Experiencing one of the most amazing adventures of your life while strapped to a handsome instructor? YES PLEASE! This was my first time skydiving, and the experience was absolutely amazing!!! I recommend skydiving as one of the top things on anyone's bucket list, and if you're going to do it, I recommend you come to Chicagoland Skydiving Center. The staff and instructors at CSC were very personable, helpful, and professional. Things to Expect and Recommendations: 1. Lots of forms! They're standard procedure but I felt like I signed my life away within the first few minutes of arriving. Bring a lawyer along to decipher the contract. 2. A Wait Before You Jump. After a 10-15 minute orientation, there is a waiting period to jump. However, you can entertain yourself by playing Bags or volleyball or you can bring a book or play Angry Birds on your phone. I DO NOT recommend driving off location to get coffee. Bad decision on my part that almost caused me to miss my jump. Hightailing it back at 100 mph, though, sure got the adrenaline pumping. 3. An unforgettable experience! I recommend signing up for the 14,000 ft jump because if you're going to do it, you might as well GO BIG or GO HOME! The initial freefall was the most amazing part of the jump...absolutely exhilarating, and for a minute, I felt completely free and invincible. I enjoyed it so much that I missed the signal to pull the cord for the canopy release. (DO NOT FEAR! If you miss the signal, the instructor pulls the cord.) After the canopy released, we floated for about 10-15 minutes, at which point I finally got a chance to enjoy the aerial view...so serene! If it's your first time, I highly recommend getting the DVD because you are definitely going to want to have the experience documented. The way your wrinkled face and body look as the wind pulls your skin back is something only your mother will love so remember to smile...A LOT...because it helps. I definitely plan on coming back to do a second and maybe third tandem jump before I sign up for Freefall University. I have to give mad props to my instructor, Jackson or "Jacko," who is really experienced and just overall great. He quelled any fears I had and helped make this an unforgettable experience! If you ever get a chance to read this, Jackson, I would like to thank you for the "wet willy" I received during freefall....and thank you Buzz, my photographer and videographer, for capturing that moment on video. My one regret: I didn't wear a Superman T-shirt for the adventure. read more

Ok i guess ill start from the beginning. My cousin had told me about this Drop Zone for a while and said it was the best. I had never been skydiving in my life and decided hey ill give it a try. I jumped once with Kelsey and Nathan was my videographer and i was HOOKED! I wanted to jump again that day but told myself i would do it the next season. Well that lasted about two weeks before i decided i needed to get back up in the sky and so i enrolled in there Freefall University program. Everyone was so helpful in showing me the way (the path to getting my skydiving license), and so friendly around the dropzone. I went on a saturday and everyone was so friendly after my first two amazing tandems that i stayed the night and started my accelerated freefall program the next day. Weekend one, a complete success. Met so many smiling faces with so many amazing experiences at this dropzone that, even though i live in st. louis, i had to go back to chicago the next weekend to continue. The next weekend was amazing, i was able to jump 4 times on saturday with amazing instruction to progress me towards my license, then there was a costume party that night at the restaurant located on the airport. They have a full bar and the skydiving culture is just incredible. THE NEXT DAY i completed my Freefall university jumps thanks to the great instruction of Chris Rea and Rod (not sure on the spelling on the last name). Their program is on point. it teaches what you need to know to get started in the world of skydiving. I would Recomend this program to anyone interested in getting into the world of skydiving. A+. Since then i have gone back every weekend since, YES it is that AMAZING! I am now 6 jumps away from my A license and i am heading back during the week this time to try to get my license before the end of the season. THIS PLACE IS WHERE ITS AT!!!! IF YOU DONT BELIEVE ME, TRY IT YOURSELF AND YOU WILL SEE!! Skydive and absorb the environment and you will find an oasis of amazing people all there for the same love of the sky. I Could go on all day but i will stop there, CHECK IT OUT! read more

Skydiving is still terrific. This time, I went with my mother, who is a senior citizen and my sister. We went on the most gorgeous day possible. The only downside was is that while our reservation time was for 11am, we didn't actually jump until 2:30. They let you know in advance that your reservation time is not the jump time, and that you could be there for up to 5 hours,but nobody wants to be there for 5 hours. Next time, I'll try to get an earlier reservation time. Ok. so after the waiting, we were up. We all decided to do the 14k jump. Last time I did the 9k, so I wanted a different experience. My instructor Steve was patient and funny, which is the BEST combination for an instructor. As we were boarding the plane, he let me know that SURPRISE, I get to be co-pilot! So, I sat in the cop-pilot seat, talked to the pilot over the headset, and looked at the controls. It was SO freaking cool. Now, I was also the last one out of the plane because I was all the way in front. So when it was time to jump, Steve once again reviewed the timing, hand signals, and altimeter reads. Then we were out. We went backwards out the plane, then did some spins. When it was time for me to pull the chute, I couldn't find the pull, so Steve pulled it, which was a bit of a bummer, but he was totally cool about it. Then we proceeded to do numerous tricks, and I even got to pull for some of them. The canopy (the gliding part) is so peaceful. The landing was just fine. Then, Steve took me over to the proshop and filled out the log, gave me a copy and invited me the the free course in a few weeks. I'm strongly considering going. Oh, this was an improvement at the end. The instructor gives you a comments/gratuity envelope and then leaves, so there's no pressure, but obviously there's an expectation. I was more than happy to tip him extremely well, even though I already spent $200 that day. Tip your instructors if they go above and beyond your expectations, which Steve certainly did! Once again, CSC did not disappoint. read more

My first time skydiving and I heard about this place through a friend who is a regular licensed solo skydiver there. She convinced me to go so I bought one for myself and my boyfriend. The facility was fresh, clean and had the most secure equipment. We scheduled the first session of the day and went on a weekday so we didn't wait very long. We signed an extensive waiver, signed up for the $119.00 video/photo package and went into the classroom for a ten minute video. There's no real in class training but your tandem instructor tells you everything you need to knows prior to jumping. I had Woody as my instructor and Mikey as my photographer/videographer. Woody is awesome! He explained everything to me and made me feel comfortable and right at home. He talked me through the entire process and even gave a fair share of jokes :) Initially my boyfriend and I were on different jump schedules; however, when Woody saw that he went and spoke with the woman scheduling and within a minute we were together in the same plane. Such wonderful customer service. The plane ride up was cramped but safe and we all chatted casually to keep nerves at bay. Mikey took lots of pictures and made us do lots of tricks to make it even more fun. The free fall is intense but amazing! It goes for a minute and then I pulled the cord that released the parachute. The floating fall under the canopy was lovely. So peaceful and we did some more spins. Woody continued to talk me through everything and we landed safe and sound. We took a couple final pictures and walked back into the hangar to get out picture and. Idea CD. Our instructors bid us fair well and we left. I'd go back in a heartbeat because they are awesome! Thanks again! read more

The most exhilarating experience I've ever had!! The jump made me forget the 4 hours I had to to wait, Mother Nature sure has her ways. The front counter help was quite friendly and let us know right away that we could be waiting all day, possibly not able to jump on account of the clouds. A friend was in town from out of state so we were willing to wait all day. The facility is quite nice with and restaurant/bar. We came on a Sunday so being able to watch football helped pass the time. So for the jump, there's a video you watch in the beginning that pretty much just goes over what's going to happen. My instructor was Peter and he was great. Once our load was up next he went over everything, I didn't really ask too many questions because he seemed to cover it all and I felt pretty confident. Once we went over everything we started to joke around and my friends instructor, Mike, was real cool too. The ride up was fun and we were the last to jump so we were ready. The jump couldn't have been more fun!! The free fall was amazing and shortly into it we spun around extremely fast--tell them to have fun with it and they won't baby you too much. After some spinning each way there was still some free fall left before it was time to pull the chute. Once the chute was pulled we did some spins and then Peter handed over the tandem handles and told me to pull up, down, whatnot and I got to control the spins which was pretty cool. The landing was quite smooth, right on our feet so no grass stains on the rear end for me. All and all a great experience and I would highly recommend CSC. read more

My friends and I had a great time at CSC. The registration process went smoothly, and while we sat and waited outside the Flight Deck Bar and Grill we were immediately greeted by a waitress. One of my friend ordered an appetizer, but my other friend and I did not want to eat right before our jump. I told our waitress we were going to jump soon and she told us we should stay hydrated so she brought each of us a glass of ice water. Wow, that was considerate of her, I thought. The atmosphere of the place felt like I was at someone's backyard, not at a business facility, very chillaxing and family oriented. My instructor was Cody. He was good at communicating the process of what he was doing, which gave me a peace of mind. He was also quite a silly instructor and was pumping me up for my first tandem jump. I say the silliness, laughter, and encouragement were good methods of diminishing fear. I give props and thumbs up to him because he worked all the technical and safety parts while I experienced.... AHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HEEEECK?!!! (Initial jump)...Oooooo...Weeee!!! This is GREEEAT!! (Free fall)... hahaha, WOW! That was SO much fun! Ooo... what an amazing view! This is so relaxing. (Parachute ride)...Whew! Woo wee! That was exhilarating - catching breath (back on ground). It was such a remarkable experience of being pushed out of a Perfectly Good Airplane at 14,000 ft, while plummeting down at 120 mph. Seriously, I felt safer doing this than driving to and in Chicago during traffic. Anyways, planning on doing it again (two thumbs up)! read more

I travel to skydive quite a bit, and Chicagoland Skydiving Center is top of my list. They have a great staff that really makes you feel comfortable whether it's your first or 1000th skydive. If you're wondering if this is a good fit for your first jump... there are a lot of great places to make a skydive, but this one is special. The facilities and equipment are second to none, but even more importantly are the people. The instructors and videographers, the pilots, the office staff... they're the nicest most professional bunch you can find. Wondering if this is the place to learn to skydive? Your instructors will become lifelong friends and the community around this place is phenomenal. Safe, supportive, and full of people ready and willing to teach. You can be the jumper you'll want to become at CSC. Licensed jumper and wondering how this place rates? This place has everything. The best aircraft (otter and pac) and pilots, organizing for anything (even CRW), fantastic facilities from the showers / bathrooms, packing area, tons of landing space, a great bar / restaurant, constant evening activities, events all season long. Doug the DZO is a skydiver right in his heart, and you can't beat that. The great attitude starts at the top and pervades in this organization. I still have to slap myself when I visit this place, just to make sure I didn't pound in at some craphole and wake up in skydiver Valhalla. So for whatever reason you're reading about a skydiving center, stop here and start heading to CSC. You won't regret it. read more

Since October 2010 I and the City of Rochelle have worked diligently to bring the Chicagoland Skydiving Center to the Rochelle Municipal Airport. Part of that process was to become familiar with the skydiving business. After many phone calls, emails, and on site visits to other skydiving facilities it became apparent that there are none as well run and managed as CSC. The staff, aircraft and equipment are top notch. They are in the process of building a first class facility at the airport, this process takes time so please be patient. They are operating out of an office in our community hangar and have adapted nicely to better serve the customers. After all of our efforts to bring CSC to Rochelle, I felt that I needed to experience a skydive for myself. Ryan, Nathan, Mike, and Doug were very accommodating and gave me excellent training. We jumped from 14,500 and it was an awesome experience to say the least. For a first time jumper I was waiting for the nerves to build and a little panic to set in and as we exited the airplane I realized it had not happened. I believe I missed that feeling because of the thoroughness and attention to detail that everyone put into my jump. Our gear was checked multiple times by experienced staff members to ensure all was good. I have become hooked to this sport and will continue to jump many times again at this great facility. Come on out and experience it for yourself. read more

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I heard about CSC through a friend and then when the GroupOn came about, 3 of us got one each. From the time we called to confirm our reservations to the actually geting there everyone was friendly, courteous and almost as excited i was to jump out of a Perfectly Good Airplane! (You'll get the pun when you go). The drive down was pretty easy as the directions were very straightforward and accurate. When we got there, we were "checked-in" immediately, very comfortable and friendly area. ( I'm very very customer service oriented and this is a plus for me that they focus on that a lot) THE JUMP: I was paired with "Jacko" (Jackson) as my instructor and "Buzz" (cant remember his real name) as the Video/Picture guy. These 2 are the most fun you'll get in the air. I"m sure the others are great too but hey, i can only speak for my team. Jacko was very sweet and took the time to go over the procdure all over again and made sure i was comfortable and understood everything. IN THE AIR: You should see the "tricks" these guy sdo int he air!!! AARRRRRGH! I'm still reeling from the rush! :) The way they intereact with you makes the jump so much more fun and not like just falling from the sky. It really is an experience! I can't describe it, you just have to go. This place is very professional, safe (as far as jumping out of a plane is!) and very courteous! For me, PERFECT! read more

I was somehow convinced by a group of friends to go skydiving with them for fun. To say I was nervous would be the understatement of the year. We scheduled an early jump and live about 2 hours away so we decided to camp out the night before. They allow you to pitch a tent near the parking lot area which made the experience that much cooler. The restaurant/bar had a bunch of locals and was fairly popin' on a Friday night! They even had live music which was awesome. My instructor Mikey was the absolute best! He made me feel comfortable and confident even though I probably didn't show it! Getting on the plane was probably the scariest part but the ride was smooth and Mikey explained everything I'd need to do during our ride. I purchased the video package which I would highly recommend for a first time jumper. There was something very comforting about having another person jumping with you, making faces and having the time of his life! Josh, my videographer was equally as awesome. I have to say the ENTIRE staff made me feel very special, I was clearly nervous from the second I walked in and even the "fun" jumpers were telling me what to expect and calming my nerves. I freaking love this place and will definitely be back. Thanks Mikey and Josh! read more

If I could relive any day in my life, this would be IT! (And I will - so see you soon, CSC!) First off let me say that my skydiving decision was made 24 hours before I went, (and tagged along with my boyfriend's group) and I was so scared that the entire 24 hours before I could not eat and barely slept. Needless to say, I was far from calm. THEN I got to CSC and my fears were instantly calmed! Honestly, the personalities there are amazing and contagious. Nicest group of people I have ever met in my life; they truly love what they're doing. It's a beautiful little area, fun things to do while you wait (though my favorite was watching the previous sky-divers landing SAFELY) and before you know it, you're getting buckled in and it's your turn to board the plane! Just a note - smile for the camera if you get the video, but BREATH THROUGH YOUR NOSE. It's super hard to catch your breath through your mouth when you're flying through the sky at 120 mph. LOVE, love love my tandem guy (Paul) and cameraman (Nate). Again, they made it fun and their confidence eased my fears a lot! Have a good jump! ps - get the video, it's worth it and you'll watch it a million times. read more

I have never been skydiving before but it has been on my bucket list for quite some time now. So when Charity Skydive offered a free skydive for raising funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundations, I jumped all over it. Why not "jump out of a perfectly good airplane" for such a great cause?!?! I am glad I did because it was the best experience I have ever had. From the time I walked in the door at Chicagoland Skydiving Center, I witnessed excellence customer service! The facility was immaculate along with their staff. My instructor (Buzz) that I did a tandem jump with was really nice and explained everything to me, making my jump more enjoyable. I also purchased a video and photos considering this was my first jump and I wanted to remember that day forever and I am glad I did because the video and photos were amazing thanks to my camera guy Chris. Once I got to the ground I enjoyed their amazing food and beer. My overall experience at CSC was so great that I plan on making my second jump this August. I recommend all to try skydiving and do it at CSC!! read more

My friend and I decided to skydive after I found a Living Social deal last fall and convinced him it would be a good idea. It took us almost a year to find a Saturday that worked for both of us but it was well worth the wait. The entire staff at Chicagoland Skydiving Center was fantastic and the jump was awesome. I can't wait until the spring so I can jump again. My instructor was Rod who was great even though I couldn't follow directions and screwed up our landing. I had no idea what our height was as I was too focused on free falling and paying attention to Kelsey and the video and pictures he was taking so it was a good thing that Rod was on the ball and knew when to pull the shoot. Our appointment was for 1:00 on a Saturday and things were delayed from bad weather in the morning so I would recommend making an earlier appointment time so you don't have as long to hang out and wait. One good thing about waiting though was being able to watch the crew repack the shoots. All in all it was a great day and I would highly recommend CSC. read more

Skydived for my first time yesterday with CSC and what an experience it was! Everyone here made our group feel comfortable and excited from the moment we stepped in. I did a tandem jump with Len, and he made it memorable from first stepping in the hanger to getting two feet back on the ground. I jumped with 2 others, but we our group included three children under 10 and my girlfriend who has jumped twice before and stayed with the kids so their mom could enjoy the jump. CSC was great with plenty of space for the kids to run around and play in the volley ball court and keep them entertained. Having a bar and restaurant to enjoy immediately after the jump is fantastic, and the first beer free didn't hurt anything either. You know it's a good sign when locals are coming on a Saturday to hang and enjoy the bar and food. We enjoyed a good portion of our day at CSC after we jumped at 10 am. Can't wait to go back and jump again and continue this amazing experience! read more

Three years ago, we made tandem jumps, my step-son and I, for his 18th birthday anniversary. As a retired US Army Special Forces and Airborne Paratrooper, a Master Parachutist with over 250 jumps, Jump Master, and experienced Parachute Rigger--I have high standards with an eye for safety and outstanding staffing/servicing. CSC delivered all of that and more! My step-son has since obtained his USPA "A" License and my wife has encouraged me to return to the sport I put on hold since leaving sky diving when I was last at Fort Bragg North Carolina . I look forward to bringing my children--bio, adopted, step, tribal--to CSC for their first tandem jump and follow-on adventures above 10,000 feet. Special thanks to Mr. Paul Piccolo for two excellent tandem jumps--three years ago and today, 07 July 2012! I say "Hoorah!" , "Airborne!" and "Skydive!" Aye! Captain Richard Arlington Briggs, Jr., Killeen Texas and Rockford Illinois. ;-D read more

I couldn't have had a better first time skydiving experience! Everything was wonderful. I went on a day when it was over 100 degrees, so I was worried that I might get woozy in the plane with all that gear on, but it was really comfortable and cool, and Jackson (my tandem guide) and Mikey (my videographer) made me feel very safe so I could fully enjoy the experience. The great thing about the tandem skydive is that someone does the jumping and landing for you, which made a big difference to my anxiety level. There's a bit of a jerk when the chute opens, but there was no impact at all when we landed--you just lift your feet and the tandem guide lands for you. The feeling of having your feet leave the plane is indescribably exciting, and the few is spectacular! There's nothing like it, and I'm so glad I did it! The CSC is a very nice, modern facility, that felt very well run. I highly recommend it! read more

As an experienced skydiver, I have been to a couple of different dropzones. CSC is amazing. The staff are all very friendly, giving a well thought out and detailed safety briefing, as I had never landed there before. Those who were also there as experienced skydivers were all very excited to have one more person to jump with. The facilities are excellent, private showers, very nice bathrooms, and a great lounge for hanging out and watching dive videos in. As for the Bar and Grill, the food was wonderful. Most dropzones do not allow open beverages on site if there is jumping going on, but for those who are not going to jump out of a perfectly good plane, the patio is a great place to eat a good meal and watch the parachutes come down one after the other. If you have the chance, check this place out, either for a meal and a drink or a skydive. read more

went skydiving on 28th of august in rochelle, and man what a life changing time we had. i went with my wife and step daughter i can not explain how i felt before we jumped but have always wanted to skydive so we chose my wife's birthday to do it and we took a few family members with us to watch . i can not say enough how the staff make you feel so at ease and these people are truly professionals at what they do my tandem instruct. was john Campbell and the photographer was A.J these two guys were really on the ball A.J s pic. and videos were A+ they were worth every bit of what i paid I'll have these memories forever thank you to the both of you i hope you get to read this because i really appreciate the experience of a life time and we will see you guys again soon for jump #2 thanks c.s.c for being so cool your new fan chuck Arnold read more

Recently jumped for the first time (tandem) and it was awesome! I tend to ask a lot of questions about the intricacies of the things (specifics about equipment, history of the sport, terminal velocity, etc.) and their [very professional yet comfortably fun] staff was able to field any and all questions I had! They provided detailed and well thought out instructions about what will be going on before the flight, in the plane, in the air, and back on the ground. I would DEFINITELY recommend this facility to anyone who is itching to go for their first time. I never once felt uncomfortable or unsure about what was happening or feared for my safety and well being. All of the staff were professional and fun and made me feel very welcome. I would give the video and digital stills some though (expensive yes, but worth it). read more