Thomas Viethen

Tom ‘Zip’ Viethen is a test pilot, entrepreneur, and instructor with a lifelong passion for gravity and wind-powered elements. He began his journey into the sky at age 19, trading architecture studies for the military to pursue skydiving and BASE jumping, eventually patching together a shredded paramotor wing so he could fly every day. Since then, he has been dedicated to mastering the elements and sharing the progression of free flight.

At Ozone, Tom focuses on developing tools that are safe to learn on, fun to ride, and capable of opening entirely new windows of human flight using minimal energy.

Tom lives in Annecy, France, where he has found the perfect alpine base to work between missions, on top of a cliff, in the air or deep underwater… if one could consider speedriding, BASE jumping, and cave diving to be relaxing.

“I just can't function if I can't fly, free-fall, swim, or ride every day. Flying is freedom, to share it, transmit it, and create is a massive multiplier for me. Free flying is a journey, not a destination, it is extremely rewarding to help others put safety first, avoid injuries and find the most efficient way to make long-term progress.”