Lasha Japava

My paragliding journey began in 2006, leading to professional training in 2014 with instructor Anatoly Mikhailuta in Gudauri. To refine my skills, I trained in Annecy and Chamonix and completed SIV safety courses in Turkey. By 2017, I started working as a tandem instructor in Gudauri, where I also began teaching local youth to promote paragliding as both a sport and a business. To build an independent infrastructure, I co-founded the Georgian National Paragliding Federation in 2018 and the Xcaucasus hub in 2019. I successfully pioneered new flight locations in Rustavi, Tetnuldi, Gonio, and Kvariati, supported by EU and Georgian Ministry of Economy projects. These locations have proven vital for both commercial tourism and safety training. Currently, I am collaborating with the government to establish safety regulations and licensing. I am also writing a paragliding textbook and have submitted my syllabus for national accreditation. With extensive experience—including a 120km cross-country flight and 500 annual flight hours—my next goal is to develop paragliding in Racha and my native Abkhazia, empowering local pilots to lead the industry.