FAQ
Understandably, you might have some questions about throwing yourself out of an airplane! We’ve answered many of them below. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please send us a message. We’d love to hear from you.
We are open 7 days/week during the warm summer months and closed for business between mid-November and late March.
Our office hours are 9am-5pm, though we are often available much later on the weekends. Give us a call at (262) 886-3480 to enquire about our upcoming schedule.
You can book in one of two ways:
1) Online
2) Over the phone at (262) 886-3480
A $50 deposit (per person) is required to make a reservation. This credit will be applied to your remaining balance on the day of your jump.
Yes. In order to make a skydive with us, you must:
- Be 18 years or older, with valid ID.
- Weigh no more than 250 lbs.
- Be medically able to skydive. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor.
- Not be under the influence of alcohol.
That’s it! There is no height or upper-age limit. Skydiving is an activity for (almost) everyone! Even grandma can give it a try. She wouldn’t be the first!
The only person who can answer this question for you is a medical professional. Health-related issues we recommend discussing with your doctor include but are not limited to: cardiac or pulmonary conditions, high/low blood pressure, fainting spells, convulsions, epilepsy, narcolepsy, ear infections, hearing loss, inner ear or sinus problems, nervous or mental disorders, diabetes, back injuries, shoulder injuries, kidney disease or related disorders, orthopedic problems, alcohol or drug addiction/dependency, artificial limbs, recent surgical problems, contagious diseases, subluxation or joint dislocation, pregnancy or any other mental/physical condition.
Skydiving with a sinus infection is not recommended. Any medical disclosures listed on your waiver will require a doctor’s permission to skydive.
You must reschedule 48-hours in advance. If you fail to provide proper notice you will forfeit your $50 deposit or be charged a $50 rescheduling fee if you did not make a deposit.
Skydivers are at the mercy of the weather. Inclement weather can delay skydiving for an hour, several hours or sometimes even the entire day. Strong, gusty winds can be a factor as well as cloud coverage, rain or extreme temperatures (below 30 F). We want to skydive as much as you do but we will always put safety first. Delays can be frustrating but trust us, it's worth the wait!
Weather forecasts are only forecasts, so we don’t recommend cancelling your appointment because of a forecast. Our instructors will still plan to be at the dropzone ready to teach your training class and jump as soon as the weather (hopefully) clears. If you choose to cancel because of a forecast, you must do so 48 hours in advance or you will forfeit your $50 deposit.
Tandem training classes will still be held at their scheduled times, and you are required to attend if you have an appointment. After your class, it is up to your group as to how long you would like to wait for the weather to clear. We will wait with you until 1 hour prior to sunset at which point we must issue you a rain check. We want to skydive as much (sometimes even more) than you do!
A rain check voucher can be taken at any time. If you purchased your ticket directly through our company, the value of your rain check never expires. If you end up needing to jump after the expiration date you can apply the value of your raincheck to a regular priced jump. If you have purchased a coupon voucher through a third party, it will still expire at the original date of expiration for the coupon. Rain checks are non-refundable, however they are fully transferable and easy to use.
While we do our best to get you trained up and in the air as soon as possible after you arrive. However, our wait times can be extended by a number of factors including bad weather, late check-ins and number of bookings, number of instructors available or videos purchased. On any given day our office staff is balancing tandem bookings, videographers for tandem customers, experienced skydivers and skydiving students all trying to get a lift up in the same airplane(s). While we do our best to manage this in a timely manner, it is not an exact science – especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate and keeps us on the ground!
Because there is some variability with wait times, we recommend planning to spend the day with us. We know long wait times can be frustrating but they can also be fun if you’re prepared! We have an 80 foot observation deck for watching the skydivers land. We also have picnic tables and a community grill (charcoal & utensils not included). There is a sand volleyball court and bags for your enjoyment. We also recommend bringing lawn chairs, a picnic basket, blanket, books, magazines, playing cards, footballs, soccer balls or other sports entertainment equipment or games. We also recommend bringing some snacks.
And, here’s a tip: in general, our weekday and early-morning bookings will have the shortest wait times. So, if you’re in a hurry, be an “early bird”!
Large groups should also plan on longer wait times. We will be trying our best to keep your group together which can sometimes take a little longer. If you don’t mind splitting your group to make the process faster, please let us know at check-in.
If you do end up waiting a while, we really appreciate your patience. If there’s anything we can do to make your time at Skydive Midwest more enjoyable, please let our office staff know!
While we generally recommend starting with a Tandem Skydive, you do not have to do a tandem jump before going solo. For more information on our licensing program, visit our “Learn to Skydive” area!
We love seeing future skydivers at our dropzone! That said, if you have small children please keep in mind that you may be at the dropzone for a long period of time. Most of our customers opt to sit outside during their visit, which can be hot or stressful for children! If you do bring your children, please make sure they are supervised and within the observation area at all times. We operate on a busy airport and it is possible for children to slip under the observation area guardrail and enter into dangerous territory.
We ask that you leave your pets at home, they are not permitted in the building and other customers may have a fear of or allergy to your pet.
Tandem skydiving has the strongest safety statistics of any type of jump with only 0.003 fatalities per thousand jumps over the past 10 years. Improving technology, revolutions in equipment design and dropzone management have helped to dramatically improve the safety of the sport. That said, skydiving is an extreme sport and it does have inherent dangers.
Most skydiving incidents occur with experienced skydivers who push the limits of the sport or allow themselves to become complacent in it. Tandem instructors are allowed no freedoms to push limits or become complacent. Still, on occasion, a tandem incident can occur. The most common injury to a tandem student is a sprained or broken ankle- typically the result of not following instructions for proper landing procedures.
Skydiving is an experience unlike any other – including a roller coaster ride! There is simply no comparison between the two. The “stomach-drop” sensation that comes with roller coasters does not occur because our aircraft are already traveling at a high velocity when you exit, meaning there is no acceleration. You are gradually shifting from forward velocity to vertical velocity. This gradual change eliminates the stomach-drop sensation!
Dress comfortably and wear weather-appropriate clothing. Keep in mind the temperature drops as your altitude increases (generally speaking) so it’s a good idea to dress a little warmer than you may think is necessary on the ground! In the spring and fall we recommend bringing or purchasing gloves from our gear store. Ladies we strongly recommend braiding your hair, it's extremely windy in freefall!
Clothing: In Spring or Fall, we recommend wearing a warm base layer with a low-volume jacket or sweatshirt over the top. It can get pretty cold up there, and it will dramatically improve your experience if you are dressed appropriately! In Summer, shorts and a T-shirt are just fine. Many people wear jeans or tights. We do not recommend short shorts, as they can be uncomfortable during a seated landing. Also, we don’t suggest wearing anything low-cut… it’s easy for things to slip out at 120+ mph and if that happens, Grandma never gets to see your photos!
Footwear: Wear comfortable lace-up shoes, such as sneakers.
Eyewear: You will be provided with goggles which should protect you from losing your contacts. We have ‘over-the-glasses’ goggles available which should fit over most prescription glasses.
Accessories: We recommend removing all jewelry. Braid long hair or tie it back in a bun, as it can easily blow loose at 120+ mph!
We have jumpsuits available for you to use if you need an extra layer or wish to protect your clothing from a seated-landing and possible grass stains.
You can arrive at your appointment time! You should receive a confirmation email when you make a reservation that contains our E-Waiver. By filling this out online before you come you eliminate the need to arrive early to your appointment.
Of course! You can purchase your video/photo package in advance when making a booking online or over the phone, or on the day of your jump if we have the staff to accommodate your request. We offer a variety of photo/video packages to suit your budget and needs.
When you purchase a media package, one of our professional aerial photographers will accompany you every step of the way. They will document your skydive as well as ground footage before and after your jump. Once you have landed, your video will be edited on the spot. Upload photos instantly to Facebook, and put your video on Youtube as soon as you get home! Learn more about our video and picture packages above.
Unfortunately, no. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) requires any jumper to have a skydiving license and 200 jumps prior to wearing a camera in freefall. This is a safety precaution and one that we follow strictly
Unfortunately, no. While you may ride up in the airplane together, you and your friend will jump out of the airplane at different times for safety reasons. That means your friend will be thousands of feet away from you in freefall! Therefore, it is simply not possible for one photographer to document two tandems at the same time.
We will do our absolute best to ensure you jump with as many members of your group as possible. We are sometimes limited by certain factors such as the number of instructors available, number of videographers, weights of students and instructors, size of aircraft we are operating on the day of your visit, etc. However, if we need to split your group we will try to make sure you get to jump with at least one other member of your group. Booking a large group may also result in a slightly longer wait time as we will be trying to keep your group together.
Skydiving on an empty stomach is not a good idea. Neither is skydiving after consuming alcohol or drugs or skydiving hungover. (Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited prior to your jump). Skydiving causes a burst of adrenaline that can make you queasy if you haven't eaten. We suggest eating a light meal, nothing too greasy. A sandwich is a perfect food option. As a matter of fact, you can now get food on-site at Skydive Midwest. The 14K Kitchen is the resident food truck with plenty of great options for pre and post jump food!
FAQ Videos
Meet the friendly staff at Skydive Midwest as they answer the most common questions they hear from our customers.