progress through your training and experience. Expect to make new terrific friends and share a common ground from all walks of life. Thank you Jeff for your patience and excellent training. read more

2013 has been one of the most memorable years of my life largely because of paragliding and the people that I have met through this incredible sport. I have Jeff Greenbaum to thank for safe and thorough instruction and continuing to be a valuable resource to me and many of my flying friends. I started the P2+ Unlimited lessons package this past February and was able to complete my P2 certification by June. Scheduling lessons was a cinch as Jeff's schedule is extremely flexible and open. The combination of kiting (ground handling) sessions, flying off the 300 foot hill at Ed Levin Park in Milpitas, ground schools, as well as a very comprehensive collection of on-line articles made for a great approach to learning. Jeff has high standards and is extremely discerning, as one previous reviewer mentioned. He will not let you get away with sloppy technique or congratulate you when you haven't done everything correctly. I have come to appreciate this very much as I believe it has made me a more aware and safety-conscious pilot. In a sport where attention to detail and situational awareness are critical to avoid injury (or worse), I am glad I learned from an instructor with high standards. Achieving my P2 certification was just the beginning of my paragliding adventures, however. Jeff organizes several mountain paragliding trips from the late spring through early fall----more than any other local instructor, it seems. These trips are a fun way to get a supervised introduction to other flying sites in northern California and meet other paragliding pilots. Jeff's attention to detail, good judgement and concern for safety make flying in the mountains a fun, comfortable and confidence-building experience. This February, I will be accompanying Jeff and 6 other pilots to paraglide near Guadalajara, Mexico. I can't wait. read more

This is literally my worst experience ever. I have been ripped off of $600 even though I never did the tandem paragliding. My friend is interning in the Bay Area for three months and we really wanted to go paragliding and we signed up for the 1-hour paragliding with Jeff and paid $600 in full. It turns out that the weather condition was never "good enough for paragliding" for the entirety of July and August. Jeff never communicated clearly that this activity is non-refundable. It's not stated on the website on on any of our email communication. His instructor Henry even told us that we should ask for refund because we never even go on paragliding. But Jeff just keeps on saying it's non-refundable and refuses to give our money back. We tried to call him multiple times and he just hanged up the phone. He even called us "narrow-minded" and "not good at English". We feel really offended and prejudiced against. I would not recommend anybody doing any business with Jeff. read more

Jeff is the best instructor in the bay area for paragliding! It is obvious if you sit and watch launches on the bunny hill in Milpitas with all the other instructors and students present. Jeff's students have the best launches by far. This sport can be dangerous and isn't for everyone; you need to have a good instructor. He can be demanding but your paragliding skills will be better in the end. read more

Really glad I came to Jeff to take his P2+ course. Instruction is thorough and comprehensive. Jeff has a strong focus on safety and teaching his students how to do things the right way. He makes a lot of effort to teach students not just what they need for their rating, but also extra skills he considers important. His paragliding articles that come with the course are excellent. When looking for paragliding schools, I didn't see any that had anything like that, and some schools were even linking back to the free articles on Jeff's site. My conclusion when I signed up with him was that there isn't a better person around here to learn from and my experiences with him are most certainly bearing that out. read more

Whether you're looking to become a certified paragliding pilot or you're interested in a weekend introduction to flying, Airtime's program is hands down the right avenue to take. Jeff is the most knowledgeable instructor that I know, and he really takes the time to finesse his students' techniques. I completed his P2+ Unlimited lessons package and am incredibly satisfied with the training - from ground school to kiting to flying. Here is the basis for my assessment: (1) Jeff has three decades of flying experience. His worldwide flying ventures have enabled him to have a conscience grasp on what is required to be safe in the air. (2) Jeff cares about his students' techniques and abilities. He's not the instructor who will applaud you when you haven't done everything correctly. He will make sure that you've learned something new (or have been reminded of something you forgot) after every single lesson. Jeff's instruction instills the very fundamentals and essentials required to become a first-class pilot. (3) Jeff makes learning on and off the mountain very easy. His website contains the most comprehensive guide to paragliding. It has detailed articles (on anything and everything), videos, and quizzes. His ground school is also incredibly beneficial, and there is no limit to the number of classes you can attend. (4) Jeff takes time with his students. I highly recommend his P2+ Unlimited package. You are not rushed into graduating from the program, and Jeff is on the mountain with you until both of you are comfortable with your solo flying ability. (5) Jeff has a very accommodating schedule. He has a fast response time to emails, text messages, and phone calls. He has a calendar and updates it daily with lesson times, attendees, etc. It makes scheduling and keeping track of dates very easy. I highly recommend Jeff Greenbaum's Airtime of SF program for anyone considering paragliding. read more

If you are looking for arguably the most knowledgeable person to teach you paragliding - Jeff is the guy. For over 25 years, I have had the dream of flying - and Jeff has made this year one of the most exciting years ever! There is a reason that most Google searches on paragliding lead back to his website and articles. He has extensive knowledge of the sport - exceptionally good with training safety... Details, details, details - they are all important to him. I appreciate every last detail he wants to explain to me (or correction he gives when I do something wrong) - I would rather be over prepared. If you are looking to give this sport a serious try - I would highly recommend Jeff. Hands down - the best I have seen over the past year. read more

In 2009 Jeff took my dad and I through our P2 ratings and since has been an incredible resource for this amazing adventure that is flying. Jeff constantly introduces us to new sites, new people, and encourages us to fly conservatively and safely. Here are a few highlights of my experience with Jeff: - Jeff leaves no stone unturned - when you are learning from Jeff he will give you his full attention and will make sure you understand every mistake you are making as well as all the things you are doing well. He can be garrulous at times and I find this to be a strong asset. I'd rather know each and every detail of what I'm doing rather than just throw myself at the sky uninformed. - Jeff has great integrity and expects this of his students. If he says he will be somewhere he will be. This makes what could be a difficult process of scheduling and arranging lessons work very well, smoothly, and fairly. - Jeff's website is great. check it out: www.paragliding-lessons.com The thoroughness and professional quality of this website is a testament to Jeff's intentions as an instructor and mentor. - Jeff is a great resource if you ever desire to get a tandem rating or an instructor rating. - Jeff organizes amazing weekend trips to flying sites all over california! These trips are really fun and typically involve camping and amazing company ground side or in the sky. - Jeff is all around a great guy. He means well, he does well, he takes care of his people, and his love for the sport is infectious. I give Jeff 5 stars because I am very satisfied with the quality of his lessons and his contribution to my paragliding experience in general. Paragliding is an incredible experience and I have really lived some of the greatest moments of my life hanging from a rag 7000' feet over the sierras in thermals with eagles and hang gliders or 3500' over lake Berryessa practicing full stalls in a clinic with my dad. If I were to do this all over again knowing what I know now I would absolutely do it again with Jeff as my instructor. read more

I did a fair amount of research into finding the right company to teach me how to paraglide from. From my very first call, Airtime of San Francisco was the top of my list. Hands down the method of instruction was in-depth, one on one, professional and completely by the book. Certainly one of the pioneers in the sport, Jeff has developed and extensive on-line wealth of articles and tutorial videos that his students have access to. This information was invaluable (and still is) through my certification and continued learning process. I highly recommend anyone interested in paragliding to simply give Jeff a call...you to will be happy to learn what right is the first time. Kirk read more

Because of my paragliding experience with Jeff, I had a memorable 26th birthday celebration. Jeff is experienced, knowledgeable and most importantly very safe! He was very informative and realistic about expectations about hang gliding...highlighting the inclemental weather. My paragliding experience with Jeff was very relaxing and spectacular. The view from up there is very scenic...I felt like I was in a movie! I highly recommend paragliding with Jeff! read more

Jeff is knowledgeable and passionate. Not questioning that. But he came from a background that he was accustomed to lots of screaming and yelling. He is not a patient instructor. He is more a finger pointer. It is your fault if you did not get it. He is ~60 years old. So he wont change his ways and you have to take whatever he dishes out. He has a personality complex that He think he is expert of all things relating to aeronautic and tried to tell me how Bernoulli's equation works though he has little authority in the fluid mechanics. He likes to cut you short if you try to explain or ask question. I signed up a for a two day class for $225/day. On the class day, there were 3 -4 students. Everyone had to OBEY his command and do drill only after another student completed the drill over a loudspeaker. The class lasted 3 hours. I got less than 1 hour of training, really. Watching was not training. So the cost of the class is $225 per hour. You can get one hour a flight training on a Cessna 152 ( a really airplane) for $125/hour. So his class is definitely a rip off. So before you fork over ~$2000, ask yourself: how can I get my money back if he acts like a jerk in the middle of the course. Is there anyone else that can show you how to fly a kite without the yelling part? Do I really want to join this sports i.e flying off a cliff when you can ski, windsurf at much lower overhead? Tony W. read more

I'm most of the way to my P2 rating through Airtime's "P2+ Unlimited" lesson program and have purchased my own equipment through them, and I couldn't be more satisfied with my choice of paragliding school. Now that I've hung around the hill a bit and seen different instructors in action I can attest to one of Jeff's most significant strengths. Jeff sees everything. Everything. If I connect something wrong, if my hand is in the wrong place, if I pull a little too much brake when I'm launching or kiting... Jeff sees it, and I will hear about it. Jeff wants my ground handling and launches to be perfect. When it comes to the nuts and bolts stuff (and how I'm doing it wrong) he is as direct as direct can be. I've come to appreciate this very much. If you're interested in paragliding instruction, give Jeff a call, talk to him about his program, maybe even attend a ground school. But more than anything I suggest you sign up for his two-day introductory paragliding course. My first day was reserved for "kiting", or learning to fly the wing overhead before leaving the ground. It might seem like a drag if you're as eager to fly as I was, but by teaching this critical skill early, Jeff sets students up for a MUCH better day the first time they get to launch off the training hill. I've watched other students at the hill get overwhelmed trying to learn launching without learning some kiting skills first. I also got access to his comprehensive collection of articles and a chance to work with him a bit and see his style before I committed to the rest of the program. Jeff credited the cost of the two-day intro towards the cost of my full lesson package. Given how much time Jeff has spent with me so far, the P2+ Unlimited package is an excellent value. You can compare packages from different schools, but I want to point out some things that you don't necessarily get from the website. These are the kind of things I worry about before I spend a significant amount of money on something open-ended like an instruction package: - Jeff has been available every single day I have. He doesn't have to schedule around another job. On days when I'm the only student I get a one-on-one lesson. On other days I get the huge benefit of watching and talking to other students. He's never canceled on me or flaked. He lays his whole calendar out on his website so everyone can see everything. - Jeff is prompt. (Do NOT be late. You'll get an earful. :) ) - Jeff always answers even my dumbest questions thoroughly, even the second and third time I ask them, without making me feel dumb for asking them. - Jeff never stops working on his approach to instruction. You can tell by his articles that he's poured himself into teaching people to fly for a long time. When I have failed to grasp a concept or not understood a mistake I was making, he's come at it from a bunch of angles trying to figure out how to help me learn. He's as passionate about teaching as he is about flying. Learning to fly has been the most exciting thing I've ever done. All my flights off the various training hills have been magic, but I'm really looking forward to earning my P2 rating so I can get to the really, really good stuff like my coastal intro. Airtime also organizes trips to remote sites where Jeff offers coaching to former P2 students, the learning doesn't stop when you get your rating. Every paraglider pilot is a character. I've made friends with some of the most interesting and colorful people, and Jeff is no exception. Wait till you meet these people! And wait till you start flying into lift and going UP. They say, "up is good". Up, as it happens, is really, really, really good. read more

I learned to paraglide with Jeff about 2 years ago. I had some friends that were taking lessons somewhere else at the same time. When I would get together with my friends, we would compare notes and I always felt that I was getting the better deal. I definetly had more one on one time with my instuctor (Jeff) than my friends did with theirs. I learned lots of skills and most importantly learned to be safe. I now have over 100 hours of airtime and 300 launches! read more

After researching several Paraglider training websites in the San Francisco Bay Area I chose Airtime of SF because of the amount of information pertaining to the sport that was available on the website. Jeff has been flying since the sport was in its infancy. This led me to believe he was very involved instructor with training and student safety a priority rather than just making a buck. This proved to be a reality. I started taking Paragliding instruction from Jeff in July of 2011. In about a month and a half of weekend training, I had finished all of the requirements for my P2 certification except the written exam. Unfortunately, in early September, I had an accident which disabled me for 6 months. After physical therapy for another three I felt I was ready to fly again. I called Jeff and he was more than willing to work with me to get me back in the air, at no extra cost to me. He basically started me over in the lessons and let me know when I was ready to take my P2 exam. I passed the exam in August of this year and have enjoyed almost 100 flights since my first Bunny Hill experience. I would, and have, recommended Airtime of S.F. to anyone interested in the addictive sport of Paragliding. read more