Crossing Öræfajökull glacier by paramotor
Crossing Öræfajökull glacier: a long, cold and turbulent flight
Adventure and inspiration

Portfolio: Ryan Southwell Over Iceland

Pilot and filmmaker Ryan Southwell can’t get enough of Iceland’s dramatic landscapes. On his fourth flying trip to the island, he headed deep into its interior to explore the country’s hidden wonders from the air.

9 March, 2026, by Tarquin Cooper | Photos: Ryan Southwell
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“It’s hard for your brain to actually realise this is real and not just something that you’re seeing on a screen,” the filmmaker and paramotor pilot Ryan Southwell explains. “It’s that fantastic. It blows your mind so much. Five minutes ago you couldn’t believe what you just saw, but what’s in front of you is maybe even more amazing. And that keeps happening – over and over and over again.”

Welcome to Iceland. The land of Norse gods, glaciated mountains and temperamental (and unpronounceable) volcanoes, Iceland does rugged beauty like nowhere else. Its natural wonders, waterfalls, hot springs and mountains have been used as...

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