The Team

Our Instructors

Robin Marien
Robin
Robin is the owner and Flight Director of Torrey Pines Gliderport. He holds a Master Pilot (P5), Advanced Instructor, Tandem Instructor, Tandem Administrator, Instructor Administrator, Tow Tech and over 5,000 hours of air time. Robin has been a tandem pilot with Torrey Pines Gliderport since 1999. Robin also prides himself on being the “funny-bone” of Torrey Pines Gliderport. He has also proclaimed himself the “Chief Gardener” of the Gliderport.
Junior
Junior started flying in 2009 when he came to Torrey Pines to learn at the school – his instructors were Bob and Max. Shortly after becoming a solo pilot, he pursued his Advanced Instructor rating and became one of our Tandem Instructors. Now he is Torrey’s General Manager and the friendly face you’ll see when you walk into our office!
Giuseppe TPG Instructor
Giuseppe
Flying since 2000, Giuseppe quickly realized his true passion for aerobatic flying. He began competing early on and became one of the top acro pilots in North America. He began powered paragliding in 2003 as a way to get more airtime. Giuseppe followed the wind which took through Europe, Central America, and South America. He fell in love with Costa Rica and spent winters there teaching and flying tandems. He moved to San Diego to get more airtime and to share his knowledge with new pilots.
Steve
Steve became one of the Gliderport resident instructors late 2013.  He has been the Site Director for Woodrat Mtn., in Medford, OR for the last several years, famously known for the Rat Race competition.  His paragliding career has taken him to Europe, where he taught martial arts to Special Forces and paragliding to the soldiers on the weekends. 
Instructor JC
JC
He spent two decades skydiving – as an instructor, videographer, and parachute rigger. He holds instructor ratings from United States Parachute Association (USPA) for Tandem, Accelerated Free Fall, Instructor Assisted Deployment, and Tandem Course Director. Also a Master Parachute Rigger, JC served as USPA Safety and Training Advisor and Tandem Instructor Examiner. He holds paramotor instructor/tandem ratings from the USPPA and is an expert in powered paragliding. He is a USHPA advanced and tandem instructor.
Charlie
Charlie
Charlie’s customer satisfaction ranking is one of the highest here at Torrey Pines. Charlie has been a Tandem Instructor here for the last eight years. He has more than three decades of flying experience with advanced ratings in hang gliding and paragliding. Additionally, he has a private pilots license with a sailplane endorsement. Charlie has an Advanced Paragliding Instructor rating with 10,000+ hours of total airtime. Ask Charlie and he’ll tell you he’s an angel in training and that this must be Heaven!
Brandon

Brandon began paragliding in 2019. He devoted all his free time to flying and quickly became obsessed. Brandon holds an Advanced Paragliding rating along with a Tandem Instructor rating. He spends his free time flying Cross Country, doing aerobatics, skydiving, speed-flying and traveling.  

 

Alex

Alex first found his love for being in the air through skydiving with his first jump in 1995. He just finished working the last 10 years training the U.S Navy SEAL’s and now has over 19,800 plus skydives. He started paragliding over 11 years ago and has been doing tandem paraglide flights for over 6 years. He loves sharing the gift of flight with whoever wants to go.

Jay

Jay grew up in the 80s when playing outside after school until sunset was mandatory. Today, he’s older and still acts like a kid, but he’s been fortunate to have turned his hobbies into professions as an Emergency First Response Instructor, Spearfishing and Sea Kayaking Guide and Scuba Diving Instructor. And if you ever asked him he’d say he was “livin the dream”. Then in 2016 he discovered paragliding and it was another dream come true! He learned in New Mexico and has flown all over the Southwestern United States and recently Valle de Bravo, Mexico. He is extremely passionate and loves sharing the sport of free flight with people! Jay joined the Torrey Pines Gliderport team in the summer of 2022 as a USHPA Basic Instructor. He is dedicated to the safety and growth of pilots, the community and the sport of paragliding. And don’t forget about Duchess, the blue heeler cattle dog who is always by his side. Come fly with us!

Chyna

Chyna started paragliding in 2020, beginning in the office signing people up for tandem flights. It wasn’t long before she traded the desk for the sky, and now she’s a tandem pilot taking people out to experience the thrill of flying. As one of the only female tandem pilots at Torrey Pines Gliderport, Chyna loves sharing her passion for paragliding—and she flies a pink glider that’s hard to miss. 🪂✨

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