Start Skydiving

I have never been skydiving before, so I don’t have the best basis for good or bad skydiving establishments. However, I know that everyone here was very helpful, encouraging, and personable.
I purchased this experience for my girlfriend and me. We signed up for it online about 15 hours before. As long as you pay online the day before you will get a better deal. We paid $ 169 for the weekday deal. It would have been $ 199 if we paid the day of.
They were also very accommodating here. It was suppose to rain in the afternoon, when we were suppose to jump. We called early in the morning and they told us to come ASAP, and we jumped as soon as we got there. Awesome service!
For those worried about jumping for the first time, don’t be worried! The instructors make you very comfortable and it is totally worth the experience. The biggest rush in the world to be falling to the ground from the sky. GO DO IT!!!

It is a complete waste of money, the experience of jumping from an airplane can be so fun but was completely ruined by their bad management. AVOID this place at ALL COST.

First tandem skydive experience was a success!
I was flying into the Columbus, OH area for the weekend for my adrenaline junkie of a boyfriend’s birthday. After considering many, many other places — I choose StartSkydiving for 2 reasons 1) the great reviews on Facebook and Unilocal and 2) the fact that a deposit is enough to secure your jump. Other locations were asking me to pay upfront, which was a deal breaker for me because I was only there for the weekend and that was the only day I was available to jump.
Pros:
— Quick! Our appointment was at 10am and we were out of there by 1130 (with videos and photos burned onto a CD!). After reading some of the reviews, we thought we’d be here for HOURS, but we were suited up within minutes and on the plane in no time.
— Phil, who I skydived with, was AWESOME. We got to the edge of the plane and I legitimately forgot everything because I was so scared, but he was so nice! I told him my ears were popping as we were making our way down and he gave me suggestions on what would help that. He also asked me if I typically get motion sickness and I said sometimes so he brought us down slowly. He even showed me how to steer the parachute — he was phenomenal!
— Prices seemed better than other skydiving locations within the area.
— Reliable. I was reluctant to skydive after watching the mandatory video and signing off your life on the waiver, but after seeing all the Facebook reviews for StartSkydiving, I was reassured that this was a safe place to have my first jump.
Cons:
— Slightly disappointed in my photographs/​video. The videographer was so close to me that the background/​view weren’t photographed very well. However, my boyfriends photos/​video came out amazing! His photographer maintained a good distance to shoot (did both close ups and further away) and his photos looked amazing!
— Photograph/​video package was supposed to have 150 pictures + video. We both had less than 115 photos each and some of the photos were blurry and others we weren’t even in. Expected a little bit more paying $ 99/​person.
Tips:
— They have lockers (without locks), but next time I’d probably leave valuables in the car or bring my own lock.

Things I liked about the place–
1. Great blend of business and thrill.
2. Pretty experienced sky divers. It was Adam’s, my tandem sky diving instructor, 1324^th jump.
3. A right balance between assertive and friendliness was seen in instructors approach to mentally prepare you for jump.
4. Schedule screen that shows your estimated jump time along with the instructors name.
5. They take you all the way above 10 000 feet.
6. Cheaper as Compared to other places.

While I was visiting some friends in Cincinnati, OH, we attempted to jump in 2010. It seemed like the right time to celebrate:
1/​Celebrate being alive and kicking for three decades (milestone birthday).
2/​Celebrate my friends’s undergraduate survival (graduation).
We made a reservation online, and purchased four tandem skydive spots, and of course video of our jump. Have I mentioned I have a mild form of what’s called «acrophobia «, that is fear of heights. I thought jumping from the sky might overcome my fear.
We drove couple of hours to Middletown Regional Airport, and it was nice clear day to Jump! The staff at Start Skydiving were AWESOME, friendly and made us all feel comfortable. We checked-​in and we were prepared to skydive. When our turn came up, our jump was cancelled due to inclement weather.
They were so flexible to reschedule, and to transfer my spot to another friend, since I was just visiting Cincinnati.
My friends did their jump few months later, and they highly recommend Start Skydiving.
Four and halfYelps.

I always wanted to experience this and boy I did it! It is inexplicable the jump, the free fall and the peaceful and scenic view from the sky when the parachute opens it. There is nothing to be scared about as they are extremely professional and I was totally fearless as I saw so many people going before me n coming back alive and so did I

What a great experience! Thrilling… I felt completely safe. You will wait — be prepared — changes in weather will affect the timing of your drop, but you want everything to be safe, right? My tandem instructor Gravy explained everything perfectly, so I knew what to expect… we had a great drop, and I will go back. Four stars because the front counter staff seemed a little bored and slow, and could’ve explained the process about waiting to us newbies a little better.

I was very scared to skydive but when a friend picked Start Skydiving out and I read the ratings I knew I was in good hands. #1 place rated by Drop Zone (the big boys)! Today I went there for my 2:30p appointment and boy were they packed! Always a good sign! We waited a little while for our trip, but it was a fun time waiting. Played cornhole and enjoyed the great weather! I jumped with Paul and Rob. They were amazing! My friend jumped with Sanford and he was awesome, too! Such a great crew working there! When we got ready to jump I was soooo scared!!! Paul and Rob really made me feel comfortable and motivated me to make the jump! I am sooo glad that they did! I will never forget this experience!!! All of the staff was really awesome and I highly recommend Start Skydiving!!! Don’t forget to get a video and picture package!!! You won’t regret it!!!

This was my first tandem skydive. The price was pretty good! The first issue I had was that my instructor, Paul, had never done a tandem jump out of the plane we were going to jump out of before. That made me a little uneasy, but it ended up just fine. Another issue I was kind of disappointed about was the plane could only make it up to 8,500ft…as opposed to the 13,500ft which most jumpers get to do. Other than those two set-​backs, it was fantastic! The video was great, and the jump was the most amazing thing I have ever done in m entire life. The facility was great, and the instructors were extremely helpful. I’d do it again!

Jumped on 5÷18÷2014
This was my second time skydiving and my first time at Start Skydiving. Start Skydiving provided a better overall experience by a wide margin.
The facilities are very clean and everyone is friendly and professional. There is a large monitor that shows you exactly what time you’ll be jumping. There are corn hole sets and comfortable patio chairs so that you can be outside and relax while you wait.
Kirk (my tandem partner) and Melanie (my videographer) were both awesome! I highly recommend spending the extra $$ to upgrade to the video so you can show your friends.
The only reason I’m not giving it a 5-​star is the large pothole as you enter the parking area. Several cars bottomed out. Fill that in and it’s a 5-​star!

One thing to cross off my bucket list-​skydiving. It was a brilliant experience and my partner Dan with the mustache was awesome. They went over everything and wasn’t worried a bit. One of the best experiences and can’t wait to do it again.

This place is absolutely wonderful. I had the best experience here. And considering it was my first time jumping out of a plane, I would say that is very important.
Every single person I dealt with here was great. Super laid back atmosphere, but very safe. I paid about $ 135 for my groupon and an additional $ 99 for the video and stills (which is so worth it, trust me — if you go, GET THIS PACKAGE!!!)
I plan on coming back and jumping with these guys again. I felt nothing but safe. Awesome experience. Amazing people. Great prices. :)

Great experience jumping out of a plane… However, their staff and process is confusing and unprofessional. I honestly didn’t feel super safe or comfortable when we were in the hangar. Some of the paperwork, training video, and clueless check-​in girl just made me feel sketchy. However, the guy I was tethered to answered all my questions and made me feel great as we suited up and jumped out of the plane. I guess my beef is with everything from the front desk, scheduling, paperwork, all the way to suiting up. Nice planes, good chutes, fun and kinda «radical» guys in this industry. Lots of «dude thats gnarly» type of talking. Guess it comes with the territory. The videos /​DVD are totally worth it. If you’re gonna drop $ 100 to jump out of a plane, pay the extra and video it cause you may never do it again!

Best in the business! Super professional and helpful staff, with outstanding facilities. I have jumped with these guys twice and continue to keep coming back for more! The tandem jumpers are also a professional jump team, so the definitely know what they are doing!

Start Skydiving was a great place to go for my first jump! The staff was incredibly helpful and friendly, and my tandem partner (his name was Tree) was really funny, which helped me relax a little. They are always offering deals & coupons, which is nice because it can get pretty expensive. The only thing I didn’t really enjoy was how long we had to wait to jump — although it ended up working in our favor because we jumped at sunset!

I did my first tandem at Start Skydiving in the fall of 2010. After I arrived I did have to wait a few hours before it was my turn to get on the plane. The lady who scheduled my appointment had warned me about this so I came prepared with snacks and my husband to keep me entertained. My instructor was patient with all of my questions and did a great job reassuring me when I started to get a little scared. On the plane ride up my instructor kept my mind busy by chatting me up and going over our exit procedure (which proved to be an amazing tactic!) Once I was out the door and in free fall I had the most amazing time, EVER!
In fact, I had such an amazing experience that I knew I couldn’t let it end there. After waiting out the winter I returned to Start and began the process of obtaining a skydiving license. Learning the ins and outs of skydiving can be overwhelming and intimidating. Thankfully, no matter where I was in the process, Start had multiple trained instructors available to help me along. The knowledge the instructors shared was invaluable and I quickly developed the skills needed to skydive safely and with other people.
I have now completed my goal and have become a licensed skydiver. I owe this accomplishment to Start Skydiving and its entire staff for the magnificent support and guidance.

When I was 17 I wanted to go skydiving but was told you aren’t allowed until you hit 18. When that happened I lost my nerve and put it off as one of those things I’d get to someday. Well, as I’ve gotten older my life list has gotten much much longer and sky diving still nagged at me because I’ve been over 18 for quite some time now.
I was sitting at home when I got a text message. It was from my mom.“Did I tell you what I’m doing this weekend? I’m going skydiving! Wanna go?” I looked at the text, put my phone down and just sat there. You see, my mom is the most conservative woman ever. She doesn’t take crazy risks, and often tries to get me not to either. So to get this text from her. wow. Of COURSE I had to go.
My first piece of advice. get there EARLY!!! We were one of the first groups there and still had a short time to wait. If you get there later the wait gets longer and longer, so jump in the morning. When we arrived we had to go into a room and watch a safety video. You could feel the electricity in the air from all the people who were buzzing with excitement about their first jump.
The t.v. comes on and starts going into the safety bit. I look up and there is a man talking very seriously about the risks of jumping out of a plane, who looks like he came out of a ZZ Top video. Come on now. how can you take that man seriously? Maybe he was there to ease the nervous tension?
Once the video is over you go to the hangar and meet your tandem jumper. We got the video and photo package too so the videographer comes over and does a quick interview with you. You get suited up in your jumping outfit and then you wait for the plane.
I was with a crazy spikey blonde haired guy who was perfect for this type of job. Sometimes you can just look at someone and know what they do. you may not have been able to guess right away with him, but you’d probably come close with any extreme sport. He joked around with me and we headed to the plane. The plane ride is amazing and much smoother than a commercial flight.
We all got quiet as we looked down at the land below us and took it all in. I watched my boyfriend who was strapped to an older man go first, then my mom as she snuck a quick glance back at me, and a wave. and then it was my turn. We were on the edge of the plane and the videographer went first… We jumped and my breath was taken away for a moment.
When you first jump you’re in a freefall and it doesn’t feel like you are falling as fast as what you really are. It’s incredible. It was raining so it was actually ice when it was hitting me. The videographer was below me getting the expression on my face the whole time and the ground was showing up faster and faster…
Finally he pulled the chute and we were ripped back upwards into the sky. You glide for a little bit and he let me take the handles to spin us around. It was the most peaceful feeling I’ve ever felt in my life.
The landing was completely smooth as we slid in on our butts. It was the greatest experience of my life and I will definitely do it again someday. All of us came down with huge smiles on our faces and that was the coolest thing in the world to see. my conservative mom standing there telling me she wanted to go again. Awesome. :)
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I purchased the video and pictures. I didn’t care about the video because I really only wanted to get pics but you can’t buy them separate. Well the video turned out awesome, but there are absolutely 0 pics of me in the sky. I was so bummed. My mom got AMAZING still shots of her on her pics and I really wanted something to share with everyone besides a video.: (The other thing is that another photographer snaps shots of you as you land and they take you back in the hangar to view the pics. These pics are separate. and honestly if I could do it again I wouldn’t buy them. You don’t really need to because your videographer catches alot of the same pics. But if that’s the only complaint I have. well it was worth it. I loved the actual place and the jump. I will go back.

A truly amazing experience with a top notch staff. Start Skydiving has become the standard in the state of Ohio from Class A-​H certification as well as tandem diving.
So what should you expect the first time you arrive at this business?
PROS:
Parking is never a problem at 1711 Hook field. With ample parking around the hanger and an overflow lot next to it, you can bring all your friends along for this unique adventure.
The staff is professional and is dedicated to your safety as well as insures you know what your getting yourself into.
The instructors at Start have a varied background. Some are ex-​airforce and army. While others have commercial licenses. These instructors Jump an average of 70 times a week in the busy months and many have 20 to 30 years of experience in diving.
Cons:
Time: Plan 6 hours to be free to jump. With varied weather patterns and occasional plane maintenance you could be waiting for this once in lifetime experience.
Disclaimer:
Even though the instructors make you comfortable this a business. You must be certain you want to do this. In the summer time 18 Jumpers go out on each plane. Do not hold up a seat unless you can commit
Helpful Hints:
The best skydiving experiences are during the week. It’s a little slower with more 1 on 1 conversation between instructors and it is cheaper.
I have jumped for the first time this summer and have gone back for another experience. Given the nature of this sport, I would not give them a second chance unless I was thoroughly impressed with there commitment to safety and professionalism.
–Frank

I would certainly have been most willing to give this place 5 stars if not for two small hang-​ups: the INSANELY bitchy woman working the cash register the day we were there and the INSANELY long wait that we experienced because we came on a Saturday, like most people who have 9 – 5, M-​F jobs.
We were told to make sure we arrived no later than 1pm. I’m not so sure what the rush was. You fill your paperwork out before watching the video (which seemed a bit un-​necessary, because you have plenty of time to wait AFTER you watch the video too.)
The girl at the front desk seemed extremely put out when one member of our group was about 10 minutes late. She missed a minute or so of the video, which consists of a guy with a really long beard sitting in a 1970s wood paneled office telling you that nothing’s perfect, and that you could die from this, but now you know that, so you can’t blame anyone. Got it!
We then took our paperwork to pay, and we hadn’t decided yet if we all wanted to pay for video/​stills, etc… The video/​still package costs $ 89, but is worth it if you have some extra cash to burn. I’m very glad I bought mine.
We were there from 1pm until about 7pm, easily. If you go to Start Skydiving– BE PREPARED TO WAIT. Luckily, I still had the deck of cards which was the gift at the last Unilocal Elite event on me… and that killed the time fairly quickly. We played a heated game of Egyptian Rat Screw and one of the videographers for our group joined in and ended up hustling all of us!
The instructors at Start Skydiving are GREAT. They will put you at ease if they sense that you need it– and/​or get you psyched up if they sense that you are an adrenaline junkie. I’m a little bit of both, and my instructor was GREAT.
I was SO scared when it came time to jump– in the video, you can see my instructor prying my hands off the bar to get me to go. Once I got into free-​fall, it was smooth sailing from there!
IT was SUCH a great experience, and I’d DEFINITELY reccommend this company to anyone who wants to take the jump. It’s a thrill unlike anything I’ve experienced.
Just be willing to wait for it…

I first went in Oct of 2009 at their Lebanon location with a group of friends. We were able to book as a group and get a discounted rate. It definitely helps to have other people you know there with you while you wait and wait… :)
When you jump, if you are still on the adrenaline high, and not thinking all that straight, you have the option of pre-​purchasing your next jump at a greatly reduced cost. (Currently that is $ 109) So, as you may have already guessed, I did just that. Here it is almost a year later and I need to hurry up and use my pass.
I just jumped at their new location in Middletown. I really like their new location. It’s a very nice facility. There is a large, comfortable, fenced in area to the left of the hangar as you approach that has seating and umbrellas to get you off your feet and out of the sun. Your friends and family not crazy enough to jump with you can patiently wait here and watch as you descend slowly from the sky.
Currently, their only bathrooms are port-​o-​potties, but I hear that they are working on a restroom facility.
You need to make a reservation for your «class time» online or you can call and do this over the phone. Then just show up, park and walk to the back side of the big, blue hangar, through the door marked: «enter here.» If it’s your first time, you will pass up the check in desk to your right, and walk straight back to the left to check in for your waiver and safety video. Once you have this paperwork complete, you will walk back up to the check in desk and they will process your payment and ask you to wait. They recommend expecting to be there for something between two and six hours. It all depends on how you line up with the available planes, your instructor’s schedule, and the number of people wanting to jump.
Honestly, the most difficult part of the whole process is the waiting and the anticipation. This is why having friends, family or something to occupy your time and mind is your best bet. Be sure that you’ve had something to eat, but don’t eat a big meal right before you show up.
Inside the hangar is a bustle of people filled with excitement. It’s palpable. People are packing their parachutes to the right, to the front of the hangar, the group jumpers are practicing their stunts/​routines or in many cases, engaged in group prayer. It can’t hurt, I guess. ;)
The experienced staff that will be jumping tandem with you are always upbeat, kind, and knowledgeable. They put you at ease immediately and are used to dealing with peoples’ nerves or jitters. Everything is explained thoroughly throughout the process to keep you from having to think about it.
You walk out onto the small airfield and stack into the tiny plane like sardines in an only slightly thicker can. It’s a surprisingly long ride up to 12,500 feet. When the little plexiglass garage door is slid open and you can feel the air rushing by and see the ground below, it gets real. You shuffle off to the side, lean out, and on the count of three it’s too late to change your mind. Arch back, don’t panic, and breathe through your mouth. Better yet, scream in delight or fear, no one will be able to tell the difference and you can claim whatever you want when your wobbly legs are on stable ground again.
After you reach a stable fall, you open your arms up and settle in for the fall. The chute gets pulled at 5,000 ft, so you have some time to take it all in. Let your instructor know if you want to do a standard jump from the plane or a tumble maneuver. If you are motion sick or particularly scared, I would avoid the latter. You may also do some horizontal spinning during the initial fall. If you aren’t up for this, you may want to alert the guy on your back. If you want to pull the chute, talk about that before you make your way onto the plane.
It’s a great feeling when the chute opens and your breathtaking descent is suddenly and abruptly interrupted by what feels like being pulled upwards rapidly by your shirt. Then, settle in for a long, slow, lazy and serene glide to the ground. Again, there is the option to do some spinning at this point which can be slow or very quick. This is something you will want to discuss with the guy holding the reigns.
The landing is easy and painless. The hardest part is not running back in and booking the next time slot.
You will notice people of all ages, creeds, sexes, etc. Don’t think this is only for the adrenaline crazed youth.