Big Sky Skydiving

[403Gemini]

Well my buddy is turning 30 this year next month and I'm turning 28, and our birthdays are about 5 days apart, so his girlfriend and I are planning on surprising with getting a group of us to go sky diving since it's something hes always wanted to do.

I just wanted to know if anybody has used this school before for their tandem jumps ? Any personal experiences you could share?

Cheers! :thumbsup:

[bart]

if you want his adrenaline going you and his girlfriend can think of doing that another way :rofl:

[Spoons]

How much does this cost? Me and a couple of friends are looking at skydiving this summer.

[TKRIS]

Skydiving has a lot of range.
You've got the "Skydiving", which is totally badass, and then you've got the "Tandem Skydiving", which is the exact opposite of that.

It's like being a biker, but you ride a vespa. Technically accurate, but not the same thing at all.


I've heard big sky is good from a couple friends.

[tirebob]

Take the class and jump solo... Soooooo much better!

[Spoons]

Originally posted by tirebob
Take the class and jump solo... Soooooo much better!

Do you still get to free fall or are you attached to whatever its called (cord or something) that pulls your parachute for you shortly after leaving the plane?

[thrasher22]

Originally posted by Spoons


Do you still get to free fall or are you attached to whatever its called (cord or something) that pulls your parachute for you shortly after leaving the plane?

Unless you actually take your full skydive certification (which is expensive, and 7-10 jumps with an instructor) you're attached to a cord that pulls the chute.

I don't see the point in going solo your first time, you have to jump from a much lower altitude, its much more dangerous and you don't get any free fall.

I jumped tandem with Vertical Extreme a couple years ago and was really impressed.
http://verticalextremeskydiving.com/

[Spoons]

Originally posted by thrasher22


Unless you actually take your full skydive certification (which is expensive, and 7-10 jumps with an instructor) you're attached to a cord that pulls the chute.

I don't see the point in going solo your first time, you have to jump from a much lower altitude, its much more dangerous and you don't get any free fall.

I jumped tandem with Vertical Extreme a couple years ago and was really impressed.
http://verticalextremeskydiving.com/

My thoughts exactly. We are gonna jump tandem, the whole point of me wanting to go is for the free fall.

[rinny]

Nah man jump tandem for first time. Less hassle in taking the few hour course and less pressure to not screw up.

The way I see it, unless they want to die you always have the security of a somewhat trained person packing chute who values living as much as you do.

Its BS here that it costs $250 to skydive but its certainly a rush. Just wait till they open the door and wind gushes by! Thats gotta be the scariest part of it all- standing at the ledge...

[dj_patm]

Who were the ones who got caught covering up a death??

[nj2Type-S]

hey guys,

sorry to bump this old thread but a few friends and i are thinking of skydiving in september. big sky skydiving has been brought up a couple of times and i'd like to hear some reviews with this school from you guys.

thanks!

[bituerbo]

I went to the Red Deer Big Sky location that operates out of the Innisfail airport 2 weekends ago. It was alright, I went for the solo first jump, because it's what I wanted to do.

They gave me the wrong sized parachute, so I dropped like a rock and injured my left ankle and right heel (still heeling). Overall I'd do it again, and probably at Big Sky.

[A790]

Solo = 6 seconds of free fall, your own 3-5 minute parachute ride down.

Tandem = 40 seconds of free fall, riding bitch with an instructor on the way down.

I went solo for my first jump, loved it. Amazing how many keyboard warriors talk about how a 4,500 ft solo jump is a "waste of money" or "not worth the time".

You'll never get a feeling like it. I went with Eden North in Edmonton (impeccable safety record, no deaths/serious injuries in 25 years of operating). You hang off the wing strut, instructor holds your pilot chute. He gives you the thumbs up, you let go of the wing strut (you know, that thing that you're clinging to for dear life as the plane flies at 4,500 ft), and he lets go of the pilot chute.

You get 1-2 seconds of "true" free fall, with no emcumberance, and then 6 seconds of free fall where your chute is deploying.

Go solo, you'll love it.

[Ntense_SpecV]

Originally posted by A790
Solo = 6 seconds of free fall, your own 3-5 minute parachute ride down.

Tandem = 40 seconds of free fall, riding bitch with an instructor on the way down.

I went solo for my first jump, loved it. Amazing how many keyboard warriors talk about how a 4,500 ft solo jump is a "waste of money" or "not worth the time".

You'll never get a feeling like it. I went with Eden North in Edmonton (impeccable safety record, no deaths/serious injuries in 25 years of operating). You hang off the wing strut, instructor holds your pilot chute. He gives you the thumbs up, you let go of the wing strut (you know, that thing that you're clinging to for dear life as the plane flies at 4,500 ft), and he lets go of the pilot chute.

You get 1-2 seconds of "true" free fall, with no emcumberance, and then 6 seconds of free fall where your chute is deploying.

Go solo, you'll love it.
This is the exact procedure with Big Sky.

I was a little apprehensive of letting my feet off the tiny foot hold so the instructor kinda kicked my feet off so that I would hold on the strut properly (it's scary out on the wing). They do a good job of keeping you focused and upbeat during the course as they want you to understand what to do in case anything goes wrong during your chute deployment.

I also didn't go tandem as I wanted the rush of being able to control the chute myself once it was deployed - they let you do your own thing and control your location in the air by spotters on the ground with commands so they line your approach. You have a radio attached to your chest and they will call out, "jumper number 3 - turn 90* left" and whatnot. The one thing I will say is that if you are first out of the plane you jump around 4500'. I was 3rd leaving the plane and it was around 4800' for myself as the pilot circle's around and around climbing ever so slowly for the solo jumper's and then once they are all out, the plane goes for broke for the tandem jumpers. Oh and don't expect the plane to be a nice plane...ours was loud, windy and once you are in it they (the instructors) don't like it if you try to back out apparently. As it's small inside so you line up as you go out the door - solo in front tandem in back.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by A790
Solo = 6 seconds of free fall, your own 3-5 minute parachute ride down.

Tandem = 40 seconds of free fall, riding bitch with an instructor on the way down.

I went solo for my first jump, loved it. Amazing how many keyboard warriors talk about how a 4,500 ft solo jump is a "waste of money" or "not worth the time".

You'll never get a feeling like it. I went with Eden North in Edmonton (impeccable safety record, no deaths/serious injuries in 25 years of operating). You hang off the wing strut, instructor holds your pilot chute. He gives you the thumbs up, you let go of the wing strut (you know, that thing that you're clinging to for dear life as the plane flies at 4,500 ft), and he lets go of the pilot chute.

You get 1-2 seconds of "true" free fall, with no emcumberance, and then 6 seconds of free fall where your chute is deploying.

Go solo, you'll love it.

^^^ THIS!!! ^^^

[Spoons]

Originally posted by A790
I went solo for my first jump, loved it. Amazing how many keyboard warriors talk about how a 4,500 ft solo jump is a "waste of money" or "not worth the time".

How is that being a keyboard warrior? They were stating their opinion.

In which it is the same as mine. 40 sec free fall > 6 sec free fall. Seems way better bang for my buck for me. I want that free fall sensation, that is the reason why I want to go. But that's just me, I can see why steering the parachute myself would be fun, but I'm in it for the free fall.

Now a keyboard warrior response would have been, "A790 you are a fucking moron. Why would you waste your money on a silly solo jump like that? Gaaaay. Fuck you. I hate you."

[Stunt66]

Originally posted by Spoons


How is that being a keyboard warrior? They were stating their opinion.

In which it is the same as mine. 40 sec free fall > 6 sec free fall. Seems way better bang for my buck for me. I want that free fall sensation, that is the reason why I want to go. But that's just me, I can see why steering the parachute myself would be fun, but I'm in it for the free fall.

Now a keyboard warrior response would have been, "A790 you are a fucking moron. Why would you waste your money on a silly solo jump like that? Gaaaay. Fuck you. I hate you."

I gotta agree but only because ive only done the tandem jump, I will try that solo soon tho. The biggest rush was definately the freefall, i did a 15,00ft tandem in hawaii and supposedly you reach 120 mph and free fall for 60 seconds.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by Stunt66

The biggest rush was definately the freefall, i did a 15,00ft tandem in hawaii and supposedly you reach 120 mph and free fall for 60 seconds.

AND you get to feel the guys hard-on against your back! AWESOME!

j/k's...

Honestly though, if you are planning on doing it once and moving on, then a tandem jump will make sense of course, but if you think you might want to do it more than once, start solo right away and learn from the get-go. I personally like the feeling of control when soaring around with the chute out more than the initial rush of free fall.

Man... I haven't jumped for years. All this talk makes me want to do get back into it again!

Do what you think you will like more!

[A790]

Originally posted by Spoons


How is that being a keyboard warrior? They were stating their opinion.

In which it is the same as mine. 40 sec free fall > 6 sec free fall. Seems way better bang for my buck for me. I want that free fall sensation, that is the reason why I want to go. But that's just me, I can see why steering the parachute myself would be fun, but I'm in it for the free fall.

Now a keyboard warrior response would have been, "A790 you are a fucking moron. Why would you waste your money on a silly solo jump like that? Gaaaay. Fuck you. I hate you."
lol I wasn't referencing anyone in this thread (hence why I didn't call anyone out). I hear those comments made ALL THE TIME by people who have never jumped before. Get out, do a jump, and see how you feel. I've done both tandem and solo and I greatly preferred solo because I was free to do what I wanted to do. Not only that, but if you are going for your AFF (advanced free fall) you need to do a low altitude solo jump anyway.

[Mar]

i did it solo, I would rather the 6 second free fall over a 1 minute tandem free fall. Basically it's the difference between skydiving and being strapped to someone else whom is skydiving. it was a huge rush hanging from the parachute zipping through the air and knowing that I was the only person at that moment that could save my life if something went wrong. And when you rip down on one of those parachute handles and go into a spiral it'll put your stomach in your chest.

[Stunt66]

Originally posted by tirebob


AND you get to feel the guys hard-on against your back! AWESOME!

j/k's...



Its more like hard on to my ass lol It got wierd once he started hooking me up in the plane, when we started getting to the jump spot he tightend me in and because he was over 6ft i was literally sitting on his lap:facepalm: i'd post those pics but they're nsfw

[asp integra]

i have done both the solo and the tandem and im my experience the solo was actually quite boring compared to the tandem. Falling for a couple of seconds is nothing compared to freefalling for 30-60 seconds depending on where you jump. Who cares if you have an instructor strapped in behind you, the whole point of sky diving is the freefall. if you wanted to just parachute then go paragliding or something.