skreamer

Hinton is a really progressive dropzone. Subsidized coaching towards FF1 and/or FS1, regular club events (eg scrambles and multi-plane weekend) and a friendly, open attitude no matter what your skill level, preferred discipline or experience. The piss-ups are great too and you are guaranteed a bloody good laugh every week-end!

I know there have been some bull-shit DZ reviews posted by dodgy DZ operators, well guess what? This isn't one of them.

Skydance has got all the usual stuff you would expect from a world class DZ : nice planes that work, pilots that fly them, nice view etc. etc, but this isn't why this place totally rocked my jaw. The folks there are awesome!

I showed up on my own with VERY few jumps (last jump 2 months previously had been AFF hop 'n pop graduation), so I showed up as both 'Nigel No-mates' and 'Larry Low-timer'. I had bought a 2nd hand rig and had it shipped to Action Air. They were really professional and had it ready for me when I arrived (canopies and container inspection, reserve repack, RSL fitted and Cypres fitted). I flew out from London, so everything had to be arranged via email, which it was. I had initially emailed ALL the dropzones in northern California, Skydance was the only one that bothered replying so they got my business. A couple of notes on Action Air and Flitesuit : I bought a jumpsuit off the shelf. Later in the week Ryan TWICE came to me and told me to bring it in so they could modify it for me. I didn't ask them to do it and I wasn't charged. These guys know how to look after their customers (and I have already got measured for a freeflysuit from them). They also recommended I buy a bonehead when they could easily have sold me a full-face that cost a lot more, they sold me the gear that was right for me (and gave advice that made sense too).

As for the skydiving, weeeeell, there was Ed who I did my check-out jump with. Great instructor, really nice guy, commands respect the right way. Then there was Markus, one of the regulars at Skydance. He saw me geeking my little head off (6 jumps in one day, which to me is a LOT) and asked me if I wanted to try going head-down. The next day he was true to his word. Of course I screwed it up about 3 seconds after exit, but I got to watch him and JP from the best seat in the world (referring to the view there, not my sit-flying ability) AND it was the sunset load. Get this part : Markus would NOT take a jump-ticket off me and insisted on paying for his own.

JP from Action Air also gave me some 2-way coaching and on our second jump we turned 6 WHOLE POINTS (maybe not much in your book, but it meant a lot to me, OK?). In the evenings after jumping I got invited along with the staff every night and I had a really good time. They were even nice to me after I observed that all Americans are evil capitalists - Ed simply observed that that was pretty rich coming from a guy jumping a red, white and blue main. :)

This is a pretty long review, I know, but hell nobody told you to read this far anyway. I still had 7 Skydance jump tickets left at the end of my week there (wind), but decided then already I was going to hang onto them and fly back out for their boogie in June. Any beginners, low-timers or prospective tandem luggage : sell your grandmother and go to Skydance!

Here's an email address in case you would like to get in touch with me and have this review verified as authentic : [email protected].

Drop till you party!

William Walls

PS I have given them 10 stars, but if it shows up as one star out of five then that is a bug on the review code (seems to happen on all the other DZs' reviews).