lanntair

I'm from the North Georgia area, and I engaged in some pretty in depth research to try to find the best dropzone to complete my AFF certification before eventually deciding on The Farm. When I called Hans, who operates The Farm, he was very friendly and "welcoming," which is not something I felt from every place I called. I asked Hans up front why prices were so low compared to the other dropzone in that area, and he simply said he felt that some other drop zones charged too much, and that some skydivers had been taken advantage of. They founded the The Farm because they want to do business in a way that takes care of skydivers and complements the sport. To be honest, I was a little concerned at first about the equipment available at such a new and reasonably priced drop zone. When I arrived, those concerns were immediately relieved: state of the art rigs across the board, a huge recently constructed hangar, and an immaculate Caravan aircraft, with other aircraft available as needed. An Otter is also possibly on the way. The range of their rig inventory is impressive, with the ability to legally accommodate a very wide range of jumpers of all sizes and skill levels (I'm a 230 lb. beginner). Again, this is not something all drop zones do. The landing field is tremendous, flat, neatly mowed, and soft. It is impossible (even for me) not to pick up this drop zone immediately from the air, and there are two large natural ponds on the property that swoopers can raid. A mobile restaurant also is on site, and they're building out brand new shower and bath house facilities. Overall, the whole place is just beautiful. Even more important for me than the equipment and facilities were the people. And from the management to the packers and the other skydivers, every single person I met acted genuinely happy to see me when I arrived, and throughout the weekend, they offered friendly tips and encouragement, which I soaked up as a first timer. There were no unexpected charges from The Farm (other than a credit card surcharge of 4%), and everything from the instructor to the aircraft to the equipment was exactly as had been represented on the phone. All of these factors made the atmosphere of this drop zone feel safe and welcoming, like you were surrounded by good people who appreciated you. Finally, the instructors were all thorough, motivated, patient and had thousands and thousands of jumps, which was important to me. Several instructors (other than mine) pitched in to help me with technique while waiting for another jump. I also researched another drop zone in the same vicinity. Other skydivers I've spoken with have relayed negative experiences about business practices with this drop zone, practices that have since been confirmed to me by actual former employees. Although I do not have a personal experience with this other business, given the proximity of The Farm, the integrity of its management, its state of the art equipment and facilities, superior natural assets and, of course, fairer pricing, I have no reason to give my business to any other drop zone in the immediate area. If you're coming from Atlanta, West Georgia, or East Alabama, I'd recommend giving Skydive The Farm a try. You won't be disappointed.

I believe the link should be http://www.skydivethefarm.com. Right now the "www" is not included, and the link doesn't work.