World-renowned wingsuit pilot and South African world champion paraglider Jean Jacques Wallis has been identified as the flyer who died in a paragliding crash on Lion’s Head on Tuesday.
Wallis (35), one of the fastest wingsuit pilots on the international extreme-sports circuit, was fatally injured after crashing into the mountain while test-flying a Flare Moustache parakite, a new, highly responsive hybrid wing designed for strong-wind coastal soaring and high-speed flight.
The South African Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA) says that although the parakite falls within the paragliding regulatory category, it handles very differently from the larger wings typically used for training or tandem operations.
SAHPA confirmed the fatality in a statement and extended condolences to Wallis’s family and the broader aviation community. The Civil Aviation Authority’s Accident and Incident Investigation Division (AIID) is now probing the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Wallis had spent two decades in professional aerial sports, working across skydiving stunts, filming, tandem jumps and speed flying. According to his social media profiles, he built his career on a passion that began with a single skydive at age 12.
A September profile by aviation platform Smokeon…go described Wallis as reaching speeds of up to 230 km/h in his wingsuit, representing South Africa at elite international events. He told the publication at the time that while he thrived on the adrenaline of extreme flight, safety was always his priority.
Wallis competed in the 11th WWL Grand Prix at Tianmen Mountain, China, later that same month, winning gold in the Target Strike event after scoring over 90 points on both flights. He also finished fourth in the Slalom Speed Race.
He was an instructor at Base Jump Africa, offering multiple courses on flying.
Wingsuit flying, one of his signature disciplines, allows pilots to glide horizontally through the air using specialised suits with fabric wings between the arms and legs. After covering a significant distance, a parachute is deployed for landing.
The AIID has appealed for anyone with video, photographs or other evidence of Tuesday’s flight to come forward.
SAHPA emphasised that all information will be handled confidentially under “Just Culture” safety principles, which encourage open reporting of hazards and incidents without fear of punishment, with the goal of preventing future accidents rather than assigning blame.
