Friday, May 7, 2010

Questions Answered

We get a ton of questions about all aspects of skydiving in Michigan; here are some of the more frequent ones and some answers!

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I schedule a jump?
You should call (269) 998-7747 to schedule a date and time for your jump and our staff will set up an appointment for you or your group.
What are the requirements for a Tandem Training Jump?
You must be in good physical condition with no medical issues and at least 18 years of age on or before your jump.
What is the weight limit for doing a Tandem Training Jump?
You must be height/weight proportionate and weigh less than 250 Lbs.
What should I wear for my jump?
You should dress appropriately for the weather in loose comfortable clothes. You should wear comfortable lace up shoes; no heels or slip on shoes.
How does the weather affect my jump?
Skydiving is very weather dependant and the first thing you learn is NOT to believe the weather forecast if it is more than a day in advance. We wait until the day of your jump to make a weather call. If you are worried about the weather, give us a call a few hours before you drive out. Weather can vary greatly within a distance of 30 miles, so although it may be bad weather where you are, we may have perfect weather. If you call we can update you on the current weather conditions and if necessary reschedule your jump for a different date. If we have to reschedule, you will not lose any deposit you have put down, it will be transferred to the next available date of your choice.
Do you offer group discounts?
Yes! We offer discounts for groups of 5 or more. Groups of 5-9 can save each person $15 and groups of 10+ can save each person $25! A 50% deposit must be made at time of booking to recieve discount pricing.
How far in advance do I need to schedule?
That all depends on how full our schedule is, if we don't have a full schedule you can call in the morning and jump in the afternoon but if our schedule is full then you may have to make your appointment several weeks in advance. It is a good idea to lock in a date that's best for you as early as you can.
Should I eat or drink before my jump?
You should eat a regular light meal before your jump and make sure to stay hydrated. You should not however consume any drugs or alcohol prior to your jump. If we feel you are impaired by any alcohol or drugs you will not be allowed to jump!
Can my mom take pictures of me?
Absolutely! We encourage you to bring others with you to share your experience and they are more than welcome to take pictures and video you while you are on the ground. Pictures and video of you in the plane and in freefall are also available if you opt to get one of our video packages to capture the excitement of your jump.
How many of us can go up in the plane at the same time?
The jump plane is a Cessna 182 specially configured for skydiving and can hold a pilot and four jumpers. We can take up to two Tandem jumpers at a time.
How can I pay for my jump?
We accept cash and Visa/Mastercard/Discover/American Express for payments. We will accept personal checks but only on a case-by-case basis so call first.
I want to surprise someone with a Tandem Training Jump; do you have gift certificates available?
Of course we do. We have gift certificates for all our services and packages and for any amount. Call us and we will arrange a gift certificate for you!
Can I make a Tandem Training Jump during the week?
If for some reason you can not make it out on a weekend we do have the possibility to schedule your jump during the week. This is subject to Pilot and Instructor availability and requires a deposit and at least two jumpers.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

2010 Skydive Season

Skydive Allegan is up and running for the 2010 skydiving season!

While the Michigan weather is hit or miss for skydiving; we've been watching the skies and jumping whenever possible.

You can keep track of us and our jump operations status in any of several ways:

Subscribe to our Twitter Feed

Visit us on Facebook

Check out our website: Skydive Allegan

Read our Forums: Skydive Allegan Forums

When you are ready to jump, just give us a call at: (269) 998-7747 and we will add you to our skydive schedule!

Friday, March 5, 2010

Ready for the 2010 season.

Michigan Skydiving Season is just around the corner!

Now is the time to pull that gear out of the closet, blow the dust off, and give it a good thorough inspection in order to make sure you are prepared to get back into the air after a Winter layoff!

Whether you spent the Michigan Winter on the couch watching reruns of Seinfeld or grabbed the gear and spent time jumping in warmer climes, now is the time to get your gear tuned up and any issues taken care of.

Contact your rigger and make plans to get your reserve repacked if it needs it. Remember, the FAA has recently approved a new 180 day repack cycle on reserves.

If you need any assistance in finding a rigger or just have questions on your gear, feel free to contact us at any time. There are several ways to reach us:


Tuesday, October 6, 2009

In the news.

We've made the news again! This time, as part of their new one hour program: eight west, WOOD TV8 sent out meteorologist Matt Kirkwood to make his first skydive;


Matt Kirkwood at Skydive Allegan 1:







Matt Kirkwood at Skydive Allegan 2:




Get more information on Skydive Allegan!

Get more information on eight west!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Just because you can't walk doesn't mean you can't fly!


As part of the Ms. Wheelchair program, a group of wheelchair bound thrill-seekers converged on Skydive Allegan at Padgham Field for the experience of a lifetime!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Learn to Skydive!

Now is the time!   

Skydiving is a fantastic thrill-a-minute sport and Michigan is a beautiful place to skydive. We don't blame you for getting hooked and wanting to continue on to learn to jump on your own and get your license through the United States Parachute Association.  Now that Spring is here and the weather is starting to calm down and be reliable enough for student jumps (USPA says that wind need to be below 14 mph for students) it time to learn.  

Here is an quick outline of our student program:

Student Skydive Training

Level 1:Tandem training jumpIntroduction to skydiving!

Once you have completed your first jump, you will need to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to safely and successfully jump on your own. We offer a comprehensive training program that will progress you from the basic skills to the advanced techniques required to achieve your first United States Parachute Association (USPA) license, which will allow you to jump on your own anywhere in the United States along with many different countries around the world.

Level 2:Tandem training jump from 10,000(Canopy control skills)
Level 3:Ground School Training Package.(First solo student jump)

The Ground School Training Package includes; approximately 4-5 hours of classroom instruction, a copy of the United States Parachute Association (USPA) Student Information Manual (SIM), a log book, and the students first Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) solo student jump from 3,500.

Level 4:IAD jump from 3,500(Second solo student jump)

*** The students Level 5 and Level 6 jumps MUST be successfully completed on the same day! ***

Level 5:IAD jump from 3,500(Practice ripcord pull)
Level 6:5 second delay freefall jump from 4,000(First freefall)
Level 7:10 second delay freefall jump from 4,500(Canopy control skills)
Level 8:10 second delay from 4,500Canopy control skills; exit spotting)
Level 9:15 second delay from 5,500(Freefall maneuvers)
Level 10:15 second delay from 5,500(Freefall maneuvers)
Level 11:20 second delay from 6,500(Freefall maneuvers)
Level 12:20 second delay from 6,500(Bomb Out exit and tracking skills)
Level 13:30 second delay from 9,000(Freefall maneuvers and aircraft exits)
Level 14:30 second delay from 9,000(Back loop, tracking, and wave off skills)
Level 15:Introduction to Relative Work from 10,000(Exit, fall rate, docking, tracking)
Level 16:Relative Work skills from 10,000(Graduation jump and dock with Instructor)

Give us a call at (269) 998-7747 and we'll get you started!


www.SkydiveAllegan.com


Thursday, April 16, 2009

Moving to a better location!


Skydive Inc. has recently struck a deal with the Allegan City Airport to develop facilities and bring skydiving to Allegan!

While Hastings was a nice enough airport to operate out of, the airport management decided that it did not want any business development at the airport so we have moved our operation to Padgham Field in Allegan and are working on developing a first class skydive operation!  Allegan is a top notch airport and has just recently finished an airport expansion with a brand new runway.

We've got our new website up; it is: SkydiveAllegan.com  

Check out our new videos, they are located on the right side of our Skydive, Information, Training, and Prices pages and will randomly change every time you change pages or refresh your browser window.

We've also updated our Images page to be more user friendly.

Skydiving at Allegan will allow us to focus on bringing you the best and safest skydiving experience possible and will put us closer to the Michigan lakeshore for beautiful views of the sun setting over the lake.

Give us a call at (269) 998-7747 anytime and we'll help you experience the excitement of skydiving!