Wow! Never seen a DZ with such terrible reviews! I so agree with every negative review I have read. I only take the time to write this review so that hopefully other people can learn from my mistake.
I booked my entire AFF through Texas Skydiving Center, upon arrival the owner (Cindy) requested "fuel fees" so that added "$12 per jump, I agreed to the fees since I wanted to get my AFF and continue on with my A-License.
First of all, their ground school is a joke, I think we spent at the most 2 hrs and most of it was watching videos. Good luck if you get any adequate training before a jump. The instructors are too busy smoking cigarettes and joking with each other. For my second AFF jump Cindy made me practice touching my cut away handle and silver handle, she instructed me to do that during free fall 3 times and pull, I did as instructed and passed. I had ZERO instruction for my 3rd AFF jump, I kept asking the instructors and they kept telling me to just relax and that we would discuss things on the plane! Again they were just minding their own business.... We walked to the plane close to sunset, the winds were about 13mph, we got on the Cessna and exited at 9,500 ft because it was getting dark. No pre-jump briefing, other than "relax, arch" We exit the plane right over our landing area, the winds were so strong that I kept getting pushed back in my huge student canopy, at this time I thought that I had lost my radio because nobody was talking to me. I kept flying away from the DZ, flew over roads, there were trees, ponds, as I got closer I saw a lot of power lines and started freaking out, luckily I was able to get out of there, and had spotted a small green area in between the trees I was planning to land on, that's when Cindy gets on the radio and tells me "I cannot longer see you, but watch out for power lines" It was already pretty dark, luckily I landed on that grassy area that I had mentioned. Then Cindy got on the radio again and said "Make sure you don't drag the canopy" She didn't even say I hope you landed safely, none of that, her main concern was her canopy - My two instructors came looking for me on a golf cart. When I arrived to the DZ my friend who is an experienced skydiver told me that it was already too dark to take a student, it was too windy, we exited in the wrong place, and Cindy was not talking to me on the radio because she never saw me exit the plane... She forgot that I was up there and was too busy chasing her donkeys back into the barn instead.
Went back the next day asking for an explanation, I gave her an opportunity to apologize, instead she gave me an excuse; she said "Skydiving is not an accurate sport"- I told her that I was not jumping at her DZ again, she immediately CHARGED me the fuel fee for the remaining jumps that I did not get to make PLUS cancellation fees for each jump that I did not make. I told her she could keep all my money, at that moment I didn't care, I just wanted to get away from that place.
That place is HORRIBLE!! Their aircraft was so ghetto, it had no lining inside, no seat belts, no need to be a skydiver to happily jump out of that plane!
The facility has lots of animals running around wherever, my daughter was 3 at the time and saw donkeys mating right in front of us, it was a bit disturbing...
They advertise this place to be conveniently close to Austin, it is still a 45-1 hr drive away, there are no hotels near by and no camping facilities. I think I am required to give this place 1 star, it should be shut down.
Texas Skydiving
in Texas
I booked my entire AFF through Texas Skydiving Center, upon arrival the owner (Cindy) requested "fuel fees" so that added "$12 per jump, I agreed to the fees since I wanted to get my AFF and continue on with my A-License.
First of all, their ground school is a joke, I think we spent at the most 2 hrs and most of it was watching videos. Good luck if you get any adequate training before a jump. The instructors are too busy smoking cigarettes and joking with each other. For my second AFF jump Cindy made me practice touching my cut away handle and silver handle, she instructed me to do that during free fall 3 times and pull, I did as instructed and passed. I had ZERO instruction for my 3rd AFF jump, I kept asking the instructors and they kept telling me to just relax and that we would discuss things on the plane! Again they were just minding their own business.... We walked to the plane close to sunset, the winds were about 13mph, we got on the Cessna and exited at 9,500 ft because it was getting dark. No pre-jump briefing, other than "relax, arch" We exit the plane right over our landing area, the winds were so strong that I kept getting pushed back in my huge student canopy, at this time I thought that I had lost my radio because nobody was talking to me. I kept flying away from the DZ, flew over roads, there were trees, ponds, as I got closer I saw a lot of power lines and started freaking out, luckily I was able to get out of there, and had spotted a small green area in between the trees I was planning to land on, that's when Cindy gets on the radio and tells me "I cannot longer see you, but watch out for power lines" It was already pretty dark, luckily I landed on that grassy area that I had mentioned. Then Cindy got on the radio again and said "Make sure you don't drag the canopy" She didn't even say I hope you landed safely, none of that, her main concern was her canopy - My two instructors came looking for me on a golf cart. When I arrived to the DZ my friend who is an experienced skydiver told me that it was already too dark to take a student, it was too windy, we exited in the wrong place, and Cindy was not talking to me on the radio because she never saw me exit the plane... She forgot that I was up there and was too busy chasing her donkeys back into the barn instead.
Went back the next day asking for an explanation, I gave her an opportunity to apologize, instead she gave me an excuse; she said "Skydiving is not an accurate sport"- I told her that I was not jumping at her DZ again, she immediately CHARGED me the fuel fee for the remaining jumps that I did not get to make PLUS cancellation fees for each jump that I did not make. I told her she could keep all my money, at that moment I didn't care, I just wanted to get away from that place.
That place is HORRIBLE!! Their aircraft was so ghetto, it had no lining inside, no seat belts, no need to be a skydiver to happily jump out of that plane!
The facility has lots of animals running around wherever, my daughter was 3 at the time and saw donkeys mating right in front of us, it was a bit disturbing...
They advertise this place to be conveniently close to Austin, it is still a 45-1 hr drive away, there are no hotels near by and no camping facilities. I think I am required to give this place 1 star, it should be shut down.