I went there to begin my AFF last Saturday. I had read and heard great things about this DZ and everything was true. Great, friendly atmosphere with lots of people. All of the regulars are outgoing and no one was a skygod. People want to help you and actually enjoy it. I was there on an extremely busy day, one of the busiest ever I believe, and it was very nice. There are lots of instructors and all of them are great. My ground school instructor was very knowledgeable and wanted to be sure that the class understood. One of my JMs was 23 years old and had just gotten his AFFI rating two weeks prior but I was very comfortable and he did a great job. The other JM was a world class skydiver (was on the 2006 400-way) so it was training for both of us. I really like this dropzone and I am glad it is close by so I can come often. There are a few things people should be aware of. The airport is on "protected wetlands" so there is no running water and there will be none coming in the future. There are port-a-jons so if you are a germaphobe then deal with it or go somewhere else. Also, Byron is in the middle of the middle of nowhere so bring a lunch if you are coming for the day. They do have snacks and drinks available for purchase though. The main problem that I have and it is completely out of control of the DZ is the wind. Byron is located right in the middle of windmill country so wind is very common. Since students have to adhere to the 14 mph windhold, this can present a problem. Don't assume that you are guaranteed a jump when you come, and this is the case with any DZ if you are in AFF. If you show up and you can't jump then try to learn something while you are there. Enjoy hanging out and meeting other skydivers or learn to pack or something. Byron is a great place to be regardless if you can jump or not. You can call ahead to check on the winds but remember they could change and there are windows where you can jump during the day. Overall, this is a great DZ and I would recommend it to anyone no matter what your interests are.
