Skydiving FAQs

At Skydive Cincinnati, we offer tandem skydiving, Accelerated Free Fall classes and special lift tickets for experienced skydivers. Learn more about our competitive prices on our pricing page.

Every day is different and we do our best to mitigate wait times. However, we generally ask that you plan on spending half of your day with us (at least 4-6 hours) for the entire skydiving experience. You may want to plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early of your booking time to have time to park, use the restroom, and find where to check-in.

We are located at the Red Steward Airfield in Waynesville, OH, just a short drive from both Cincinnati and Dayton, OH.

Want to grab a bite to eat after your jump? Explore some of the restaurants located just a couple of miles down the road!

Yes, we do allow pets, however they must be leashed and supervised at all times. To ensure no incident, please leave pets that don’t play well with others at home.

We do have basic vending machines for drinks, but we do not have an on-site restaurant. Please feel free to bring food and drink to the drop zone. Please remember, no alcohol can be consumed during jump operations. This is for the safety of all and will be strictly enforced.

For a Tandem skydive, the weight limit is 225 lbs. We may be able to accommodate individuals a few pounds over this limit on a case-by-case basis. Call us for more information. For the Static Line or Accelerated Free-Fall experience the weight limit is 250 lbs.

No! Contact us today if you are interested in skydiving!

The differences between indoor and outdoor skydiving are pretty significant. Indoor skydiving allows people to fly in a column of wind within a controlled environment. Real skydiving involves exiting a plane from 10,000 feet and descending at speeds of 120mph in an uncontrolled environment! It’s quite the adrenaline rush!

You may be surprised to learn that a fear of heights is actually quite common amongst skydivers. So, how in the world do they get past it? Well, there’s no magic word or snake oil cure. The fact is that not all heights are created equal.

Generally, when you are up high, you have clear reference points. For example, when you are on the top floor of a building, you can see the ground, the streets teeming with cars, people scurrying around below, each person appearing distant but distinguishable, and the roofs of other buildings, either towering farther above or sitting somewhere below. Your brain uses these reference points to triangulate your position. On a skydive, these reference points are missing. Way up in the great blue beyond, there really isn’t anything relative to you, and honestly, because your brain cannot put your height into context, it doesn’t seem like you’re that high up!

What to consider when choosing a dropzone:

1. if the skydiving center is a member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA).
2. Avoid scams by confirming a physical address. Typically, third-party operators have websites in every US market, but they’re actually a call center and not a DZ at all. Be sure when doing your research that you can actually find a physical address for the facility… this is usually a telltale sign that you’re not working with a real business.
3. Anything aviation-related is expensive, so be sure to do your homework and be selective about where you decide to make your jump.
4. To get a sense for a dropzone, find out what others are saying about it. Check a business’ reviews via Google Reviews, TripAdvisor and Yelp.

Here at Skydive Cincinnati, we jump from 10,000 feet above the ground (which is about 2 miles up) that allows for an extraordinary 50 seconds of freefall and approximately 5-7 amazing minutes under the parachute to float back to earth.

The basic safety requirements issued by the United States Parachute Association state that the minimum container opening altitude for tandem skydives is 5,000 feet, and the minimum height for skydiving for a tandem skydive is between 7,000 feet and 8,000 feet. However, it should be noted that a skydive from this height is not ideal as it leaves very little time for freefall. Because the parachute needs a certain amount of time to open, tandem skydives cannot be completed safely from altitudes lower than this height.

At Skydive Cincinnati, the average skydiving height is between 10,000-10,500 feet. For reference, that is an impressive two miles above the earth. The height for skydiving determines how much time in freefall you will get. The average skydiving height at Skydive Cincinnati guarantees you will get right around 45 glorious seconds of freefall.

No. The USPA (United States Parachute Association) recommends that anyone with less than 200 jumps is not permitted to jump with a camera. The reasons for this involve both issues of snag hazards and a distraction from the responsibilities needed for each individual participating on a skydive (that includes first-timers). Our priority is safety, so please understand… no GoPro’s or wearable cams!

Instead, learn about Skydive Cincinnati’s high-quality pictures and video services to capture your skydive.

Yes. Be sure to bring a government-issued, photo ID with you to the dropzone. Also, be sure to wear proper footwear. No flip-flops or any shoes that could potentially fall off. Also, no military-type boots. Tennis shoes are ideal. Also, bring food and drink (non-alcoholic) with you.

Most definitely. We watch the weather a lot and sometimes our forecast may be better than where you live. If in doubt, please contact us at 513-282-3725.

If the weather is inclement, we will get you rescheduled and there will not be a loss of your deposit.

Absolutely! We have a spectators area outside of our hangar to allow for family and friends to watch.

If driving separately, arrival time of family and friends is dependant on the time of day. Please call ahead for advice on arrival times for spectators.

Your booking time is your show up time. Kindly show up at the time of your booking.

Ideally, nothing too baggy. If jumping during cooler months, we recommend wearing layers as opposed to bulky jackets. Otherwise tee shirts, shorts / jeans are ideal. Ideal footwear are tennis shoes.

Yes – please eat normally. It is unlikely you will be sick during your skydive. When it does happen, it’s usually to people who have not eaten because they are worried about getting sick. The biggest culprit of being sick is low blood sugar due to the surge of adrenaline during the skydive. Please be sure to eat a normal meal (don’t over eat), stay hydrated and do not drink alcohol on the day of your skydive.

Skydiving is a highly weather dependant sport, however the forecast is often incorrect so unless we are 100% certain that you will not be able to skydive on that day we do not encourage rescheduling.

When a forecast calls for a certain % of rain, it is forecasting for an entire region (ie: Dayton and surrounding areas, Cincinnati and surrouding areas and so on). It is very probable with a 50% of rain that where we are will not see a single drop all day. It simply means that in a specific large region there is a 50% chance that it will rain somewhere.

The cost of the training program is not precisely fixed as some candidates may have to repeat levels within their training before advancement. For AFF, plan to budget between $2800 and $3,000. For static line, plan to budget between $2,000 and $2,200. View the pricing schedules for each of these programs.

The minimum requirements for earning an A license is:

• The successful completion of an AFF or Static Line progression course
• A minimum of 25 jumps
• The ability to pack a parachute

Details of how to become licensed can be found here.

Once completing the AFF / Static line program, students will continue making solo, ‘self-supervised’ skydives and will work with a USPA Coach to continue with skill progression towards earning an A-license.

To continue progression through the course, students should plan to make a minimum of one jump every 30 days. Beyond this timeline, students will be required to repeat their last succesfully completed skydive. Further lapses in time beyond 45 days may require additional testing at the discretion of the instructor based on proficiency and prior performance.

Each level (also known as a category) builds from the jump prior adding different skills towards the A license check dive.

The AFF first jump course is a six hour ground class. Within this class, students learn the skills necessary to safely complete their first jump. Topics covered is correct body position, introduction to the equipment, how to deploy a parachute, handling emergency situations, canopy flight and landing. Following the ground school, students will make their first skydive with two AFF instructors and will be talked down via wireless radio from the ground crew.

No, this is not a requirement. Our “solo” programs are designed for a first time jumper that has no prior experience.

The answer to this is based on the needs of the student. Students wishing to skydive on a budget will find static line a much easier way of introducing themselves to the sport. Those wishing to experience free fall right away will enjoy AFF more.

Both programs are an excellent way towards becoming a skydiver.