Skydive Blauwestad

This is a small club operating either a C182 or C206, depending on availability. Guest jump aircraft are sometimes brought in. There is little other aviation activity unless the airfield is hosting an air show. This means parachutists are not inconvenienced unduly by holds.

The skydiving operation is small and caters to a modest local jumping community within the province of Groningen and visiting tandem students. The airfield is located in the district of Scheemda in the north-east corner of Holland.

I found the locals friendly enough, although the hire kit wasn't great: old 290 PISA Skymasters with round reserves and ripcord deployment instead of BOC. The jump planes, being what they are, are slow and you might not make it to 12,000 feet: on one load I was chucked out at 4 grand and on another load, at 7 grand, as the 182 was struggling. Training was by the static line route.

The landing area is huge and flat, although skydivers are encouraged to land in a smaller area in front of the hangars. Views are of the nearby lake and pretty Dutch countryside - very scenic.

If you find yourself in the area, pay a visit. As far as skydiving goes, this is very much a pleasant sleepy hollow.