My first jump and I was SOOOoooo excited. Jumped March 18th. The jump itself was spectacular, but there were several things that totally turned me off from using this outfit (only way it can be described) again. 1. Got a GROUPON for my jump and made reservations with no problem. While on the phone with the agency I was offered VIP status for $50 to upgrade my package. This includes being jumped to the head of the line without much wait, a bottle of water (never received) and a t-shirt (had to ASK for it). 2. Check-in was fairly simple. As we approached the building there were two jumpers landing so that was neat to see. Arrived WELL in advance of my 11am jump time. Randy and another instructor greets us and then tells us that they're highly understaffed and they'll get to us shortly. Turned into about 30min as Randy attempted to upload film for previous jumpers. Didn't work out, so he sent them off after writing their name on a post-it note with a promise he'd mail their footage out later. 3. Pilot comes back in and tells us that there is a bad tailwind so we'll have to take off at the municipal airport. Ok....I'm not too upset because I'd rather things be safe. That was until my family and i had to wait about 2 hours for this to happen with NO update from staff about what was going on. 4. Eventually a nasty work van pulls up and we're told that they'll take us over to the airport in the van, we'll take off from there, but landing would be back at the property. We had to stand by as they threw dirty work stuff out of the van and then put down some spongy (also dirty) flooring for us to sit on as we drove over. The 'friend' how had come to take us over hit nearly every bump in the road and seemed to forget he had human cargo in back. We were thrown about, and my guide (Randy) proceeded to sit on his phone most of the rid before saying, "Gosh this really makes us look like the most ghetto setup in the world. No one would believe we actually have a 2 million dollar plane here." ?? 5. We're at the airport, we get the all-clear and we get in the air...finally. I'm still trying hard to be patient because I'm really excited about the jump and opportunity to check this off my bucket list. Randy and his partner were really good about continuing to update our progress and taping at regular intervals for the $100 video I have paid for up front. I shrug off my frustration, trying to be the bigger person. 6. The jump is FABULOUS!!! 7. We get back to the 'shed' that passes as their headquarters with other people waiting, now thrown behind from our being so late starting. Randy immediately says thanks and pretty much it appears we're done after our gear comes off. Then he seems to "remember" that he needed to give me my flight certificate. He writes it quickly as I continue to stand at the window waiting for my shirt, water, and video. He eventually says, "Yeah, we're back up so is there any way I could edit and send out your video tonight or tomorrow?" PISSED, but again trying to be accommodating, I say sure. He's happy and starts walking out of the office. 8. I say, "Aren't I supposed to get a shirt with the VIP package?" He says, "Oh, right...what size do you want?" I tell him and he grabs one down for me, throws it through the window and walks off. 9. I come home, send a follow-up the next day to thank the team for a great jump and remind him to send my video. As of this writing...STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED VIDEO IN ANY FORMAT. 10. Got in touch with who is supposed to be manager (Imre) and told him my problem...first he didn't respond, then after a more strongly written email he tells me that the video was sent out on the 19th as promised, but could he please have my address to send it out again. QUESTION: If my video has already been sent out, why would I need to give you my address? Would you have that as a part of my confirmation paperwork as well? He also promises to send it on email. Still nothing. 11. I open my 'free' t-shirt to finally wear it and find that it is screen printed BACKWARD...the full-sized picture that is supposed to take up the back of the shirt is on the back, and the left breast insignia is on the back. You can tell not only from how it fits, but because of the tag being in the BACK on the wrong side. I again email the company letting them know I have not received my video and about the shirt. I even send pictures!!! NO RESPONSE. 12. Finally when I threaten to reverse the charges through my bank and start reviews such as this one, I get a response from this Imre dude again stating that he was sorry...he JUST received my email and had sent my video out, but there is "nothing wrong with that shirt. it is how it supposed to be." WHAT!?!?!?! Jump March 18th - still no video ($100), had to ASK for shirt that was a part of $50 package after waiting over 2 hours for jump, being driven in a disgusting van and jostled over rough terrain, and basically lied to. read more

It turns out "DC" is actually in Virginia and we were 2.5 hours away so we couldn't go early morning but they wouldn't schedule the later jumps until the early ones filled up. They said to just keep calling back until we hopefully got the time we wanted. I had to call back about 7 times. Already unimpressed. My instructor's name was Yuri. Everyone else was having their name called out by their instructors so they knew where to go. I was standing there waiting to be called and Yuri walked up and asked me what my name was. I said "Carrie". He said "no, what is your name?" "My name is Carrie." "Ok, come here. Do you have your jump ticket?" I gave him my ticket and asked if I could pay the tip as well. He was very confused and didn't understand. We had a horrible communication breakdown due to his thick accent. I didn't want the $20 to fall out of my pocket during the jump but trying to explain that to him was impossible. Finally he took the money and got my harness on. (Now I really wish I would have just kept the tip.) Yuri told me something about my goggles that I didn't understand so I turned to my friend Greg, who had just been debriefed by his instructor, and asked if he understood what he said or if his accent was too thick. He said no but that his instructor had told him to just keep them clipped on until later when he would tell him to put them on. Yuri came back and did a quick briefing on how to put my legs back after the jump and then disappeared again. Greg said his instructor was going to be videoing the whole thing in case he wanted to see it at the end or buy it. I was going to ask Yuri if he would be doing this but I saw he came back out with a camera so assumed it was the same deal. My friend was already on the plan so I asked if we could go wait with him. Yuri either didn't want to or didn't understand so we stood and waited outside. Finally we went to the plane. Yuri was trying to video but I still had a few questions to ask and he got extremely frustrated that I was asking questions. "You keep asking questions; I'm trying to video for you!" I think it was normal that I preferred to be clear of everything that was happening over making a video of the pre-jump but Yuri didn't seem to have the same idea. It didn't help that he couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand him so my questions were left mostly unanswered anyway. Yuri got us ready and we jumped. The freefall was great; not even Yuri could mess that up. He pulled the chute and immediately started unclipping my harness. I got a bit unnerved because we were still far off the ground and I had no idea what was happening because he didn't explain it. After that, he kept trying to get me to look into the camera and asking me things I half understood. He never told me to take off my goggles even though they were bothering me and everyone else said they were able to take them off right after the chute was pulled. A small annoyance but it still took from the experience. When we got back, they played everyone's videos except mine. When I asked if I could see mine, Yuri pulled out a sign-up form and showed me that the box has to be checked for the video in order to see it. I told him that no one else in the group selected the box but everyone had a video so why was I different? He shrugged and said he takes the videos for himself, not for me. This seemed absolutely ridiculous so I asked why he thought it was acceptable to take away from my experience by continuously asking me to look in the camera and stop me from asking questions if the video was just for him. He just said that's how he does things and wouldn't show it to me. I asked again if I could just see it and he said no because he deleted it. At this point I got extremely angry and said why would you take it if you were going to delete it right away? He said he loaded it and that I had seen the pictures already so he deleted them. This made absolutely no sense because he had already told me he only took them for him. Greg's instructor came over at one point and apologized and tried to talk to him but came back empty handed apologizing again. After we left, Greg said he saw Yuri try to load the pictures but that the SD card said it was empty. We have no idea what he did but I'm just glad his mistake was in the camera and not the harness or something more important. Not only was he incompetent but also lied about the whole thing. I know the instructors are hired as independent contractors of some kind but they still represent the company and are picked by DC Skydiving so they need to not only be able to clearly communicate with the customer but also put them at ease. My experience with Yuri made me even more nervous because I couldn't understand him or get my questions answered. Add onto that the problem with the camera and my entire experience was pretty awful. read more

It seems most people write their review based on the experience of skydiving. Skydiving itself was ABSOLUTELY awesome! However, this rating is for the company only. Based on experiences shared from friends prior to, I expected a much more professional, exciting experience. - $9 booking fee - We (jumpers) were never told to watch the safety video. We're about to jump out of a plane and trust them with our lives, and they just have the safety video playing on loop in the background with the volume quite low! - We weren't given jump suits. - Our LivingSocial deals included a t-shirt, but we were never given them. - The girl taking the waivers gave you $40 cash to hand to your instructor after the jump. What?? You want me to do your business FOR you?? Very odd. - They asked $99 for a video, just for your instructor to strap a GoPro on their wrist. (And from other reviews, apparently the quality is pretty poor too.) Other companies send a jumper just to video you, and he flys around you and videos from different angles, etc.... for the same price! - My instructor, Yurly, was anything but friendly (as I've now read is common for him, based on other "not recommended" reviews). He BARELY spoke to me! Even when another jumper was talking to his instructor in the plane, he tapped his knee and told him to stop! - Yurly didn't seem to care about my harness. When he went to put it on me, he didn't say anything -- he just held it up in front of me and waited. Since I had watched others, I knew to turn around and step into it. After a few straps, he just left me, without saying anything like "I'll be back". He hadn't even strapped my legs -- just left them dangling. Everyone else had theirs strapped, and I felt odd. Plus, I was kind of tripping over them. Eventually some other instructor came and strapped them for me, thankfully. But when my instructor returned, he looked confused. He later decided to re-do everything.... all while everyone else was boarding the plane, and I'm left standing awkwardly in the building again. - My husband and I were jumping together, but my instructor seemed to not care. My husband was the 2nd to board the plane, and I was the last (7th)... sitting on the floor of the plane with everyone else on the benches. I couldn't talk to my husband, or even see him in the sky once we jumped. When my husband landed, my instructor told me to follow him into the building now. I said I'll wait here with my husband, to which he replied "No. You are my customer; you follow me." I followed him to the area where they were putting the parachutes, and he looked at me confused and said, "Go stand over there!" ... again, by myself. - While the plane was starting and everyone was standing in a group and chatting with their instructors (small talk -- where you're from, first time?, excited/nervous?, etc), Yurly was silent and just sat in the chairs away from the group. I wanted to be standing with my husband, but we were supposed to be with our instructors at that point, and I felt secluded. - Yurly never asked me if I wanted to do spins, or if I just wanted to glide, or anything. I wanted to glide around. He kept telling me to pull the parachute this way or that, and I obeyed because I thought he was getting us positioned/floating towards the landing zone... but I found out it was to have us spinning in circles, fast. Almost felt like county fair rides. I didn't really get to enjoy the scenery like I was expecting to. The trainer guy before the jump had made it sound like you'd have control over the parachute, and whether or not you'd spin or move about. - Speaking of scenery, DC was no where in site! Their website lies. That's one of the reasons we'd chosen their company over another. All in all, I got to go skydiving. I knew the instructions. I was safe. But with any company, just because you get the job done, doesn't mean you made it a great experience. Only the flying through the air part was enjoyable. Everything else was not. I noticed in general, the instructors with videos were friendly, happy, and excited, but the instructors without videos were not. Apparently you have to pay another $100 to get a good experience with them. I wish I had read the "not recommended" reviews before going, which closely resemble my own experience. Not to mention, the 4.5 star rating this company has is extremely misleading, as (from Yelp's own words) "the reviews that currently don't make the cut are not factored into this business's overall star rating". There are HUNDREDS of not recommended reviews for this company! You should read them... read more

So, skydiving was not on my bucket list until a friend convinced me to go with her. She had asked me to go last summer, and I had declined reasoning to her, "I can't leave my kids with their dad to raise"... But this year, I was viewing life's challenges and rewards with a more fatalistic and accepting mindset. (Just in case though, I made a note to do a re-distribution of my policies to ensure college money for the kids.) My friend was ecstatic and made an appointment with DC Skydiving in Warrenton that very day. I did not tell anyone in my family or my friends because I was afraid I would chicken out - my friend pretty much told EVERYONE... The big day finally arrived and off we went. When God was handing out a sense of direction, she and I got in a different line for seconds of that attribute because between the two of us, we can't find our way out of a cardboard box. After our one obligatory "I think we are lost" and U-Turn, we found the airfield. Yes, the airfield is rustic and tiny, and my first thought when I saw the plane was "puddle-jumper"; however, the pilot obviously knew what he was doing. I've flown in small aircraft, and this was silky smooth by comparison. My friend and I played hooky from work and had an early morning appointment. It was HOT, but the wait before and after indemnification was bearable. Kurt, one of the instructors, provided a 10-minute or so safety briefing. There really is not much to learn - 1) Hands in safety position in front of you on parachute straps; 2) Head back resting on instructor's shoulder (lest you bop yours in the nose with your head as I did - err, SORRY Dimitriye ); 3) Back arched - pretend you are going to do a back flip; 4) legs between instructor's legs with the bottom of your feet touching the bottom of the plane (when you are ready to jump) and touching your instructor's butt afterwards (your feet, that is, keep hands in safety position - but this could have just been Kurt's fantasy anyway...). Dimitriye, my instructor, was funny and very comforting in that ex-military sort of way. I absolutely had no fear - just a little nervousness about what to expect, and whether I'd remember Kurt's instructions. And by the way Dimitriye, it is not my fault that I did not remember - it was all very distracting up there - I AM really sorry about the nose though... Dimitriye convinced me to get the video, which I am so happy that I did. I have been trying to get a still of the nose bopping incident, but no luck so far. To his credit, he did not unstrap me and REALLY allow me to free fall... He was actually wonderful and probably the only reason I had such a great first experience. Free falling is amazing but fluttering around like a handkerchief afterwards is also a wonderful experience. The instructor will do twists and turns if you like, and my advice is look down rather than at the horizon if you have motion sickness issues. Looking at the ground somehow mitigates the affects of the whirling and twirling. Some other tips if you decide to go skydiving: 1. Do not wear gym shorts. There is a reason they tell you to wear jeans. My friend wore gym shorts and ended up scraping up her behind when she landed. You DO land on your butt BTW. 2. Chew a small piece of gum - not something that is going to choke you. I got very dry lips, and it is hilarious watching me try to lick my lips - looks very similar to a lizard's tongue darting in and out in the video. Maybe you prefer a not so hilarious video... Coupled with the goggles they make you wear - awesome... 3. Understand in advance that regardless of the shape you are in, your skin will flap like a tidal wave - on your face, arms, neck - any exposed area - as if you are giving birth to an alien - when you free fall. Pretty cool. 4. Word of warning from Kurt - who was my friend's instructor - when you are sitting at the open airplane door getting ready to jump, "No, No, No" oftentimes sounds like "Go, Go, Go" to them... 5. Once again - even if the guy who jumped solo in front of you in the bullet position is free falling 6,000 feet, and you are absolutely fascinated because it does not look like he is going to deploy a parachute, do not start squirming to get a better view and move your head around - IOU Dimitriye... read more

The only thing that can make skydiving for the first time a better experience is having a great experience on the ground, even before you take off on the plane. DC Skydiving Center provides an incredible experience overall. Looks can be deceiving and the DC Skydiving Center is an example of this. The location is very rural and it looks more like a farm with airplanes than it does a skydiving place. Notwithstanding that, as soon as you arrive there are clear signs that point the way to go. The staff is very friendly and professional although I will say that there isn't a clear point person to go to that will guide you to the booth once you get inside the hangar. Nonetheless, once you have paid and signed the incredibly long waiver which basically stipulates that you are jumping with the full knowledge that there is a probability of death and that you waive your right to sue the place, one of the instructors takes you out along with the 5 other jumpers that will be in your plane and you go through the basic jumping steps: arm positions, body position at the jump and landing positions. After the class you wait until your group is called. There is a clear demarcation of where the boundaries are. you are not allowed to go into the landing field or be close to the airplane unless you're walking to get into it. These people take safety seriously. The staff is very friendly while they are strapping you into the harness and they take turns double and triple check the harness to make sure everything is up to standard. Once your group is ready to jump your instructor calls out your name and they make an effort to get to know you and relax you. When I jumped, Yuriy was my instructor and he was extremely friendly and funny. He made a great effort to relax me since I was pretty nervous to jump. Once all the instructors have their jumpers, the pairs start to make their way to the airplane. The airplane itself is pretty small which can be intimidating for first time jumpers but it's kept up pretty well and you can see that. The airplane ride take about 10 minutes and while you're in there the instructor is strapping you to his harness, taking pictures of you, and talking with the other instructors and jumpers. the atmosphere and mood is pretty light and fun and the airplane has windows so you can see the climb. Once the altitude is reached the first jumper's instructor opens the gate of the plane and readies to jump. I was second in line and it was pretty exciting to see the first pair jump into the air and disappear. The jump itself is AMAZING!!!!! It is the best thing I have ever done in my life. YOU HAVE NEVER FELT ALIVE UNTIL YOU MAKE THAT JUMP. The freefall lasts about 15 seconds and then the instructor opens the parachute. After a while the instructor will give you the reins so you can steer the chute. I suggest to pull hard on the string because you will spiral down and it feels incredible! I was extremely nervous to jump for the first time but the whole experience was very laid back and relaxing. I definitely suggest buying a video or the pictures. You only need it for the first time you jump and trust me, you will want to remember this for the rest of your life. It's expensive as hell but worth every penny. The people are great, the facilities could use a little modernization (the bathrooms are basically porta potties) but what matter, which is the airplane and the chutes are all kept up very well. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to cross off skydiving off the bucket list. TRUST ME, YOU'LL WANT TO GO AGAIN AS SOON AS YOUR FEET TOUCH THE GROUND! read more

I never thought about going skydiving...and now that I have, honestly I still haven't thought about it LOL! I didn't have a whole lot of expectations going in; but having seen so many people do it on TV (lol) I kind of had an idea of the process, and the reality of it wasn't too far off. My friend Katie mentioned maybe she'd consider skydiving for her 30th b-day; and when I saw the living social deal; we all pulled the trigger and decided to make the 3.5 hr drive to Virginia from New Jersey and PA. I need to give props to my instructor, Joe G. I have a small stuffed Pig, (whom normally wears a kilt, but not for this adventure!). I really had my heart seat on Pig jumping with me; fastening him in with duct tape. The lady who was fitting harnesses on people told me Pig would probably not be allowed to go, but Joe was all about getting Pig to jump with me! He even told me where to fasten him to my arm with the duct tape so he'd show up good in the Pictures. And i couldn't believe how great the video came out! He got great shots of me, and of Pig with his ears flapping around, and it was so funny! Joe was goofing off, making Jokes, and really made it a lot of fun. All of the instructors had amazing laid back demeanor, and killer personality. They were all kind to everyone, not just their assigned students. And they are ALL rather nice on the eyes :) I have a very go with the flow attitude, and that fits this location well. Clearly this sport is dependent on the weather, and you can't schedule weather. Our day was threatening to rain nearly all day, with massive rain storms in the surrounding area. we were amazingly lucky as from the moment we started the arrival process the sky got brighter and brighter! Yes, this center is out in the country near farms and maybe I did expect a little more concrete but it's kind of what I picture in my head for Virginia countryside! I see some yelpers were turned off by that; but If you try things like camping, ziplining, rafting, etc. it isn't at all a surprise. At first I thought the short training and demonstration as a group was... short. But having completed the experience, there real is nothing to it, and the instructors communicate excellently through the whole process so you are never questioning what will happen or what you are supposed to do. They told you exactly what you needed to know in a concise, no fluff manner. Which is good; nothing to clog up your memory :) The registration process is a bit of a wait, but there are things to take care of so just shelf your 'A-Type personality for a while. There are multiple flights of people during your booked 'arrival time' so depending on where you are in line, you might have to wait for a few trips. Which wasn't so bad, we had good company, and got to watch people coming down and landing. So yeah, there is some waiting, but it's nice not to be just pushed through a cattle chute. Treat yourself to the photo and video combo; it's a great package cost (that isn't shown on the internet from what I saw), take advantage of cash discounts. They were absolutely worth it. Our only input would be to offer the video also in a format we can upload to our social media :) I was extremely happy with the experience. Thanks Joe, and Thanks DC Skydiving! read more

I went on Sunday, May 26th and I had the time of my life!! The weather was perfect, clear skies, barely any wind..the perfect conditions for what you would want to skydive in. My instructor, Kurt was awesome! He kept me talking and that helped take some of the pressure off what I was about to do! Although I generally love rollercoasters and risky activities, this did not compare to anything I've felt before!! Nothing tops the feeling of being at that door seconds away from jumping...my heart was in my neck! The free fall is a feeling that I can never describe but it was amazing!!...if you are reading these reviews you most likely already purchased a voucher/bought a regular ticket or you're contemplating on going skydiving...so DO IT...you'll LOVE it (hopefully!). The whole time on the little plane ride I was thinking what if I mess up and forget all the instructions we were shown... but not to worry your skydive instructor will go over these positions again before you jump and also when the parachute opens and you're in the air they'll explain again how to keep your legs once you are ready to land. When you're on the plane they strap themselves tight to you and they tighten the goggles! Kurt did a good job at going over the instructions on how I am supposed to arch my back and tilt my head and position my legs once we would jump out through that door. Kurt was also the instructor we had for the brief training class. He was an enjoyable companion, funny and friendly! He has been doing this since 1996...that's 17 years...I felt like I was in good hands. It honestly all happens so fast that you barely have time to think about all the "ifs" and "buts"...you should stop worrying, it takes out of the enjoyment of the overall experience....unless you have a heart condition or you have a phobia of heights, you should be fine! I had heard before my skydive is that it could be hard to breath up there but I had no problem with that, my breathing was just fine. Best believe that I want to do this again and I feel like the second time around I'd enjoy it more because I would know what to expect. The view down is gorgeous...the landing was flawless...Kurt was the best and the DC Skydiving Center registration was easy...I didn't feel like the wait was that long either...we had about 3 planes ahead of us. The most we waited was for the video and the pictures CDs but that's to be expected. Purchase the video/photos package or if not both at least one of them! They are worth it and you'll be laughing at yourself! And if you need one more reason to feel safe...here it is...they have a back-up parachute and the parachute is also computerized so in the unlikely event that your skydiver passes out, the parachute opens automatically! GO! Cross another thing off your bucket list! PS: YELP automatically filters reviews, even though they may be perfectly fine, appropriate and honest so I'd advise you to also check out the "filtered reviews" at the bottom of this list!! the DC Skydiving Center has over 400 reviews that Yelp filtered for no good reason! read them too if you need more opinions! read more

What a perfect way to celebrate LIFE, by risking your own LOL . My best friend and I signed up with the DC Skydiving Center back in March for a best friend trip. We ended up finding a great deal on groupon. When we called the center, we ended up getting talk to getting the VIP package that helps you skip the line and it also comes with photos and video. I'll come back to the package later in my review. When coming here, you'll go through neighborhoods and narrow roads. We were like "what the heck" at first but we just followed our good ol navigation. We get there and we had to use the bathroom so bad. Don't make the mistake I made and open up the door for the bathroom that's located in the parking lot area. The sign was a little confusing however, it's closed. I was freaked out for a while however, I just cant read lol. There are actual bathrooms located inside the grounds area with a big ol sign that says "restrooms" and they are pretty clean. When you get there, get to the ipads quickly or you'll be waiting in line to sign your life away. Literally! So many initials and signing however, you are doing something very dangerous SO READ. From there, you go to the window to check in. Make sure you have your ID and you have to step on the scale so they can make sure to pair you with the right person. After, you wait. You watch a couple videos on tv and you can watch other people land. We ended up paying $10 extra on having our photos / video on a thumb drive instead of a cd. The jumpers are contractors so they get paid per flight. So when you check in, the lady gives you money to give to them. There are also no where to put your items "safely". There are lock boxes but they do not lock. Just put them in your car and put your keys in the box. No one will take them lol. Okay, so the reason why this is a 4 star for me and not 5: The VIP "skip the line" situation is blah. We ended up getting there at 11AM. . when our scheduled time was 1PM. We called ahead and asked questions about the VIP stuff and they said yeah, they'll fit us in. Well, we didn't fly until 2PM.. which is an hour after our scheduled time. We didn't end up leaving until around 3PM due the fact that we had to wait for our thumb drives. So we had been there for a total of 5 hours and it was very tiring. The VIP was supposed to get us early / skip the line access and we did not receive it. It was also very uncomfy that there were no food options especially after having to wait. A suggestion, a food truck or a vending machine that has some snacks. There was a vending machine that was there for drinks only however, I'm starving. Overall, I'll be happy to go again. Just not purchasing the VIP pass and bringing my own snacks, maybe a sandwich. [Review 87 for 2019. Review 529 overall] read more

I jumped 4 times at DC Skydiving Center this year, and enjoyed each one of them immensely! The entire staff is courteous, professional, outgoing, and safety is their number one concern. The pre-jump classes covered all the basics, making everyone jumping feel as comfortable as possible. The humor of those teaching was also a huge bonus, since that humor helped alleviate nerves from all present.  First jump was in June with Kevin Petit - all I can say is that Kevin is AWESOME; he really fostered my newfound passion for skydiving at that time. His humor and obvious knowledge made me feel safe immediately, and he is a great instructor as well. I really enjoyed being able to fly the chute under his guidance, and knew as soon as we landed that I was going to jump again! Second jump was in July with Keith Bakewell. Keith was another AMAZING person to jump with! He knew I had recently jumped, and I really appreciate that he spent so much time talking to me, answering questions, and encouraging me to continue jumping if I really loved it so much. Keith is clearly passionate and knowledgeable, and seems to be a great coach as well. The jump itself was great! Keith was professional, safe, and a great skydiver - as well as FUN! He also let me steer the chute some, which helped me gain further understanding of how it works and feels. I felt like I learned a lot during this jump, as well as having an incredible time! The 3rd jump was sometime in early August - I jumped with Dennis, who was a professional all of the way around. He answered my questions, and I felt that he was a great help with body positioning during free fall - I gained a much better understanding of body flight from this jump.  The final jump was early in Sept, and again I got to jump with Kevin Petit - and I'm very glad I did so!! He knows I plan to get my jump license, and is a phenomenal instructor, as well as being completely encouraging. I wore an altimeter on this jump, so that I could gain altitude awareness, as well as a better understanding of how body positioning works during free fall - I felt like I was actually flying, instead of just falling thru the sky. Once the chute was activated, Kevin was all teacher, instructing me on how to steer, as well as proper landing protocol. He allowed me to keep my hands on the toggles for the entire flight, so that I could get a real feel for things. This was my favorite jump of the year, and I felt like I really learned a lot!  Again, I really enjoyed all of my 4 jumps at DC Skydiving center; especially those with Kevin and Keith! I have recommended others jump here as well, and know a couple of friends plan to do so this coming spring. I'm so glad my friend and I picked this dz to go to for our first jump when we randomly picked one!! read more

FACILITIES: My sister and I used a Travelzoo coupon for our tandem jumps. It was a great experience, and we would definitely go there again. I agree with other reviewers that the place looks a bit sketchy at first. Driving there brought up images of some of the scary movies we grew up watching, but it really isn't their fault so many scary movies were based in the country. The bathroom could use some fixing up. The toilet was clean, but the sides of the tissue were dirty, like someone sat it on the ground before putting it in the bathroom. The sink is in a separate room, and the handle that controlled the hot water was completely broken. INSTRUCTORS: My sister's instructor was Jake. She said she felt that he was either new or returning from a hiatus, but still felt safe with him, even though she wasn't able to jump the first time around because there was a problem with one of the lines on her harness. My instructor was Mihailo, and he was great. Although they gave thorough instructions on how we should position ourselves before and during the jump, and while landing, Mihailo went over everything again while in the plane and right before landing. THE JUMP: I thought the free-fall would be the best part, but I had an extremely difficult time breathing. At one point it was so hard for me to get air I felt like I was drowning. My sister said she had to concentrate on breathing, but didn't have nearly as much trouble as I did. The most troubling part about this was there's no way to signal my instructor of my trouble, probably nothing he could do anyway, and there was no warning that this may be an issue (Although, in hindsight, why wouldn't breathing be an issue when air is rushing at you so quickly? Perhaps I panicked and made things worse...?). But once the parachute opened everything was fine, and I was able to enjoy the rest of the jump. TIPS: 1. Go early. We were there for the first three jumps of the day, and we noticed things started to get hectic fairly quickly, and the staff started to lose their patience. We went on the weekend and there were people from the previous weekend who had to reschedule because of weather, so it was extremely busy. My sister also "bumped" another person because of the trouble with her harness, and that person was clearly not very pleased about this. 2. Bring gloves. My hands were so cold I almost passed up the opportunity to help steer the chute. 3. Be patient and nice. Stuff happens and you may have to wait. If you need to bring entertainment then do so. They don't provide lockers for you, but you park close enough to go back to your car if necessary and my instructor let me put a couple of things in his locker while we jumped. read more

Another great review for DC Skydiving Center... actually I wish I could give them more than 5 stars- they deserve every one! I've wanted to jump since I was about 15 but for one reason or another just never got to do it. For my 30th birthday my best friend made me a promise that we would do it this year, come hell or high water! Unfortunately, my birthday is in January. :( BUT, right around then the Center released a Living Social coupon that was the last thing I needed to bite the bullet and commit! Fast-forward a couple months to yesterday (April 26): I COULD NOT have asked for a better experience. Really. The team was simply awesome. I felt 110% safe and secure the whole time. I never once questioned the expertise of the staff or the safety of the harnesses and planes. I was incredibly calm and comfortable the whole time. My instructor, Angelo, was an absolute sweetheart who was warm and friendly with a huge smile the whole time we were together- exactly the type of person I needed to pump me up to 150% excited! My best friend is kind of a worry-wart, and even though he'd skydived before (HERE!) he was still a bit anxious. The instructor they paired him with had 30+ years of experience and had a calming and friendly demeanor- exactly what my BFF needed. Their whole team was friendly, chatty, and dedicated to making the experience for each of us (there were 20ish people jumping in our time-slot) unique and fun! I got the video and Angelo did a great job recording my child-like gittyness over the whole experience. I know it's expensive, but as I've watched it no less than 12 times since I got home, I can tell you that it's worth it! You'll almost immediately forget about 50% of what happened as the adrenaline wears off and you'll be so glad you have the video to look back on your AMAZING EXPERIENCE. One thing I'd like to address: some people are talking about the location and their uneasiness with the physical space. Remember what you're doing and get your head clear about your expectations for the environment you're going to be in. By it's nature this extreme adventure activity is done by laid-back people. You're jumping out of a small prop plane. If you're expecting Dulles Airport and a hanger filled with private jets you're probably not the type of person to enjoy jumping out of a perfectly good plane. If you like a laid-back, friendly environment with cool people, this place is for you! I just can't say enough good things about DC Skydiving Center, so I'll break it down to this: CALL THEM. BOOK A JUMP. HAVE A BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad I did. read more

This is a review of the DC skydiving center - as everyone else says, they are indeed super cool. This was my first (potentially my last? read further!) time. I won't repeat every single thing other yelpers already yelped about. Questions I had before going up there that weren't clarified by others: (1) can people jump wearing glasses? YES. The goggles do fit super tight, around your eyes, with glasses and all. (2) Is the video worth it? YES. So worth it. You see your skin coming off and you can see veins during the free fall. (3) how fast do you fall? 120mph. (4) how long is the free fall? 30 sec approximately; (4) how long total time from the second you take off, until you are back on Earth? Probably 7 minutes. (5) do people freak out? YES. YES. (6) is it worth it? YES. Every single cent; (6) where do you leave your stuff while you are jumping? Everything stays in the car, and the car keys stay with the people behind the front desk; (7) is it safe? NO, but they tell you that - so they are doing it right; (8) is there food there? Sort of. Two vending machines, one with water/drinks, one with food. Water is $1. (8) How to pay? If you are getting the $90 video, bring cash. (9) Traffic? We hit no traffic driving there. (10) Can kids come? I would suggest NOT to bring kids, unless you bring the baby sitters along; (11) Temperature difference between ground and 10k feet altitude: 20 degrees Fahrenheit; (12) Scariest moment? About to jump off, sitting with your feet under the airplane; (13) How long until you jump? It took us 1.5 hour, the training was simple and direct (Kurt led it). Now for my personal experience: I'd free fall everyday from a building or a plane if I could. I absolutely felt calm and just falling (except for the first two seconds, while I was panicking), not at all like in a roller-coaster, which I hate and can't stand anymore. Once the parachute opened, and the 360 degree turnings started, my stomach said it was done and wanted all my lunch and yesterday's dinner out. I kept it all in but 30 min after landing it all came out anyway. Puking in the car gave me the same relief as the free fall. Back to the chute: it feels like you are on a big swing, and someone is swinging you around. I think babies love that feeling, and some people never get seasick. But I do. A LOT. Even on elevators, when they are going down I feel uneasy. So the parachute part could have been a little more straight...maybe next time? The place and the instructors still get my five stars! read more

I originally was just booking the skydiving for 2 of my sons age 18 & 19 but my husband wanted to go too so I booked all 4 of us. I was very worried about being the only one to chicken out and did not want to land with the plane and have to do the walk of shame if I did chicken out. I was so glad when I found out my instructor was Chris because I read a review on Yelp right before we arrived and it said he was the best. The review was right on because Chris was the absolute best instructor. He sensed how nervous I was getting on the plane ride up and had me take several deep breaths until he could tell I was more relaxed. Then he made it easy not to chicken out because as soon as I let go of the bar above me at the open door of the plane we were just out and flying. I don't remember really jumping. I was so thrilled I would not be teased for chickening out. Chris was also wonderful in telling me what he was going to do before he does it. He let me know when he was going to adjust the harness before which was really good to tell me because otherwise I might have thought something was breaking. He also made me feel so at ease when he told me in the plane that I don't have to worry about doing anything wrong because he can correct for anything and all I have to do is relax. It was also cool when after the parachute was up Chris told me to take off the goggles which was very cool looking around with no goggles even though I saw fine with the goggles it just made me feel more carefree without them. I did hear a tip too that if you want to flip or spin tell your instructor and they might do that for you but for my first time I really didn't want to flip and as far as I know we didn't. When my ride was over I gave Chris a big hug because I was just so happy that I jumped and that we landed safely on our butts just like he said we would. I definitely would jump again and I would definitely ask for Chris again! Chris, thank you for being so caring and putting me at ease!!!! Also you definitely want the pictures and videos, Chris took amazing pictures and video which I happily posted on Facebook to the amazement of my friends and family which I had not told I was jumping before I did in case I chickened out. Again, thank you DC Skydiving center and all the staff there from the person who checked us in to the person that put my harness on to most of all Chris that made the whole experience ineffable (which means indescribable in a Good way!). Thanks Chris!!!! read more

My two sons, daughter-in-law and two nieces from Peru went to skydive a couple of weeks ago. It was easy to make the reservations and we paid extra to get them a video and pictures since we hoped it would be a memorable experience. Everyone but my daughter-in-law received their pictures and videos that night; she received the a video but it was the one of one of my nieces. Anyhow, this review is to both complement the professionalism of the center as everything was run smoothly and went without a hitch -- but also to mention the manager of the center, Mr. Imre Bucasnyi. I have spent two weeks calling their main customer service number to try to straighten out the video issue. Everyone was just lovely on the phone and said all the right things to make us believe that they were going to make sure that someone took care of getting Rebeka her video. After two weeks, I figured that the video must be gone and was very close to demanding our money back (about $150 for each person so not cheap). But, another lovely young lady who answered the phone really did seem to care and put me on hold while she got Mr. Bucasnyi on the phone. I explained the situation and, since I am also in customer service, told him that I know that there are some things that we just do not want to deal with or do and that I was looking for just one person who cared enough to take the time to find Rebeka's video. He told me that he would not go home today until he found it and he gave me his cell number and asked that I send him a description of the problem along with a picture of Rebeka (we had already sent her picture to a customer service email to no avail). And, sure enough, by around 3:00 today he delivered the goods to Rebeka -- both the pictures and the video. So, while this could have ended up being a bad review, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the life-changing sky-diving experience and the wonderful memories that, thanks to finding that one person who really cared, Mr. Imre Bucasnyi, we also have the pictures and video to relive this marvelous day. Thank you to all of the folks at DC Skydiving Center; the instructors who fly with each person are super knowledgeable, kind, understanding and have great senses of humor to-boot!. And this center is run by an individual who clearly wants to make all his customers happy with both the experience as well as providing the memories. I am so relieved to have finally had someone connect me to him directly! Thank you. read more

After wanting to go skydiving for 6-7 years now, I finally went last weekend. It was a dream come true for me. I went with a friend. Having read the reviews, I wasnt suprised by the look of the place. No, it isnt a commercial airport, it is a private airpark on someones farm, which was fine with me as long as my instructor knew what he was doing. My instructor was Kurt, who was also the one who led the training session at the beginning. Training session lasted about 15 minutes, which is all you really need anyway. He was just the right amount of fun and seriousness, which was perfect for me. Be prepared though, there isnt a lot of coddling. There were 16 rounds of jumps scheduled for the day I went, so the instructors are busy getting things ready for the upcoming jump, and finishing details for the previous jump. I understand that though, as the vast majority of people who come through there, this will be their only jump ever, so the instructors arent there to teach you how to skydive alone or anything. They are there to teach you to be safe on your one trip. Kurt secured me into my harness, we filmed a quick intro for my film, and then we went over to the plane. It is a small plane, holding 5 tandem pairs and one solo jumper. Might have been able to get 6 tandem pairs in without the solo. Its small, but not squished. On the ride to altitude, Kurt took time and went over all the positions i was supposed to be in again, and i asked some questions for clarification. He also said that we would be doing a sitting landing, which was good to know. Out the door we went, and Kurt did an amazing job on my video. After he pulled the chute, he quickly pointed out my friend in her freefall (she jumped after me), and was also able to get her freefall on my video, which was awesome. Then he helped me do some basic manuvers, like turning. He then took controls and had a little fun with faster turns. He was good at listening to my feedback, which was perfect. Once on the ground again, i was pretty much left to my own devices for the 30 minutes until my movie was ready. We got to watch 2 other rounds of jumpers jump, which was cool to watch. In summary, I would recommend DC Skydiving Center. They were a professional group of staff. I HIGHLY recommend Kurt as an instructor, he was amazing. I am already considering going back. My only recommendation to DC Skydiving Center. Expand and start teaching AFF so I dont have to drive to Orange!! read more

Great Staff, Great Ride, Definitely Do IT! To the older customers, of whom I am certainly one, Do not let your first impression stop you! You get there and see hangars, needing repair, with light planes, spare and discarded parts. The bathroom is a small trailer. The office is the storage room for the T-Shirts, water, and sports bottles. The parachute packing room has a worn couch, a couple of worn chairs, fridge, and workbench and is separated from the waiting area by a sheet (I think). The day I was there the power was out because a trench was dug and cut their power line. You fill out a standard release form that is 3 pages with all the standard legal sections. The staff - Tattoos, piercings, mostly young, almost all younger than me, with a mix of friendly and business like personalities. The jump primmer was brief but poignant. The instructor had everyone display the positions as he explained them, even the 3 or 4 deaf members of the group which took intervention from their friend. Note: One section on the release form tells you that you have the option to inspect all of the equipment that is related to your jump, so I watched them pack a few of the parachutes. What I saw impressed me and made me very confident in the staff. Each person was exacting in the way they did the packing. All lines straight, all silk folded orderly, all straps flat and tight, each fold precise, In short Professional. Kurt was my jump partner and he made sure that my harness was on and cinched tight with all straps tied down so there were no loose ends. He made sure to tell me that the harness going through my legs could do some serious damage if I was not "positioned" properly, I appreciated that. Kurt was great during the whole process from getting me harnessed through the process of hooking up on the plane while it brought us up to jump height. He checked my harness after the jump primmer to make sure it was still tight, answered all of my questions, reviewed the primmer, and reminded me about arching during the drop. We had a low jump because of the clouds but it was a rush all the same. I had a Groupon which made it cost less but I will pay full price next time since it is certainly worth it. My kids were there to watch and each said that they want to do it when they turn 18, which was part of the reason to do this. read more