Sandman1950

I was turned down at several other DZs due to my age 60 for AFF training. Doug Kirk assured me that age would not matter as long as I was fit and mentally aware. I came down and finished my AFF in (3) days, which included (6) hours of ground school, one tandem evaluation, which counted toward my AFF and a total of (7) jumps.I felt very comfortable there despite some initial apprehensions regarding my ability. Initially, I jumped from the PAC 10 from 14,500 and that was excellent. The rest of my jumps were from a Cessna 182, which was adequate, but quite small for a beginner. I am the chief pilot for a major corporation with over 12000 hours and in perfect physical condition. I was surprised how quickly I was able to get my certificate after only (7) jumps. All the credit belongs to Doug Kirk, Nigel and especially Pip, who drilled all of the procedures until I was proficient. It was an excellent experience, highly recommended and I will go back to this DZ as long as I continue to skydive.

I wrote an earlier review which criticized the age policy at Skydive Deland. I was turned down for AFF training because I was 60 years old despite that I am in excellent physical shape and offered to pay to be evaluated for physical ability and mental awareness. I ended up earning my AFF in two days at another DZ in Florida and returned to Skydive Deland on the following day and was able to jump. I believe that their age policy is a bit discriminatory and that they should consider applicants based on their individual merits. Despite my initial disappointment,Deland is now my home DZ. Since then, I have been able to receive some excellent instruction from Bob Crossman and Carl Daugherty. The experience has been absolutely EXCELLENT! Now that I know my way around, I have made some good friends and I am able to appreciate the whole skydiving experience. The facilities and equipment are really nice plus the food at the restaurant is excellent. If you are serious about skydiving, I strongly recommend Skydive Deland.