A South African paraglider, Pierre Carter, has become the first person to legally take off from Mount Everest.

According to Times Live, Carter took off from the South Col (7,950m) on Sunday (May 20), flying at a top speed of 80kph, and landing safely 20 minutes later at Gorak Shep village, below base camp.

A narrow weather window that allowed him to fly, forced him to choose between climbing to the top of Everest (8,849m) with the rest of his team, or taking the gap and getting airborne.

There have only been three recorded flights off Everest in the past, all without government permits, according to Muscat Daily.

Carter has flown off five of the seven mountains that make up the tallest summits on their respective continents. His goal is to fly off all seven.