Skydiving in Georgia

[BBKid 0]

So, what's it like?

I ask because I've just been made aware of an opportunity to study in GA for a year. When I left Uni I swore I'd never go back, but the ONLY thing I'd have to pay for, all year, is the airfare there and back!

I'm looking for experiences of Georgia dropzones, good and bad, whether there's a particular vibe in that part of the country, whatever.

Cheers!

Nick
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"I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!"

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Checkout RoamingDZ.com and contact me at [email protected] I've been to all of them and made a few of my own.

[ianmdrennan 2]

I've jumped at Thomaston, Monroe and The Farm. All three were great for people vibe so I'll take that out of the equation.

I decided to make Thomaston my home when I moved here the beginning of this year but my take on all 3.

Thomaston

Roaringly fast king air (8 mins to 14500 every time, airconditioned with music).
Good freefly scene with some great talent available every weekend.
Huge hanger.
Showers and bathroom facilities.
Block rates. The more jumps you buy, the cheaper it gets.
Huge landing area.

Monroe

They now have a Beach (I think or a queen air, something like that - the King Air is kaput).
Small indoor packing facilities.
Relaxed pace (i.e. can be slow jumping).
No discounted/block jumps. Period.
Good size landing area, but it's inbetween runway and trees.

The Farm
Cheap jumps $14 for guys.
Long ass bus ride to the take off area (10 mins).
Slow planes.
Great pond.
Lots of places to land, but surrounded by trees which can make things choppy sometimes.
Huge Hanger.
No showers (yet, they're building them).
Relaxed vibe.

There is one other dropzone that's got decent facitilties. The people are great, but the management is constantly surrounded by controversy (read the 1800 skyride stuff) and their landing area is horrible.

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Ian has made a fair assessment.Whats going on Ian??There is one more.There is a new DZ in Statesboro,Ga.They have a 182 now with a Caravan on the way in Oct. or Nov.Good people and great vibe.Join the message board at RoamingDZ.com and you can get e-mails about what is going on in the southeast.Checkout several posts here on Dropzone under events and places to jump.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Hey Chris!

Statesboro, eh? I heard rumors of a DZ out there but I haven't had a chance to jump there yet. Nice place?

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[panzwami 0]

Jumping's great, c'mon over.

Where are you studying? Georgia Tech (my alma mater) has a huge club with probably 20 or so active jumpers. We make the rounds about the area, but usually jump at Thomaston. I'm sorta partial to that particular dropzone because I trained and did most of my jumps there, but anywhere you go the jumping is great.

[Airman1270 0]

Don't forget Rome. A long-time DZ with a rich history, it's currently a smaller Cessna operation, but the people are great and the huge landing area can't be beat. Plenty of outs, and a halfway decent chance your cutaway main won't land in a tree.

Jon S.

[blueskyserenity 0]

Georgia Rocks!!! I may be a bit biased though. All the peaches are yummy this time of year. Fall is in the air, football is cranking up, and the girls, well the girls are always great!

I like coconuts. You can break them open and they smell like ladies lying in the sun!

[stl135 0]

We liked !! Visit our website www.skydivestatesboro.com for more info and when you have a chance, drive to the coast, stop and see us!! We have a C-182 we are working on securing a Caravan(everybody is asking for...)we skydive and on the weekends we put our "pool" to cool off after jumping and on sturdays we cook-out.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Sure thang. If I find myself near the area, I'll be sure to stop by and do a jump or two with "ya all"

Blues,
Ian

Performance Designs Factory Team

[Thanatos340 1]

Ian summed Monroe and Thomaston pretty well but let me add another opinion on the Farm and Rome.

Rome
Huge landing area with outs every where.
Great view of the North Georgia Mountains under canopy. Very scenic DZ with a long History.
The DZ is VERY focused on helping newer Jumpers become better skydivers.
No such thing as Coach Fees there, just some great people who enjoy "Giving back to the Sport".
Currently Jumping a Cessna but I have heard rumors that a slightly bigger plane is on the way.
Lots of old timers dropping in from time to time that enjoy telling stories/lies about how things used to be. Lots to learn from some of those people if you are willing to listen.

The Farm
Beautiful Dropzone.
Huge Hangar.
Great Food from Norm and Teresa onsite.
Cheapest Jumps anywhere ($14 for men/$10 for Women to 14000 and $8 Hop and Pops from 5000)
Porter and Caravan
Huge Landing Area with many nearby outs.
2 Swoop Ponds
The DZ is less than 3 Miles from the Airport, Yes the Bus ride over can be the scariest part of the Skydive depending on who is driving. They have a Nice Air conditioned bus that takes you straight from the Hanger to the Plane. (10 Minutes?? Not when I am Driving it isnt!!)
Lots of very experienced Jumpers willing to take newer jumpers under their wings there. I have never seen anyone charging for "Coach" jumps there either.

Basically from Atlanta you have 5 DZ with-in 1 Hour Drive and now a 6th DZ just a little further away in Statesboro. All DZ`s open pretty much year around.

[PhreeZone 14]

Georgia the state in the United States or Georgia the country in Europe?

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jlmiracle 7]

Quote

Georgia the state in the United States or Georgia the country in Europe?

I was wondering the same thing after I sent him a PM.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[BBKid 0]

Sorry, I meant in the US! I seriously have no idea where I would be studying, I literally heard about this programme (or program for the Yanks) yesterday, and the skydiving would be more than 50% of the reason for me to come.

I'll have more of a look into all the DZ's mentioned, I'm kinda busy at the moment. My contract at work (evil tax man) has been extended to the end of March, so I guess it would be around August '05.

In the meantime I have a nervous finger in a very exciting pie right now (don't be crude, it's a metaphor!), and if that works out I won't make it over, at least not for a year of study anyway.

Thanks for all the responses, any more are welcome!

Nick
---------------------------
"I've pierced my foot on a spike!!!"

[marks 0]

well i will add my 2 cents then.

it depends on what you want to do. if you want to learn to fly your canopy real well with some very experianced pilots then i would suggest the farm.

if you want an awsome freefly scene then i would suggest thomaston

if you want to make money then i will suggest asc.

but dont forget monroe. they have some very experianced pilots there at times also, im not too sure what goes on in monroe because i dont get over there often. but the peeps that i know that are there that have been there for years are great peaple.

i dont know much about rome.

and i dont know much abaout statesburough.

[chutingstar 1]

Make sure you check out Atlanta Skydiving Center in Cedartown. We fly a Super Twin Otter and Porter 7 days a week...lots of belly fliers, freefliers and swoopers...organizers/coaches as well everyday. Great vibe.
Free bunkroom, air-conditioned/carpeted packing area, Carbonezone food onsite and home to Chuting Star Rigging Loft and Skydivegear.com.

Main landing area is smaller than some other dropzones, but our alternate landing area along the runway and swoop pond is huge! 4004 feet of landing area along the runway and a 200 foot swoop pond.

But what do I know...I'm biased and have been a jumper at ASC since it opened in 1997. I've jumped at other DZ's in Georgia, but ASC is home.

Come make a jump with me when you get in town...

Later,
Mike Gruwell

ChutingStar.com

[popsjumper 2]

Yes! And you, beautiful one, are the best of the best!

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[psychoswooper 2]

Depending on exactly wher you are in Georgia, you may want to check out North FLorida DZ's

Skydive Tallahassee/ School of Human Flight is only 10 miles south of the border located in Quincy Florida--It's the only turbine DZ in the Florida Panhandle. Weekends only, Fast KingAir, Huge landing area, Mirage RTS & Aerodyne Icon rental rigs.
Great vibe, carpeted packing area.

Seminole Skydiving is 45 minutes further South, in Panacea FL but right on the Gulf of Mexico. Cessna 182, Open alternanting weekends. Mainly for Tandems, but up jumpers can jump too. Awesome scenery.

JAX extreme sports in Jacksonville...haven't been there....don't know much about it.