Start Skydiving

Most amazing experience I've ever done! The professionals where all great people and made me feel very comfortable and at ease. I'll definitely be back!

I have gone to Start Skydiving for four years now. I bring a group of friends down every year and we love it. The staff, planes, and equipment are awesome. The instructors, such as Gila, know how to make everyone feel safe and we make the four hour drive to keep jumping with them.

Staff was friendly and helpful. Dan P was a great tandem partner.

The staff was very friendly, professional, and helpful. This is the best experience I suggest everyone try it at least once.

I had a great time with Start Skydiving. The staff was great and made me feel comfortable with the jump. I think the staff was very knowledgeable and I had a great time. I cannot think of anything negative that had to do with the experience. I can't wait to go back.


Ian Schmitt

I'm an adrenaline junkie by nature and a tandem free fall was one of the big items on my bucket list. I drove approx 4 hours from Cleveland down to the airport between Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio.

I was greeted by cheerful and happy people from the start. I was introduced to my Instructor /Tandem jumper Gila who's enthusiasm and energy, and huge smile were evident from the first instant we met. My videographer, Kyle also had that same enthusiasm, smile, and great personality that complimented and enhanced that of Gila.

Gila was patient, clear, and reassuring while getting me geared up and made the entire process easy to understand. He repeated the main steps several times until the actual jump from the plane in the same confident, fun cadence that could only me feel confident, reassured, and ready to have the best fun of my life.

The actual jump was awesome... Gila's comment to me approx 10 seconds after leaving the plane was: "So how do you like my office?" .. My only reply was: "Where Can I sign up for one of these?!"
Kyle was there every step of the way taking stills and video.. adding his infectious smiles to that of Gila's.

I have started and operated my own businesses and been involved in World Class Quality organizations throughout my 36 year career. All I have to say is that these folks have got nailed down... My first tandem free fall this past March 10, 2012 was everything and more than I expected. They not only met but exceeded my expectations, which are very high to begin with.

Their friendliness and kindness did not end with the landing. They went out of their way to chat and make the entire morning and the entire trip (4 hour drive down and back to Cleveland) seem like a few minutes.

If you ever had any reservations about doing your first tandem free-fall... then don't! You will NEVER forget it and you, like me, will be asking "Where Can I sign up for a view like this!" - Go ahead...go for it... the memories and the videos & pics are well worth it... You've got to see the view!

Start Skydiving is a wonderful place to skydive for the first time, as well as an exceptional place to get AFF certified. While looking online for skydiving information in my area, it became apparent that most sites have very little information. In contrast, StartSkydiving.com has everything a first time skydiver wants to know and tons of other helpful skydiving information. Their instructor for AFF skydiving is extremely knowledgeable and teaches for all learners. The power point, the verbal repetition, and the physical practices and run-throughs were all extremely helpful. When I was done with my first class, I felt confident in jumping for my first time. I had an amazing time and can’t wait to complete my AFF certification with Start Skydiving! I highly recommend that you jump there!!

-Megan Leake

I did a tandem skydive with start skydiving recently and had an absolutely amazing experience. All of the staff was great and they made me feel extremely comfortable. I can’t wait to go again!!

I was a little nervous driving to Start Skydiving, but that disappeared upon arrival. You can tell that everyone there loves what they do and that just makes it all the more enjoyable. Everything went off without a hitch and we had a fantastic jump.

had the best time ever...big thanks to everyone at start skydiving....from the time i walked in to the moment we touched down...couldnt think of a better way to spend my day...Cant wait to go solo.........Thanks again Richard dinsmore

This trip was truely worth the money. It was an experience that I will never forget. Highly Recommend!

Everyone made us feel so at ease and explained everything we needed to do. While waiting on the plane our instructors talked with us and answered any questions we had. All of the instructors and staff are professional and friendly, I would certainly recommend Startskydiving to anyone who wants to jump. I am definately going back!

Everything was a wonderful experience with start skydiving! The jumper I went tandem with went straight from landing, to coming and jumping with me, and I did not detect a single form of hostility about the quickness he was needed from him or any other staff. He was very helpful for my first jumping experience, he was very informative with what to do, was making jokes, and just keeping me calm all together. Everyone from the moment my friends and I walked in to the moment we were leaving were helpful and all in very good moods. They were very professional but just a fun crew! I am definitely getting another group together in another couple of months!

This place is amazing! The facilities are spotless and the staff communicate with all of the customers. After spending a full day here, I have to believe that they put safety first all of the time. We were placed on wind holds throughout the day and when this occurred instructors would let us know what was going on. Emergency procedures were drilled into my head during the course and throughout the day by my instructor Milt while I waited.

The classroom portion was long and Adam Ralston was redundant and seemed to go on forever. I am now thankful for that as the skydive was overwhelming and all of the repetition paid off when it came to the canopy flight. I was a little concerned when I met my instructors. One of them John was pulling weeds, mopping floors, filling water jugs, loading planes, picking up cigerette butts and anything else you could think of during the day. I thought he was the maintenance guy and then he became one of my two instructors.

I jumped with John and Milt and I froze at pull time. I think John pulled for me because I was below the safe limits. They both were so professional and made me feel like I just accomplished something incredible even though I screwed up the exit and was probably not one they would want to jump with again. I later found out that John was the owner while I was telling another instructor about how safe he made me feel. That explained why he was so into the care of his business.

I can't say enough about this place and am thankful for the experience of a lifetime that happened at Start Skydiving.

I am an executive in customer service for Meijer and hope to return soon to jump and learn more about how Start Skydiving takes care of their customers.

Thanks again for the amazing service.

My friend has been skydiving at the Dropzone in Middletown and says I have to try skydiving myself. He has been to 2 other Dropzones in the Miami Valley Start Skydiving in Middletown is by far the best. I have a date for July 4.

This was a Birthday gift to self and a bucket list check off for friend. Even though we had a weather delay, the jump was well worth the wait!!!!! Just make sure you have the whole day set aside(weather is a key factor)..

Took Dad for Father's Day. Brother, Dad, and I had an unbelievable time. Blew a HD giftcard out of the water. Truely was top notch experience.

I'm not going to lie. on the drive up I was a little nervous but once I got there and seen first hand how the staff at start skydiving was very informative and friendly I instantly got over it. even though I was running a little late I still feel like I got to know everything I needed to know and had an awesome experience. I will definitely be coming back again and am even thinking about trying to get my a license! all I can say is the staff is awesome and really fun to be around because they know how to have a good time while be professional at the same time

I have been to Start for the last 3 boogies & a few times though out the year. Every time I get the chance to go, I am treated with many smiles & friendly faces. I also just completed the First Flight Course for wingsuiting from Mark Duber. It was a very good & structured course. All aspects were very informative, professional, & safety orientated. Each time I have visited, I have been approached by John Hart to see how things are going. I will be going back as many times a year as I can. All around great DZ to enjoy some freefall from some of the best aircraft I have been in. Great Job To All Involved!!

We could not have had a better experience or group of instructors and people working there. They treated my entire family with respect and were super professional and friendly. We have been telling everyone we know what a great experience this was and we were super happy with the whole experience. It could not have been any better!!!

I decided to start on my bucket list and this company came highly recommended from a National Guard Reservist. So, I took her advice.

The ENTIRE staff was friendly and helpful; it was the best birthday ever and my cheeks hurt for 2 days from smiling and laughing so much!

My instructor "Lonnie" really helped make my experience outstanding. He was wonderful "dealing" with my nervous anxiety! It didn't hurt that he was handsome too!

I did a tandom jump and had an amazing experience! My instructor was nice, knowledgeable and made me feel completely safe. My group did get split into two jumping groups which was the only negative part. My group had a fairly short wait to board the plane and the jump was awesome!

I did the aff class with Ohio State. After we finished our training at the airport, we were randomly chosen from our group of 30-40 students to see who would jump first. I was unfortunately one of the last ones to jump. At the beginning of the day, the instructors let a few people know that they would be in the first group. The rest of the group really didn't know when they were jumping until someone came over and called for them. It was a long day, some of us were there for over 12 hours before we jumped, but it was worth the wait. Staff was friendly and taught everything well. When I got in the air, I knew everything I had to do, which led to a great jump. Wish they could manage the time better with the large group, but I understand that there is a lot going on, and the instructors were going non stop all day. Great time, and I would highly recommend doing this.

It was my first time skydiving and I was trying to over come my fear of heights, which by its self was extremely difficult but they made incredible easy and fun. I recommend these people to anyone and everyone.