The most commonly asked questions

How safe is skydiving?

We take your safety very seriously here at The Australian Skydive Company. All our instructors are highly experienced, some with more than 10,000 tandems under their belts! Skydiving is of course considered an extreme sport and therefore there is a certain amount of risk involved, but statistically your chances of being hurt are extremely small. Our instructors will give you personal training before you head off for your jump, and will explain everything you need to do during your skydive. If you do as your instructor says then you should remain perfectly safe. All our tandem masters are approved by the Australian Parachute Federation (APF), and all skydiving activities we do are monitored by the APF- even very small injuries are reported. Our equipment is regularly maintained to the highest standards, and we have an excellent safety record, and we intend to keep it this way!

What happens if the parachute doesn’t open?

Don’t panic! All skydiving rigs are by law, required to be equipped with two parachutes. Which basically means that in the incredibly unlikely event that your main parachute malfunctions in any way, the reserve parachute is activated instead. All rigs are also equipped with an automatic activation device (AAD), so if for some reason your main parachute is not deployed, the reserve parachute will automatically open once you reach a certain height and are still freefalling.

What should I wear?

Don’t worry too much about this one, although for obvious reasons ladies its best that you don’t turn up in a dress! We provide you with some snazzy skydiving pants anyway, so just come in comfortable clothing. Unless of course you’re one of those crazy people who’d rather jump naked, in a g-string, or dressed as a gorilla- if that’s what floats your boat then go for it! The only thing we do require is that you wear enclosed shoes that will stay on your feet. If you don’t have any, don’t panic, we have some spare ones here you can borrow.

What is the age limit?

Sorry kids, but the minimum age for tandem skydiving in Australia is 14 yrs old. Between 14 and 18 permission is required from a parent or guardian who can come with you and fill in a consent form. There is no upper age limit, in fact our oldest customer was 101!

What aircraft do you use?

We have several aircraft in our fleet the largest of which is a Pacific Aerospace XL CRESCO, a large, purpose built skydiving plane with a wide door and spacious interior which can hold up to 17 people.

Can my friends and I all jump together?

Skydiving is a great experience to share with your friends, and group bookings are welcome. We can fit 7 tandems maximum onto one load, so if you are in a larger group we may have to split you up into several smaller groups, in which case those not jumping are more than welcome to come down to the drop zone to watch you land. We always try and keep group bookings together if possible.

How much does it cost to skydive?

It all depends which height you choose to jump from (the most popular being 14,000ft). DVDs and photos are also available to purchase, please check out the home page for prices.

Can I buy a skydive as a gift for a friend?

Of course you can! Skydive gift vouchers make an excellent gift for any occasion. Just choose which height you would like your loved one to jump from, and give us a call on 1800 444 568 or pop into one of our offices, and we will organize a gift voucher for you.

Are there any physical requirements?

We do require all customers to fill in a health questionnaire- most people are able to jump, but those who’ve recently had an operation/broken bone which isn’t yet healed, or any health problems such as a heart attack or ear problems may find they are unable to jump. As long as you have a reasonable level of fitness and general health then you should be ok. The weight limit for skydiving is 105kgs (240lbs), unless permitted by our Drop Zone Safety Officer. Feel free to contact us if you require any more information.

Can I take my own camera up in the plane with me?

Unfortunately not, it is actually illegal here in Australia, in case you were to drop it out of the plane onto someone’s head….However our tandem masters are able to film or take photos of your jump for you at an extra cost, please let us know before you jump if you would like this arranged. Each person jumping will require their own camera work, as once you jump out you will not be close enough to your friends for the tandem masters to catch both your jumps on one camera. Please note, if you wish to have an extra cameraperson (the ‘solo’ option), we need to know at least the day before your skydive. Handicams (where your instructor films you) can be arranged on the day.

When can I skydive?

We operate every day (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day), any day of the week, so just let us know when you wish to jump and we’ll book you in. If you just wake up one morning with the urge to skydive, but haven’t booked in, then we will of course try and squeeze you in, but obviously we cannot guarantee availability if you choose to do this.

What happens if the weather’s bad?

Skydiving is a weather dependent sport, which unfortunately means sometimes we are unable to jump. In this case, we will always try and reschedule you for another time or day if necessary. Your bookings are transferable between all 3 sites, so if you’ve run out of time in one location, but are heading to one of our other sites, you can jump there for no extra charge. Any money you have paid to us we will refund in the case of you not being able to jump due to weather, but please note, we have no control over booking agent’s cancellation policies, so if booking through an agent please check this with them.

Why would a day be cancelled?

Skydiving is a terrific experience and takes a series of conditions to occur, the weather, air traffic and wind speed all need to be in sequence to enable us to jump safely, there are times when one or several of those issues arise that impact on the skydive taking place!

When do you know that a skydive cannot take place?

In most cases it’s the weather that restricts skydiving from occurring, when the forecast is predicting unfavourable conditions we cancel the day before, but there are times when the weather starts out nice but then turns against us, we strive to get your skydive completed but in the interest of you getting the most out of your experience we only jump in when the weather conditions are suitable!

Will someone call me if the skydive is cancelled?

In the event of a total cancellation we will attempt to call you prior to you departing your home, or we will call the mobile number supplied at time of the booking.

In the event of a cancellation can I re-book?

If the day is cancelled when we call and advise we will offer you a new date & time to jump.

Is my session time my jump time?

Your session time is actually your pickup time, or your meeting time at the office if you are bringing yourself. Once you are here and we’ve filled in the paperwork, we will assign you into loads, as we cannot fit everyone in the plane at once! This means that you may find you are not on the first load, and may have to wait a while before your skydive. This gives you plenty of time to watch dvds of other crazy people jumping out of planes, and get psyched up for your jump, or go for a wander around and check out the area. If you allow yourself half a day for your jump, that should be plenty. Please note, we are subject to delays due to weather conditions, and air traffic control, but in this case we always try our best to let everyone know of the delay.

Can I drink alcohol before the jump?

The consumption of alcohol and/or drugs is not permitted before your skydive and we will not make exceptions to this rule.

Can I bring someone to watch me?

Of course! Spectators are always welcome to tag along in our bus down to the drop zone, which means they’ll be there ready and waiting when you land! There is no charge for spectators, the only exception for this is spectators wishing to get on our bus from Cairns for the Mission Beach jump- there is a $20 transfer fee for this, and please note that if the bus fills up with people wanting to jump, we aren’t able to take spectators as jumpers have priority.

What happens if I change my mind?

As much as we love skydiving, and know how much our customers enjoy it, there are the odd occasions when someone really doesn’t want to go through with it. If you’re already geared up and in the plane etc, and you chicken out, unfortunately we can’t refund the money as we still have to pay for your slot on the plane, the tandem masters fees etc. However, on that note, the number of people who actually change their minds is extremely small, most people go through with it and have the most amazing experience that they want to do it again straight away! If you are one of the few people that really don’t want to go through with it, don’t worry, we will never force you into doing something you’re not comfortable with ϑ . You’re in charge!

What is the freefall like?

Amazing! It feels more like flying than falling, and although most people think it’s like being on a rollercoaster and getting that funny feeling in your stomach, that actually doesn’t happen when freefalling. It feels more like floating with a huge blast of air around you!

How long is the freefall?

This depends which height you choose to jump from. Remember, the higher the jump, the bigger the rush!! 14,000ft gives you a massive 60 seconds of freefall, which is why most of our customers choose this option. You then get about 5 or 6 minutes to chill out under your open canopy while your tandem master brings you back down to earth.

I loved skydiving so much I want to learn to do it myself!
How do I do this?

We run a weekly AFF (Accelerated Freefall) course at our Mission Beach dropzone. This course is the most advanced method of learning to skydive, and takes up to 2 weeks to complete. Have a look at the AFF (Accelerated Freefall) course page for full course details.

Why exactly do people choose to jump out
of a perfectly good aeroplane?

Because it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on! (Unless of course you are the crazy person who’d rather jump naked….)! Freefalling is the closest thing you will experience to flying, and is a huge adrenaline rush! Plus it’s easier than say, bungy jumping, because you don’t have to actually jump yourself, your tandem master will do all the work and you just tag along for the ride! Once your canopy is open, you can then relax and take in some of the most spectacular views this country has to offer on the way back down, and maybe even have a go at steering the parachute yourself. Skydiving is brilliant fun, and truly a life changing experience you’ll never forget.