Did my first tandem jump here after taking the AFF class, and couldn’t be happier. The winds were too high for us to do the first AFF jump, but I was able to do a last-minute tandem jump so I didn’t go home without jumping.
Scotty was an excellent tandem instructor; I was comfortable and felt well-prepared. I can’t wait for my next jump 🙂
Update 10/19/2023
I finished AFF and got my license this July, and am now up to 50 jumps and sad that the end of the season is approaching. This year they really improved the AFF program. I got a personal call from the new AFF manager/director early in the season to check up with me, and this year they have been keeping track of progression on a big whiteboard to make sure nobody is left behind. I’ve seen a lot of people getting their license this year.
I’ve camped out at the DZ several times (my first time was impulsive on a late evening after a packing class when some nice people borrowed me a tent and sleeping bag). They have a nice bath house to use, and usually have some kind of fire going in the evening to hang out.
Even after the end of AFF I’ve gotten a lot of good advice from the experienced jumpers and instructors/coaches. I’ve also done a lot of fun belly jumps with more experienced divers who didn’t want me to jump by myself, so that is a huge plus. A lot of the regulars are usually doing the more advanced disciplines, but it has been easy to find a group in my experience (but only if you’re not hiding in a corner by yourself).
I have jumped at one other DZ since getting my license, and I can say that Tecumseh has a HUGE benefit for AFF due to the size of the landing area. Accuracy is a challenge when you’re starting out (and still is, if I’m honest), so it makes sense to start out somewhere where you have a bit more margin for error. It’s also nice that they have a fast King Air to be able to run more loads on busier days (weekends). Last year it was down for repairs so they only had the single engine PAC, and on busy days with lots of students and tandems I had a lot more downtime between jumps (especially when doing cat A/B/C jumps that need two instructors). – via 