FAQ - Common Questions & Answers

  1. WHERE WILL WE LAND OUR PARACHUTE?
  2. WHAT TYPE OF AIRPLANE WILL WE USE?
  3. CAN I JUMP WITH MY FRIENDS?
  4. WHAT ABOUT VIDEO & PHOTOS?
  5. DO I NEED RESERVATIONS?
  6. WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION?
  7. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?
  8. WHAT CAN I SEE UP THERE?
  9. WHAT IS A TANDEM JUMP?
  10. WHY CAN'T I GO BY MYSELF?
  11. WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES LIKE?
  12. WILL I BE SCARED?
  13. WHAT WILL THE FREEFALL FEEL LIKE?
  14. HOW LONG IS THE DIVE?
  15. WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT DO WE USE?
  16. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
  17. ARE YOU ASSOCIATED WITH USPA?
  18. WHO WILL MY JUMP MASTERS BE?
  19. WHAT IF THE MAIN PARACHUTE DOESN'T WORK?
  20. WHAT IF I CHICKEN OUT?
  21. WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER?
  22. COULD I GET HURT OR KILLED?

  1. WHERE WILL WE LAND OUR PARACHUTE?
     SLV is the only Skydive School that lands our Parachutes on Airport property. We land our Parachutes directly next to our 7,000' air-conditioned building so your friends can watch. SLV does not have to send a shag-vehicle 5 miles out into the desert to find and retrieve you. SLV has full permission from the FAA, State, County, and City to do what we do, where we do it, and how we do it. Our 40-year lease with the City gives us the right to land Parachutes on Airport Property for the next 33 years.

  2. WHAT TYPE OF AIRPLANE WILL WE USE?
    We own two beautiful airplanes. We fly a Cessna P206, and a Cessna Super-Turbine Caravan which carries up to 16. The Super-Turbine Caravan is the Fastest-Climbing Jump Airplane in the Country. All are maintained by FAA Certified Mechanics, and flown by FAA Licensed Commercial Pilots.

  3. CAN I JUMP WITH MY FRIENDS?
    Sure, that's usually not a problem. With our new Cessna Super-Turbine Caravan, It holds 16 people including the pilot, which means we can carry as many as 7 tandem pairs per airplane load.

  4. WHAT ABOUT VIDEO & PHOTOS?

    Click here for rates and options

    You direct the video footage. Tell your Tandem Master exactly how you want your video shot: lots of close-ups, lots of scenery, or a mix of both. Everything can be recorded from exit until landing. Your Tandem Master can document your complete jump experience with a High-Definition Digital Video camera with a huge wide-angle lens. The camera is strapped to the Tandem Master's wrist for simple control. That way the camera is with you during the complete jump. This new camera arrangement on the Tandem Master's wrist is reduced in price and more precise compared to the "old style" of hiring a separate skydiving cameraman to fall 20 feet in front of you. Since the camera is with you the whole jump, it can also record all of your audio comments also, so you have to watch your language when the door opens. Your video can be edited and dubbed with music, slow-motion, and computer graphics, or if you prefer the raw footage with all of your screams and laughter can remain intact. See the Photos and Videos page

    DIGITAL PHOTOS ONLY

    Click here for rates and options

    You can direct the photo frames just like the video option above. Tell the Tandem Master beforehand what you want to see and save and he'll do his best to make you happy. Your photos come on a CD-ROM that can be printed out on your home computer or at any commercial Photo Shop. The advantage of the CD-ROM over the "old style" 35-mm photos is the digital high quality, and your ability to send your photos e-mail or keep them on your computer's desktop. If you prefer, Your Tandem Master can print out your photos on high quality photo paper for a small additional charge.

    VIDEO & DIGITAL PHOTOS

    Click here for rates and options

  5. DO I NEED RESERVATIONS?
    Reservations are important for your benefit, but walk-ins are always welcome. Reservations will be offered priority service over walk-Ins. So if you'll call us with as much advance notice as possible, we'll hold open the best time slot for you. SLV needs a $50 per Jumper deposit (usually a credit card number over the phone works best). That way, we're ready when you walk in the door. This is just a "Show Up" deposit. If you make a reservation and show up on time (fitting all of our physical requirements), and then you decide not to jump; no deposit will be charged. The deposit is never charged unless the customer fails to "show up", or fails to give SLV appropriate cancellation time. (24 hours 1-2 jumpers; 48 hours 3-4 jumpers; 72 Hours 5 or more jumpers). Please assist us in being effective with your limited vacation time, and to be prepared for you upon arrival at SLV, by making a reservation in advance. Click here to go to our Reservation Page.

  6. WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION?

    FREE ROUND TRIP SHUTTLE VAN. With a reservation in advance, our SLV Shuttle Van picks up from a central location on the Strip at 8:00am for the early morning class and again at 11:00am for the late morning class. Our Shuttle Van will return you to that central location on the Strip when all of the Jumpers in your Van are ready to go. It is the Customers responsibility to walk or take a Taxi to and from that central location. Our Shuttle Van is for First Time Jumpers. Observers can only accompany on a "space available" basis. With prior communication, we'll try our best to accommodate everybody in the free shuttle van. SLV will strive to keep the turn-around time as brief as possible, while trying to stay on schedule, and trying to please all of our Customers. Usually Customers will be returned to the Strip within 3-4 hours.

    TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. You can possibly save Time and have more options available in scheduling your jump by providing your own transportation here to the Boulder City Airport. If you don't have a car, we can help you get a rental car discount. When you drive yourself you have the freedom to tour Hoover Dam, raft the Colorado River, rent a JetSki at Lake Mead, or stop at the Chocolate Factory on the way home. All of these "tourist sites" are only 10 minutes away from our office by car, and extremely visible during Your skydive. Boulder City Airport is only 18 miles southeast of Las Vegas; a simple 25 minute Drive. We can FAX a simple map and directions right to your office, home, or hotel room or click here to go to the Map and Directions page. So, come out for a skydive and spend the day Touring the Area.
    Click here for our Map and Directions page.

  7. ARE THERE ANY RESTRICTIONS?

  8. WHAT CAN I SEE UP THERE?
    From 3 miles high over the Boulder City Airport, you can see the Las Vegas Strip Hotels and Casinos, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston, Redrock Canyon, and 4 States. IT'S AWESOME!!! Three Hundred Sixty Degree view in all directions. No walls, no windows, no floors. Nowhere else can you see all of these sights!

  9. WHAT IS A TANDEM JUMP?
    It's skydiving with your instructor. Your 5,000 (tensile lb.) harness will be directly connected to the parachute system and the Jump Master with 10,000-pound bolts. From exit until landing, the TM is there to "walk you and talk you" through Your first jump. He'll tell you what to do and when to do it, or if you want, he'll do everything for you. Your instructor is your personal One-on-one coach. There is always inherent risk in jumping out of an airplane, but FAA statistics prove that tandem jumping is about 144% safer than jumping alone the first time.

  10. WHY CAN'T I GO BY MYSELF?
    While it is still legal to jump by yourself the first time, a tandem jump is safer. You don't learn to scuba dive, or to fly a plane by yourself, you don't even learn to drive a car by yourself, so why would you want to jump by yourself? Free falling at 120 mph looks easy on TV, but there's a lot more to it; so you should know what you're doing on your first jump; or be with someone that does.

  11. WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES LIKE?
    We operate a 7,000 square foot air-conditioned office/hangar complex at the Boulder City Airport. We land our parachutes right here at the Airport, not out in the desert, so your friends can watch. We have soda and snack machines, and we're a mile away from the restaurants and motels in town.

  12. WILL I BE SCARED?
    Of course. It's not every day that you jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Only insane people are not scared. But we jump with hundreds of first timers every month, so relax. We know how you feel, we remember our first jump. We know how to treat you and how to teach you. So when the airplane door opens up, and you feel your heart in your throat, and your adrenaline starts pumping, just tell yourself, "That's why I came here, to get the thrill of a lifetime, I'm meeting my challenge."

  13. WHAT WILL THE FREEFALL FEEL LIKE?
    There aren't any words to describe it. It is a sense of weightlessness and wind. There is no sense of falling or speed. You will not "leave your stomach behind" like a roller coaster. You will not get sick. It will feel like you're floating in your back yard swimming pool, with a lot of wind blowing at you.

  14. HOW LONG IS THE DIVE?
    The ground time is about 1 hour including the training, practicing, and the gearing up. The airplane ride is about 15 minutes up to the top floor. If you go "EXTRA HIGH" the freefall will be closer to 60 seconds. We'll pull the ripcord at or above 4,500'agl and steer the parachute down and around for 5 to 7 minutes of quiet, peaceful, soaring and gliding. From start to finish, you'll be done in about 2 to 3 hours.

  15. WHAT TYPE OF EQUIPMENT DO WE USE?
    All our parachute rigs are equipped with a square main and reserve parachute and an automatic emergency parachute opener. The parachutes are double sized for two people, about 360 square feet each, usually giving us soft openings and soft landings. The automatic emergency opener is a $1,500 computer that can deploy the reserve for us if there's a problem.

  16. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?
    Running shoes, tee-shirt, jeans or shorts, maybe a sweatshirt if it's cool, short pants if it's warm. Dress casual and comfortable for the weather. Bring your photo I.D.

  17. ARE YOU ASSOCIATED WITH USPA?
    Yes, all of our Jump Masters, Tandem Masters, and Parachute Riggers are individual members and SLV is a Group Member of the United States Parachute Association. SLV was the first and is the oldest USPA Skydiving School in Nevada.

  18. WHO WILL MY JUMP MASTERS BE?
    All of the Jump Masters at Skydive Las Vegas have many years of experience 1,000s of jumps each. All are licensed, certified, and rated by the USPA.

  19. WHAT IF THE MAIN PARACHUTE DOESN'T WORK?
    It is extremely rare that the main parachute doesn't work properly; all of our parachutes are inspected and packed under the supervision of FAA Licensed Riggers. But if it happens, we'll just use the reserve parachute, that's why it's there. Using the reserve parachute is similar to getting a flat tire on the highway. It is not a big deal, especially since you have a spare tire all ready to go.

  20. WHAT IF I CHICKEN OUT?
    Only about one in a thousand first timers totally chicken out. But if that happens to be you, so what, you are the customer, you don't have to jump. No, we will not push you. If you want to jump, it's the greatest thrill on this planet. If you don't want to jump, no problem. You're the Boss!

  21. WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER?
    It's very seldom that we have to cancel because of clouds or rain. Sometimes, if the wind starts blowing over 35 mph, we may have to cancel. But in Vegas, that's usually a temporary problem, and just as quickly as the wind picks up it can decrease. Usually the wind is not a safety factor; it's only an accuracy factor. Sometimes, if it gets too windy, we may not jump because we don't want to land our parachute in the desert's bushes. The weather is sometimes different here at Boulder City than on the "Strip", so if there is any question, just call right before you leave the hotel.

  22. COULD I GET HURT OR KILLED?
    Of course, it is always possible. Anything and everything is possible when you jump out of an Airplane. Your Jump Master cannot predict the future, but he'll be right there with you the whole time. It is extremely rare that anyone ever gets hurt or injured. Over the years, we've seen some broken ankles and some broken legs. That's the worst we've seen so far. Keep in mind, skydiving is just about as safe (or dangerous) as driving on the highway. There is always a certain amount of risk and danger involved. And, just like driving, if you follow the rules and double check everything, it's normally safe. In 20 years and tens of thousands of skydives, we've never had a student fatality or major injury. The Tandem Master is highly trained in handling every situation, and he will be right there with you. But the bottom line is that you are the only personal responsible for your safety. If at any time, you want to change your mind and cancel, just say so. You are always the boss.


Skydive Las Vegas
The Ultimate Las Vegas Adventure!

702-SKY-DIVE (759-3483)
800-U-SKYDIVE (875-9348)

jump@skydivelasvegas.com
1401 Airport Road, Boulder City, NV 89005
702-293-5684 (fax)
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