Skydive London

I headed out Skydive London, just outside Swindon for my first fun jump in the UK. Bruce and all the staff were very helpful in getting me up-to-speed and signed up with the BPA. They are a fantastic and friendly bunch.

I would highly recommend this dropzone for a tandem. As a fun jumper however, I found it a bit long to get on a load. And due to the aircraft & ATC we could only go to 10k.

We did our RAPS course here, and I also did my first 2 static line jumps here. Our instructor was great - knows what he is doing and knows how to work with people. All the other people I've met here were friendly as well and I like to spend time here.

It's around 7km from Swindon station, which I cycled easily when coming by train from London. Even though it is called Skydive London, it's quite a trek to get here!

Can recommend it to anyone.

Just a fantastic setting to experience your first of many dives, thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The people were fantastic!!!!!

Possibly the smallest Club in the UK.

Possibly the slowest turnround in the UK.

Possibly the least facilities on any DZ in the UK.

Probably the friendliest DZ in the UK.

Well run, by people who have a genuine love for the sport and dont spend all day tripping over their ego's. They just get on with it with a minimum of fuss and make anyone calling in at their DZ more than welcome. It doesnt have the frills of larger more established DZ's but it more than makes up for it in their approach and attitude which reminds me of the spirit found at clubs in the 70's when "experienced" skydivers had less than a 100 jumps and had time for everyone.

One of the best DZ's in the UK.

Reopened under completely new management, this is a little weekend DZ on a little airfield in a little field in Swindon. I love it.

There's not much in the way of facilities - a plane (Airvan (piston 8-seater) in Summer, 206 at other times), a hamburger stand (with connections to the local organic butcher - oh yes), a hangar and a bunch of picnic tables. But that's not the point. It's a new place, so it seems like experienced jumpers are only just starting to trickle in, and Geordie and Brucie and co are working hard to make it into somewhere lots of people will want to jump. I turned up there with 40-odd jumps to my name and was pretty quickly taken in; the locals are welcoming and keen to impart skydiving wisdom to the fledgling jumpers there (of which they're getting quite a collection now).

You have to love a DZ with little kids running the canteen.

The one thing I would change if I could is the altitude restriction. Jumps are from 10 grand for air traffic reasons, maybe a little higher on a good day. I realise this is how a lot of people do all their jumping, so I suck it up and don't really mind that much.

There's a few AFF students floating around, but the majority of people coming through the DZ seem to be static-line students. For some reason, this gives the place an old-skool feel that I really like too, despite being a turbine AFF brat.

So. Come for the atmosphere. Eat a lamb and mint burger. Drink a lot of tea. Come back the next week and find you're a regular :)

Having jumped at DZ's all around the world, big and small, this is definitely one of the friendliest I've ever been to.
The staff go out of their way to make eveyone feel part of the club, whether experienced jumpers, students or even just spectators. The DZ is co-located with a microlight club, and the two operations work very well together to ensure safety is well managed.
At the moment, they have a Cessna 206, which after using large turbines for the last 15 years or so takes some getting used to, but I understand they will be getting a bigger aircraft for the summer season, which should help improve turnaround and comfort!
Just off the M4 near Swindon, the DZ is well located for access - if you are in the area one weekend - pop in, it's well worth it.

Although I have no experience of skydiving what so ever and an irrational fear of flying (conquered!)I took part in a recent charity tandem skydive event held at this dropzone.
The guys running the place were really professional with great senses of hummour. The event organiser for my charity said we had to switch DZ to Skydive London as previous jumpers had suffered from attitude at the original DZ (not nice when you are potentially placing your life in someone elses hands). I can definately say we had no such experience here and I for one will definately go again to do another tandem and if the husband lets me the AFF course(I am working on this).
For the novice this is definately a friendly professional place to be safely in the hands of.
Leave early in the morning to find it and make sure you take some chocolate for Brian.