My buddy was telling me that the Skydive Newport guys were opening another place. Sounded like it was going to be Lincoln. Looks like it is.
It's another tandem factory tho, no fun jumping. I'm sure the airport still has a bad taste in it's mouth towards funjumpers considering the last operation.
I like the picture of Boston behind the jumpers, like they are flying out of Logan and landing in Boston Common. Not the 39.5 mi (by air) that they actually are.
I do like the pic behind the directions page. The tandem master is a guy that used to jump where I started in Walterboro, SC. Ran into him a few years later at Lincoln, Then again a few years later at Chicagoland in Hinckley, IL. Good guy, can't remember his name to save my life tho. I was pretty quiet and reserved when I was jumping in SC, so I mostly jumped solo and hung out on the fringes.
Don't get the naming of some of the dropzones around here. Funskydiving.com (yes Mauricio named the place with the dot com, a marketing thing), it used to be Boston/Providence skydiving center. A decent ride from both, although you could see them from altitude under perfect conditions if someone that knew what they were doing pointed them out.
Or was Lincoln Boston/Providence and Danielson (funskydiving) Boston/Hartford? Other DZs much closer to both.
Jon, I definitely recommend it. If you are approaching it as a once in a lifetime experience, something to do before you die. That would be an excellent place to go. From what I've heard, they are very customer oriented and really gear the jump towards the experience for the student (you). Not to mention the view. I've heard you get a great view of the coast. But if you think it is something you would like to pursue and become a jumper, you may be better off going somewhere else. The operation is geared mostly towards tandems with the occasional student. I'm sure their student program is good, but once you get off student status you are on your own since there is no funjumping. Now you need to find a new home DZ and try to find instructors and coaches, or other fun jumpers willing to look after you and ensure you continue down a good path of learning proper technique and adopting good safety habits. It can be hard if you didn't come thru their training program, nobody knows you or how you react in the air. People will be willing to help, you would just be required to make the effort to seek out the knowledge from the right people instead of having someone already looking out for you.
Where do you live? There are many options around New England. Pepperill, MA- Skydive Pepperill; Orange, MA- Jumptown (I'm partial, it's my home DZ); Lebanon, ME- Skydive New England (my home this year since my team is training out of there); Ellington, CT- CPI; Danielson, CT- Funskydiving (I spent a lot of time jumping here. It's a great place, but the fun jumpers have gravitated away from here. Being where they are, fuel costs are high, they operate at a loss with fun jumpers. You'll be in the same boat as Newport once you are off student status). There are 3 more in MA that are tandem only, none in NH, and a couple in VT. NY is an option too.
If you stuck thru all that and have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm in the middle of my tandem rating and plan on getting my AFF rating (teaching people how to skydive from no experience) in the spring. If I can't answer any of your questions, chances are I know where to find the answer. Of course our national organization is a wealth of knowledge too USPA.Org.
I never found skydiving to be a scary experience (had a few scary incidents). A lot of people find it terrifying, until they are actually out the door. Then it becomes an exhilarating, yet peaceful, experience. I think it all comes down to your approach to it. If you expect to be terrified, you probably will be. Then again, jumping out into 13,500 ft of air probably should be terrifying. The equipment is tested to extremes beyond what will be seen in a skydive and there is constant training and review of procedures as well as regular inspections of the equipment.
Just approach it with an open mind and don't expect it to be a scary experience and you will have fun. unless of course you want to be scared.
Sorry, I get long winded in text. I promise to try and keep the answers shorter if you have any questions
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