Big Guy AFF In Georgia (Was: What can we do about Skyride?)

[smayo76 0]

In reference to Atlanta Skydiving Center (ascskydiving.com), are they owned by Skyride? Their DZ looks really nice from their site and when I called them, they were really helpful and answered a lot of questions for me as well as giving me directions to their operation in Rome. Their people, equipment and rigs for students looks exceptional. Of course, I've never actually been there or known anyone who's gone there, so I don't know.

However, I plan on taking my AFF training there when I move to Georgia and then spending a lot of time at the Farm.

[lauraliscious 0]

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In reference to Atlanta Skydiving Center (ascskydiving.com), are they owned by Skyride?

However, I plan on taking my AFF training there when I move to Georgia and then spending a lot of time at the Farm.

Yes, the people that own Atlanta Skydiving Center are also the same people that run Skyride. Why would you want to do your AFF at one place and then spend a lot of time at another DZ across the street? Why not just do your AFF at The Farm or Skydive Atlanta...both good turbine DZs with qualified instructors that DON'T have questionable business practices (and have better landing areas)??

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Thought I would bump this since there is a thread in the bonfire about someone being sold a certificate with no accepting DZs within several hundres miles. I guess that person that told me thinks were changing there was either wrong or lying. Which do you think?

[marks 0]

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In reference to Atlanta Skydiving Center (ascskydiving.com),

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Their DZ looks really nice from their site and when I called them, they were really helpful and answered a lot of questions for me as well as giving me directions to their operation in Rome.

they are not in rome, they are in cedertown georgia. I am sure they told you they were in rome though.

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Their people, equipment and rigs for students looks exceptional.

no argument here, but there are other drop zones around the atlanta area, including Skydive the Farm directly across the street from asc, who have great quality gear also.

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However, I plan on taking my AFF training there when I move to Georgia and then spending a lot of time at the Farm.

you would enjoy the farm, just go through aff there instead.

[Thanatos340 1]

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In reference to Atlanta Skydiving Center (ascskydiving.com), are they owned by Skyride?

YES. They are one and the same. (Skyride is operated out odf a call center in Smyrna GA and ASC is a Dropzone in Cedartown but both are owned and operated by the same people)

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Their DZ looks really nice from their site

Thier landing area is tiny. Other local DZ`s such as the Farm and SDA`s Landing area is 5 to 10 times larger and level (unlike ASC`s).

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well as giving me directions to their operation in Rome

They are 20 to 30 miles from Rome in Cedartown. They have a reputation for being very deceptive about where they are. They used to tell everyone that called they were only 20 minutes away no matter where they called from.

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Their people, equipment and rigs for students looks exceptional.

Do NOT believe a thing you read on their website. they have 100`s of websites for DZ`s that do not even exist.
There is nothing exceptional at all about their gear and/or rigs. They used the same gear as all the other DZ`s.

I am not trying to imply that they are not safe. They do have good instructors and good gear just like the other DZ`s. The issue with them is the blatant dishonesty of their owners. Do you really want to trust your life to an operation owned by known liars and thieves?

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I've never actually been there or known anyone who's gone there,

Ride and take a look (DO NOT let them talk you out of a credit card number for any reason). After looking at ASC, Drive another 3 miles and check out the Farm. Make up your mind from first hand experience.

[smayo76 0]

I appreciate the feedback as well as the private messages. I know nothing about Georgia or Tennessee skydiving centers other than what I've gathered from websites. I'm looking forward to moving back to Georgia and getting to know alot of you guys and gals. I'm going to visit ASC and the Farm, but based on what I've been told I'll most likely end up at the farm.

As I told someone in a PM, my reasons for initially choosing ASC were two fold.

First, I'm a big guy. 6'1" 280+ lbs. I could stand to lose a few pounds (or 30..lol) but I could have low body fat and still be a big guy. ASC's jump weight limit is 285 where everyone else (including the Farm) is 250. I was hoping to start jumping again by the fall instead of by next year.

Secondly, location. I'll be moving to Northwest Georgia (around Trenton..15 miles west of Chattanooga) and Rome is an hour away (if they were in Rome).

Thanks again for the feedback. I also just found this website for the first time before I posted and I'm excited about getting to know this community and jumping with a lot of you all.

[Greene 0]

Please go to The Farm.

You are new in the area and need to do some research on "Skyride"

We are in Ohio and you will not effect our business one way or the other!

Take the word of a skydiving center that has been in the business for 47 years in Xenia, Ohio

Go to THE FARM!

PS: We have no interest in any skydiving centers in
Georgia!!!!!!

Skies blue
Skydive Grwene County
since 1961
http://www.skydiveohio.com

[marks 0]

280 is preatty big. but it also depends on your body type.

I am sure hans would want to meet you before he agreed to take you up..

the 285 pound weight limit at ASC is for tandams, not AFF

I will also almost guarantee you that Tyler, the DZ manager at ASC, would want to meet you also before he agreed to take you up.

just because someone says they will take you up, does not mean it is safe..

and p.s, I am an instructor at the farm.

[mark 102]

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ASC's jump weight limit is 285 where everyone else (including the Farm) is 250.

Most sport/student rigs are limited to 254 pounds and 150 knots. That's 254 pounds fully equipped, what you would weigh if you stepped on a scale just before boarding the airplane.

Some newer rigs are limited to 300 pounds. I don't know of any rigs other than tandems that are rated for more than that.

For ASC's student rigs to be legal for your body weight, they would need to be certified for use at around 320 pounds, figuring your weight at 280 and your equipment at 40 pounds. What harness/container systems, what reserves, and what AADs (student, expert/pro, or tandem) do they say are they using?

Mark

[smayo76 0]

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280 is preatty big. but it also depends on your body type.

I am sure hans would want to meet you before he agreed to take you up..

the 285 pound weight limit at ASC is for tandams, not AFF

I will also almost guarantee you that Tyler, the DZ manager at ASC, would want to meet you also before he agreed to take you up.

just because someone says they will take you up, does not mean it is safe..

and p.s, I am an instructor at the farm.

I've got 15 static line jumps (3-4 at 15-20 second freefall) from 5 years ago, but I was at about 220-230lbs back then. I was falling stable back then and had gotten over the initial fear of leaving the plane. I wouldn't be doing Tandem. I want to go straight for AFF.

I am dropping pounds. I should be at 250 by September at least. That's when I plan on starting.

(Wow have I derailed this thread or what... lol)

[skydive4u2 0]

I do not know how you define tiny, but if you would care to measure you would find that ASC has a 4000 ft PAVED runway with lots of LEVEL landing area on both sides. This is in addition to the landing area over by the ASC hanger, which if you would care to measure , you will find is plenty large enough. Mayby not for you, but for anyone with reasonably good canopy flying skills. Just trying to keep you truthful. If you want to slam ASC because of things that Skyride has done, please at least keep your comments truthful. I have jumped at MANY dropzones with landing areas smaller than at ASC.

Let's have some FUN !!!

[Krip 2]

Do n't sweat derailing the tread it will get back on track again, again & again,

Do a search on big/heavy people jumping and gear. There's some DZ's that may have military Halo gear available for real men.

Military guy's come in all sizes and jump with all kinds of heavy stuff to use for work,

Ditto on what people say about which DZ to go to, May as well start at the right place. But the choice is yours if you want to check them both out "for the vibes" before you choose which one you start jumping at.

[Krip 2]

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I do not know how you define tiny, but if you would care to measure you would find that ASC has a 4000 ft PAVED runway with lots of LEVEL landing area on both sides. This is in addition to the landing area over by the ASC hanger, which if you would care to measure , you will find is plenty large enough. Mayby not for you, but for anyone with reasonably good canopy flying skills. Just trying to keep you truthful. If you want to slam ASC because of things that Skyride has done, please at least keep your comments truthful. I have jumped at MANY dropzones with landing areas smaller than at ASC.

Hi Fast Eddie

Haven't seen you since party in paradise
Marks mentioned in his post that he is a instructor at the farm.

Whats your relationship if any with ASC?

[BillyVance 34]

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I do not know how you define tiny, but if you would care to measure you would find that ASC has a 4000 ft PAVED runway with lots of LEVEL landing area on both sides. This is in addition to the landing area over by the ASC hanger, which if you would care to measure , you will find is plenty large enough. Mayby not for you, but for anyone with reasonably good canopy flying skills. Just trying to keep you truthful. If you want to slam ASC because of things that Skyride has done, please at least keep your comments truthful. I have jumped at MANY dropzones with landing areas smaller than at ASC.

Hi Fast Eddie

Haven't seen you since party in paradise
Marks mentioned in his post that he is a instructor at the farm.

Whats your relationship if any with ASC?

He's a tandem master there. One of the most experienced in the southeast. Although the main landing area is tiny and uneven with a history of people swooping in from all directions, he is right about the extra space along the runways, if you don't mind a long walk.

Still, for AFF, you're better off at The Farm, just my opinion. You'll like the instructors and the general vibes there a lot better.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[CSpenceFLY 1]

not aimed at you Billy.

I'd like to remind everyone that this is a "What can we do about Skyride" thread not a "What amenities does my DZ have" thread.We have done very good leaving the Ga. DZ politics out of this and would be better served continuing. This is not the place to sell your DZ. They all have pluses and minuses. Should I help with the list in a new thread?

[skydive4u2 0]

I am an AFF Instructor and Tandem Instructor at ASC. We have a lot of really good Instructors at ASC and a lot of great fun jumpers there. I also jump at the Farm on occasion. Lots of good staff and fun junpers there, also. I like it at both places. I don't get into the politics. I just hate it when someone trashes one business because they don't like another business that happens to be owned by the same people. As I said, I don't usually talk about the politics. I was commenting about the size of the landing area, only. While it is not the largest I have ever jumped at, it is far from the smallest. Certainly not as big as the landing area in Thmoston, but plenty big enough.

Let's have some FUN !!!

[youngpathy19 0]

i did my aff at ASC and the staff and the gear there is great. The landing area there is as big as you will need and as eddie said you have the run way too. If i was you i wouldn't start getting into the politics of dropzones for a while just go jump and have fun

[lancefrazier 0]

smayo,
i'm 6'4", curbweight 275. I did my AFF at ASC. It was great. they have two 280sf PD Navigators in Mirage containers. The instructors are awesome. you will probably have a similar experience at the Farm, though i do not know what equipment those folks have for students, offhand. ASC does have a smaller, landing area, learn to land here, you will be able to land anywhere.
at either place you will get to know an awesome bunch of skydivers, many of whom jump at both places.
the main difference i can see, when i visit the Farm, is at ASC we talk about skydiving at night, at the Farm, they talk about ASC.
ignore the bickering silliness and come back to skydiving...

well im not a skyride fan by any means, but this sport is and always has been rich in moraly questionable behavior. -parabuteo

[denete 2]

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ASC does have a smaller, landing area, learn to land here, you will be able to land anywhere.

Good point. I did my student pilot work at Dekalb-Peachtree (PDK), and trust me, when you get used to putting a little 150 or 172 in the pattern and working with the very busy communications with all the big boys at PDK, you can get around at almost any airport.

SCR #14809

"our attitude is the thing most capable of keeping us safe"
(look, grab, look, grab, peel, punch, punch, arch)

[marks 0]

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when i visit the Farm, is at ASC we talk about skydiving at night, at the Farm, they talk about ASC.
ignore the bickering silliness and come back to skydiving...

that is such crap.

[mpohl 1]

Let me chime in here. Let me also preface that I am no longer actively involved in GA skydiving for the better part of two years.

HOWEVER, at least, as of two years ago, ASC had hands-down the most professional and up-to-date student AFF and tandem gear in Georgia (and Alabama). PERIOD.

And I have jumped and instructed at all three remaining dz's in Georgia. So has my wife. Both of us are (were) riggers also.


P.S.: I would hope that by now this is a non-issue as hopefullly SDA and Farm have caught up.

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I am an AFF Instructor and Tandem Instructor at ASC. We have a lot of really good Instructors at ASC and a lot of great fun jumpers there. I also jump at the Farm on occasion. Lots of good staff and fun junpers there, also. I like it at both places. I don't get into the politics. I just hate it when someone trashes one business because they don't like another business that happens to be owned by the same people. As I said, I don't usually talk about the politics. I was commenting about the size of the landing area, only. While it is not the largest I have ever jumped at, it is far from the smallest. Certainly not as big as the landing area in Thmoston, but plenty big enough.