Skydive Temple

First of all, tandems only go up to about 10,000ft here. Most dropzones take tandems up to 13,000ft or 14,000ft. It saves money to put the tandems out lower because it uses less fuel. It would be fine if they passed the savings on to the tandem students, but they don't. Tandems here cost about the same as they do most other places and your free fall time is almost cut in half. I think they're banking on the fact that the whole experience is a blur for most tandem students and they don't know the difference. Second, I've seen them put students up in higher winds with more gusts than they're supposed to. According to USPA, students are limited to 14mph winds or less. I haven't seen anyone get hurt yet but the rules are there for a reason and I won't be surprised if it happens. The free beer is nice but overall I wouldn't recommend this dropzone.

I learned to jump here. I have jumped at Spaceland Rosharon, Sd Dallas, SD San Marcos, SD Chicago, and many others. Most DZ's put tandems out at 10,500 then licensed skydivers go higher and make another jump run for safety. It's to allow the tandem passengers to land before fun jumpers. Bonfire builds comraderie and allows friends to mingle and have a couple beers. I still jump at SDT a few times each year. Good place with good people.

Best DZ in Texas been to San Marcos and Spaceland but go to Temple because it is my favorite. Nicest and most safety oriented staff and free Shiner on tap when you are done jumping. Hopefully they get another PAC but even without it they are the best DZ in texas hands down; thanks to DZO Mark Pollack

Not much experience jumping anywhere else, but I've had an absolutely amazing time doing a tandem and completing AFF at Skydive Temple.

The instructors are great, and everyone put up with my 700 questions every time I got stuck on the ground due to wind.

I've heard people call the DZ small, but it's perfectly adequate for me and the dozen or so other neophytes I've seen guiding in canopies like nervous children.

The real sell is the community feel which doesn't do a single thing to diminish the ever present emphasis on safety.

I did a tandem at Temple when I was in town for SXSW last year, went home (CSC) and got my license. This year I brought a handful of people two days in a row to do tandems. Mark was awesome in helping us get everything coordinated and we had a seamless experience for a bunch of first time jumpers who were in town for SXSW Interactive.

Phil jumped with most of my friends and he was the perfect balance of professional, friendly and welcoming. I know two of my friends that jumped mentioned they're interested in doing AFF in the future, and I have no doubt that Phil, Wendy and Mark have a role in their positive experience, beyond the skydive itself.

For funjumpers, this is a smaller DZ, but they have great planes. CSC leases out their PAC 750XL from November-April, and from April-November they have a Grand Caravan.

Friendly vibe, definitely made me feel welcome and possibly transformed two tandems into future AFF students. I can't wait to come back next year and bring more people out to introduce them to our sport!

All around nice DZ to plan a day out. The plane is fast, and pilots are friendly.
Coaching and LO available. Clean indoor packing area, covered porches all over with seating to get out of the sun on warm days.

Skydive Temple is a fantastic place for any jumper! The first time jumpers is welcomed and given every opportunity to have a safe, fun filled, first adventure. Mid level jumpers are encouraged, coached, instructed and cared for because the are the future of the sport. Even us old time skydivers can have a fantastic time. It may not be the biggest drop zone in Texas but it is certainly the friendliest!

I have made 7 of my 9 AFF jumps at Skydive Temple located in Salado, TX. I feel very secure and safe while jumping at this DZ. The staff are very experienced and knowledgeable with safety as their #1 priority! The gear, aircraft, equipment & facilities are top-knotch! I enjoy hanging out (no pun intended) at Skydive Temple (Salado). I encourage all 1st timers and/or experienced jumpers to to start and continue skydiving at Skydive Temple in Salado.
JJ

World class staff with great organizing. Incredibly clean, comfortable, and fast PAC-750. Very talented fun jumpers with no cliques. A true family feel to the entire place and an all around class act!

I have made some jumps back in 1981...and have always wanted to go back to it. The years past, and as much as ive talked about it, I was to busy with life. This year i promised myself i would come back and do the A.F.F. course. My goal was to TRUELY learn how to skydive...not what i did in the airforce.

I visited 2 drop zones, skydive dallas and skydive Temple. I dont mean to bash dallas but as nice as the dallas dz is...I felt like I was cattle. Just another body with a pocket of cash. They seem to cater to the ((buck list)) people. Many come there to jump one time in thier lives...then thats it. WHICH IS FINE !...but half my class was there to become skydivers. Hope im explaining this right, i wanted them to TEACH ME not just get the jump over with, heres your video...bye.

So i called skydive Temple i explained what happened at dallas and they invited me in. The difference was night and day. I cant tell you how great the people are...and that they WANT to teach you! They have a instructor there named Wendy who is incredible in the sport. And always willing to help...shes Big on saftey...fun...and teaching you how to skydive with out the ego Ive seen at dallas. All the instructors there are great.

Now Im on my way to get my licence and i picked the perfect DZ!...How much trust do I have in them ?? I gave my son a tandem jump for his 16th b-day.

Ive learned Its the people who make the drop zone..so when your tired of being looked at like a pay check...or like a head of cattle...and dont want all the ego,,and feel like LEARNING.... skydive at temple...

Skydive Temple is an awesome dropzone, operated by some of the most amazing people I have ever met. From the first time I set foot into the door for my first AFF jump, to when I go my A license and on, the staff and atmosphere has been second to none. I would recommend this dropzone to anyone, any time. The DZ has an at home feeling, while still remaining a very safe and fun place to be. Overall, this DZ has it all, only thing I wish they had was a bigger plane, but who knows what the future holds. Thanks Skydive Temple for the amazing experiences, I am very sad to be leaving you guys! Blue Skies!

This was a surprise for my 16 yr. old son and my 71 yr. old father. They both had this on their "bucket list" and were overwhelmed with the experience. At no time did either of them feel like they were at risk for injury really, (except when they watched the intro.video! ha!)as the instructor was very professional and the tandem jumps were a HUGE success for them both. One of my son's friends who came to watch is working on convincing his parents to let him jump, and my other son who is almost 15 now wants to jump on his 16th birthday. We are so glad we chose this location, though it was far from our home in Dripping. It was worth the drive!

I started with a tandem at the DZ and was interested in going further, so I signed up for AFF. The instructors were very experienced and were willing to take time to answer any questions you may have.

The DZ hosts 2 C182's but a caravan flies in for some busy weekends and boogies. The place feels more like a home than a DZ and it's not uncommon for jumpers to show up on a Friday and not leave until Sunday because there is always a place to crash, clean showers and bathrooms and things to do. They also serve great food on the weekends and at boogies and there is always free Shiner on Tap for those that aren't jumping or are finished jumping. There is plenty to do other than jumping- like horseshoes, pool, darts and they have a big screen TV outside where everyone hangs out.

The DZ is huge on safety and instruction. They hold advanced courses to instruct groups of jumpers in areas such as canopy control and formation skydiving. The courses include thorough ground instruction and jumps with video, and then video reviews along with debriefings to highlight what was taught in the course. Overall the DZ feels like home. The first time I showed up I was invited to stay for the weekend party they were throwing, I now spend the majority of time there and it gets better every time I go.

Farmy

Fun, friendly, convenient! Everyone is super friendly. The instructors, Illya, Wendy, Lindsay, are the best! I got my AFF through them and I am currently working on my A license and I plan on keep going through them until I leave. They are kid friendly too, so it's great to have the family there!

Got my A-license at this DZ...the first thing you notice when you walk in the door is how friendly the staff and jumpers are. No one is to busy to offer you advice on how to progress and how to do it safely. Terry, Wendy, and Ilya are some of the best instructors you could ask for...if you're looking for a place to learn to skydive or get in some fun jumps this is the place in Central Texas!

I stopped by Skydive Temple when I was in Austin on business. The winds were gusting above 25mph, so I never got off the ground, but the time I spent at the DZ was not time wasted. I met some folks, had some interesting conversations, watched people slide across the ground in a beer cooler attached to a round... Everyone was quite welcoming, even though I was a visitor with low jump numbers who wasn't going to go up because of the wind. Absolutely nobody tried to pressure me into a jump, which was cool.

Oh, and the indoor plumbing is a nice touch. I'm not used to that at a DZ.

I hope that I'll be able to make it back to Skydive Temple next time I am in Austin. And maybe next time I will actually get to jump.

I would recomend this dropzone to anyone! If you want to learn how to skydive this is the place to go! The instructors are very very good at what they do and have a way of teaching just anyone. You will feel like one big family here and just that feeling alone will make you want to come back forever.

I was looking for dropzones near Austin and this was one of the first to come up.

I'll start with the only downside. They only have one Cessna and it won't take you above 10,500 AGL. That's it.

The moment I walked in the door I was greeted by the friendliest people I've ever met. Small talk turned into jokes into general storytelling and banter. First day there and I got invited get food with everyone and then to crash at the place so I could get up nice and early to jump the next day.

Don't get me wrong though. They don't mess around when it comes to credentials and safety, and that is a wonderful thing. Facilities were clean and maintained, and the DZO keeps a fresh supply of snacks and ahem, refreshments... For those waiting around, there's a dartboard and horseshoes to keep you occupied, and plenty of people to talk to.

Unfortunately I didn't get to jump because winds there were too high 2 days in a row. Not a problem though, as the staff was extremely helpful and walked me through the rest of the non-jumping AFF requirements, and some of the fun jumpers there even let me pack their chutes, guiding me along the way. Stupid on their part, but good for me. And hey, my packjobs opened fine so I must be doing something right.

If you land really far off the dropzone, they have a van to pick you up.

This place is really good for tandems too. Much better than certain tandem factories in the area.

All in all a superb dropzone. Small, clean, friendly, professional, and fun. I think this will by my home dropzone for a long time to come.

I met a friend weekend of Nov 8 to continue AFF training after losing our original DZ. Temple's staff was friendly first thing and professional all the way. The decond thing I noticed was the cleanliness.

Safety was stressed and great instruction from start to finish. Landing is simple and easy to spot even with so little experience. The staff and jumpers had great attitudes and were quick to make friends and share information, stories and jokes. Top rated and likely to become my home DZ!

Really, skydive temple's only drawback is the aircraft; but the dzo often gets a larger plane on certain weekends. this dz does have more of a skydiving "club" atmosphere (as another reviewer said) than a tandem-factory-we-want-your-money establishment. i sure wish skydive temple could afford a bigger aircraft. ilya kats, the s&ta, is a very capable and helpful instructor and coach.

the packing area for fun jumpers is kind of cramped and dark. but it's nice and cool! nice new showers and bathrooms, and large shaded area.

dz is very easy to find, too. right off I-35 between austin and waco.

WOW. That was AMAZING. I went today and took the AFF first jump course at Skydive Temple. My instructors and everyone else there were just great. They made it a very rewarding experience for me. I had the best time of my life! This sport is incredible, I can easily see myself getting more into it.. and I am going again tomorrow lol, twice

Kevin

It is a home away from home. The people that work there make you feel welcomed and the jumpmasters are willing to help in every way. Mark and his co-workers keep the place very clean and are very nice to everyone that comes in. Family members come out a lot, it is close to Fort Hood and tons of soldiers come out for the fun. It is a high morale booster and highly recommend it to anyone who wants an adrelaine rush...thanks mark mark

For me it was a welcome trip home.The staff was oh so friendly and helpfull in every aspect.The view was great;green everywhere.Packing area was clean (climate controlled) a plus in my book. Coming from the elsinore/parris area the small dropzone with only a single plane was differnt, oh well we cant all be in california..all the time..overall it was a great trip.5 loads in less than a day,thank mark.
ciao

The folks at Temple will make you feel right at home. Very friendly and knowledgeable. They are always at hand to give good advice, a friendly smile or quick joke. The Pac is missed. But Mark frequently brings in larger planes or additional cessnas for busy weekends.

Skydive Temple advertises on DZ.com and their website that they have a PAC750 when they sold it 6 months ago - they have upadated there website but conviently forgot to put they fly a Cessna 182 and that it will not go to 14,500. Don't be fooled by this false advertisement