Skydive Pennsylvania

My husband and I went skydiving last weekend with skydive PA and it was a wonderful experience. The day we were scheduled the weather was weird, at times it was blue skies and sunny and the next moment it would be gray and even SNOWING (it’s only mid-​October, get it together PA!) Understandably, we had to wait quite a while for the right moment. We were given the option to reschedule and they do not charge you unless you jump. We chose to wait around and they did everything they could to get us in the air. In the end, we DID get to skydive that day. The staff is all very nice and fun to be around — you can tell they’re all very close with one another. I was petrified, but Bill, my tandem partner, was wonderful at easing my worries. My husband jumped with Taylor and also had a great experience. Considering I will probably never do this again (once is definitely enough for me!) we purchased pictures and videos which are all pretty entertaining and were given to us in a timely manner. I’m really surprised by the person complaining about waiting to skydive. We had to wait about 6 hours because of weather, but I would much rather wait and be safe than rush and, you know, die.

Absolutely incredible. I feel like all the people writing bad reviews aren’t very personable and expect to be spoon fed everything. This is also a skydiving club as well, so sorry, yes you do have to go to the counter and check in. All of the staff were welcoming and friendly. The initial 5 minute training left me a bit worried as other reviewers have mentioned. It was brief and a little confusing. However, the instructors I tandem jumped with more than made up for this by reiterating the instructions at least half a dozen times on the flight up. An unforgettable experience and I would highly recommend it to others.

We made an appointment for 4:00. We showed up at 3:45. No one greeted us or showed us where to go or what to do. We finally got signed up and were told they were running behind. «The entire process takes about 2 hours, but today it will be like 3 and a half.» Not a huge deal. We were told they would make an announcement when it was time for our training. There was nowhere to sit or wait in the building so we found a lone picnic table outside. About a half hour later someone who never introduced themselves walked up to us and said, «Kick their butt when you jump and stick your feet up when you land or you’ll break your legs,» and then left. I looked at one of my group members, «Was that training?»
«I think so.»
It was.
We waited. At about 6:15 they called us in to harness up. No words exchanged. Just a jumpsuit on the floor that you step into and then a stranger comes up behind you and starts strapping on your harness. Then you go to the other side of the hangar and wait for the plane. While there, we listened to all the regulars talking to each other, mostly about where they were going to party after the last jump (which we were apparently a part of) and who brought the beer. The plane landed and all the regulars started heading over to the fence. No one told us to follow, but at this point we were pretty keen to the fact that we had to figure this stuff out for ourselves, so we followed.
A man who was landing in the field disconnected with his student (without saying a word to him) and came over to me. «Hi I’m John. Let’s go.» I followed him to the plane and got in.
Not a word was exchanged between take-​off at 9000 feet at which point he said, «Okay stand up.» I did and he strapped on to my harness.
At 13 000 we jumped. And of course, that part was awesome. After the chute was out, I commented that all the jumpers that went before us were about ready to touch down and we were still pretty high up. «Yeah they pull their chutes about 2000 feet lower than us. You’re just up here making my life difficult,» was John’s response.
This place is terrible. It’s a skydive club that reluctantly lets customers in on the action in order to fund itself. They don’t care if you have a good time. They wish you weren’t there. You are a necessary annoyance. Go to Skydive Rick’s. I’ve jumped there and had a wonderful experience. It’s full of great people who love aviation, love skydiving, and love talking about it and sharing it with their customers. Skydive PA is terrible.

Bought a deal for a tandem jump through Living Social, so we got our money’s worth! The weather was sketchy the day of our jump. They tell you to call before you leave so they can let you know if they’re going to jump that day. The woman answering calls/​working at the desk had no idea what she was doing! She was very kind, but she told every other person something different– we are jumping today, doesn’t look like we are jumping, we may jump later– all within 5 minutes of each other! The business is family run and has a very laid back feel. The professionals played corn hole and laid on the ground while we waited to see if the weather cleared. Though casual, when it came to the jump, the workers were very professional in their instruction and guidance. My partner gained my trust which I think is the most inportant thing! That being said, the experience of skydiving itself is immeasurable. I would definitely use this company again. They say on a clear day, one is able to see Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Erie once the chute is pulled. The photo sideshow came with the deal– a bunch of before and after jump pictures. Glad I got it as it was my first jump, but I would not have paid $ 35 for that alone. Bring someone along to take pictures and cheer you on!

I just got back from my first time going up in a plane that I didn’t land in. It was a blast! Pure rush.!What a great day to do it on too! Clear sky, perfect temperature, and they had a special skybus airplane in today. They were packing close to 25 people per lift and flying to 13,500 feet at 120mph. The back door is a garage door that flings up and everyone just runs out the back of the plane. What a great way to do it! Most planes you have to bail out the side from your knees. There’s nothing like that first step out onto nothingness.
From 13,500′ the free fall last about 45 seconds and that goes so fast! Then a graceful 4 – 5 minutes drift once the canopy is opened. Ask your guide for some action and he’ll throw you into some quick 360 spins or whatever else he can manage. Do it! You’re just in awe taking in the panoramic landscape. Being my first jump it was obviously tandem. My guide, Justin was on point. At no time was I made nervous or felt rushed. He took care of it all and made it a great experience. I’m so tempted now to get my A grade license and make it a life long hobby. Not to mention the place is loaded with cute girls! Who knew so many were into this?!
Skydive PA is the place to do it. They run an efficient operation with little wait time. It’s actually pretty cool to see everyone running around doing there thing. Packing canopies, taking photos, rehearsing jump formations, and just vegging out. I could spend some time there just watching people jump and it would be a day well spent.
Enjoy!

Terrible experience at Skydive Pittsburgh. Understandably safety is the number one concern which Skydive Pittsburgh does a good job of but what they don’t do a good job of is being courteous and making the jumpers feel like this is a once in a lifetime experience. Our group waited 7 hours to jump after being told to arrive at 10:30 and not getting in the plane till 5:30. Tandem masters were extremely rude and instead of being apologetic they were defensive and rude. No way would I ever recommend this company due to the fact that they ruin the experience vs encouraging a fun and lively experience. Please understand that its better to drive further to another place than to let Skydive Pittsburgh ruin what should be a memorable experience.