Get to know us

The Swiss Paraglide Team

Swiss Paraglide Zermatt was founded by the Swiss/American pilot Chris Banford.

  • Chris Banford - Pilot Portrait

    Chris Banford

    Pilot & Founder of Swiss Paraglide Zermatt.
    Chris has been flying since 2007 and a full-time tandem pilot since 2013. He loves the challenge of flying long distance (XC - Cross-country) and racing in paragliding competitions around the world. After 10 years as a Partner at FlyZermatt, he's now starting his own flying business here in Zermatt.
    Having lived most of his life in Zermatt, he knows the area extremely well.
    Nationalities: 🇨🇭 Swiss (Zermatt)
    🇺🇸 USA (Storrs, Connecticut)
    Languages: English. German.

  • Mirjiam (Mirji) Büchler

    Mirjam (Mirji) Büchler

    Customer Support. Office & Administration.
    Mirjam is a Swiss native fluent in Englisch, French, German and Italien. I have a background in tourism and extensive experience in hospitality. Passionate about animals, I love spending time with dogs and horses. Meeting people and helping to make their experience unforgettable is something I truly enjoy.
    Nationalities: 🇨🇭 Swiss (Lausanne)
    🇩🇪 German
    Languages: French. German. English. Italian.

  • Pilot Alex Ribeiro

    Alex Ribeiro

    Pilot
    Alex is from Portugal and has made Zermatt his home since 2000. He started flying paragliders in 2010 and has been a Swiss Tandem Pilot since 2014.
    Nationalities: 🇵🇹 Portuguese
    🇨🇭 Swiss (Zermatt)
    Languages: Portuguese. German. English.