SaucerBoy 0 #1 June 18, 2015 Hey Dropezone forum! if you were going to go somewhere for your AFF as a total newb who only has a tandem under his belt (which i did last month) - where would you recommend? This summer I'll be driving through MA, CT, NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, KN, CO, WY, MT, Alberta, British Columbia, WA, OR, CA, AZ, and UT but am not sure where is best in terms of learning/price/safety. I'm sorry if this has been discussed, but as far as I can tell it seems like most people focus on their area. The thing is, i'll be all over so I want to stop where ever is "best". Any suggestions? Originally I was going to go to Lodi, but i've heard that it isn't the ideal spot for beginners so that scared me away. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #2 June 18, 2015 Welcome to the forums! She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SaucerBoy 0 #3 June 18, 2015 first city as in the first place i jumped? little confused since I didn't mention any cities but only states. I should probably mention that I will be going through all those states b/c I will be road tripping, then hopefully moving somewhere west (still undecided) Thanks for the response skymama! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
schmoli 0 #4 June 18, 2015 I think she's saying, take the time to do the AFF course in the first state you stop in with good weather, then you can be fun jumping through the rest of the states (wow, I'm jealous of that idea already, one more jump till solo status for me!). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #5 June 18, 2015 SaucerBoy Hey Dropezone forum! if you were going to go somewhere for your AFF as a total newb who only has a tandem under his belt (which i did last month) - where would you recommend? This summer I'll be driving through MA, CT, NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, MO, KN, CO, WY, MT, Alberta, British Columbia, WA, OR, CA, AZ, and UT but am not sure where is best in terms of learning/price/safety. I'm sorry if this has been discussed, but as far as I can tell it seems like most people focus on their area. The thing is, i'll be all over so I want to stop where ever is "best". Any suggestions? Originally I was going to go to Lodi, but i've heard that it isn't the ideal spot for beginners so that scared me away. Any help is greatly appreciated!!!! If you are starting based on your first location..... http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/dropzone/finder_new.cgi?lat=42.39583402417954&lng=-72.35595300793648&rad=50&Submit=Search&search=addr The one in Central MA..... Jumptown at Orange MA is a good place as is Pepperell which is a bit closer to Boston and just across the border in NH. Stick to the northern states for jumping this summer... better weather in summer You so do not want to be starting in AZ.... its going to be about 115 degrees F there at Eloy today Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymama 35 #6 June 19, 2015 QuoteI think she's saying, take the time to do the AFF course in the first state you stop in with good weather, then you can be fun jumping through the rest of the states Yeah, what he said. Sorry I wasn't clear!She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SaucerBoy 0 #7 June 19, 2015 "Stick to the northern states for jumping this summer... better weather in summer You so do not want to be starting in AZ.... its going to be about 115 degrees F there at Eloy today" good point! I have a feeling I will be taking my AFF in CO at mile-high since I don't really want to hang out in MA (or anywhere on the east coast) unless someone told me that one of the drop zones here is considerably better than any out west. Part of me wants to get started right away, but the other part of me can't wait to leave MA at the end of the month and once I leave it'll only be a few days before I am in CO and by the sounds of it, I am going to assume any reputable DZ is a good place to learn. thanks for the responses everyone! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tela 0 #8 June 22, 2015 Why not add Maine to your list and do AFF at Skydive New England? They have a nice twin Otter, awesome instructors and a great vibe at night with on site camping."The lizards were a race of people practically extinct from doing things smart people don't do." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SaucerBoy 0 #9 June 23, 2015 the only reason I have for not taking my AFF at skydive new england really is that I want to get away from the East Coast ASAP. I actually did my tandem/first jump there and thought it was a pretty nice place. I'd prefer to jump in CO since I will most likely be moving there in the summer or fall, so it would be nice to maybe find some skydiving friends where I'd be potentially living instead of where I am moving away from. If it was fall right now I'd be more interested in jumping in Maine - the only thing I really like about the east is the foliage :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZogrediver 0 #10 June 29, 2015 I'm fairly new at this but my suggestion is to ask around, call a few DZ's etc and talk with them about your plans/goals etc. I think just doing this will help a lot as you can gauge somewhat what the DZ and people there might be like before you go. Worked for me. BTW, it was only 109 today in AZ , we were doing sunrise jumps to avoid the major heat. Plus watching the sun crest over the mountains while at 12,000ft and on free fall was amazing!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trafficdiver 8 #11 June 29, 2015 AFF in MA is the same as anywhere else. If you do your first jump at Pepperell to get rolling in the sport, you can seamlessly go to CO to finish it off. No need to wait to start. I started AFF in Pepperell and finished at Z Hills with no problems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #12 June 29, 2015 I've worked at quite a few DZ's and this is the one I chose to live closest to, skydive101.com in WA. They've got good aircraft, cooler temps in the summer, a great student landing field, a very experienced staff, and competitive prices. When you graduate AFF (7 jumps) and join the USPA, they even give you a free Alti 2 altimeter, about $165 retail. That's a sweet deal. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JakeT 0 #13 June 29, 2015 I'm doing AFF at Chicagoland Skydiving Center and really like it here. It's a purpose built skydiving facility, all the equipment is new/newer, and the environment is great as well as all the staff being really friendly. It's proximity to Chicago and the Wisconsin Dells will also provide options for things to do when you're not jumping depending how long you plan on staying in the area. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amazon 7 #14 June 29, 2015 JohnMitchell I've worked at quite a few DZ's and this is the one I chose to live closest to, skydive101.com in WA. They've got good aircraft, cooler temps in the summer, a great student landing field, a very experienced staff, and competitive prices. When you graduate AFF (7 jumps) and join the USPA, they even give you a free Alti 2 altimeter, about $165 retail. That's a sweet deal. Plus.. being close to sea level and cooler temps.. the density altitude is nice... Hot weather in Colorado makes for some smokin landings. I am too old to run that shit out on landing that fast any more Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #15 June 29, 2015 And I meant to say Alti 3 altimeter, not Alti 2. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites