Multiple Claims of Highest Tandem Jump

[bamber 0]

I notice a lot of places offer "The world's highest tandem jump." Some are even so brazen to say the 18,000 foot jump is only available at their business,
Beginners should avoid these places, right?

Quote

This is the World’s Highest Tandem Skydive with the longest freefall and it’s only available here at Skydive Monterey Bay!
http://www.skydivemontereybay.com/skydive/skydive-packages/

Quote

Welcome to Skydive Space Center
World's Highest Tandem Jump - 18,000 FEET!!
http://www.skydivespacecenter.com/

[piisfish 140]

Ask Tom Noonan where the highest tandems are

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[mark 107]

Pikers. https://halojumper.com/

-Mark

[bamber 0]

How do all these companies that say they are offering the "world highest" (18,000) so-called highest tandem jump get away with false advertising? A quick websearch shows places that offer 6000 meter (19,685 feet) tandem jumps.

Are these places be trustworthy?

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HALOJUMPER.COM - THE WORLD'S ONLY 28,500 - 30,000 FT HALO TANDEM SKYDIVE

[tkhayes 348]

I did the highest tandem jump.....I was really fucking high....

[tkhayes 348]

and most of them are not using oxygen or perhaps it is installed in the plane but no one actually uses it. Direct FAR violation

[obelixtim 150]

tkhayes

and most of them are not using oxygen or perhaps it is installed in the plane but no one actually uses it. Direct FAR violation

So, how do the pilots get away with that?

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[tkhayes 348]

Beats me.

[jonstark 8]

How does anyone breaking the law get away with it? Duh! Nobody is watching that gives a real shit and the Feds are clueless. That's how.

[jerry81 10]

When I worked in NZ, I noticed pretty much every dropzone was offering 'the most scenic skydive' in the country. Not quite the same thing, since your definition of 'scenic' might differ from mine, whereas the definition of 'highest' is less debatable, but the point is, it's just marketing.

18.000' is higher than most commercial tandem jumps. Not the highest in the world, as you've figured out, but calling it so doesn't really indicate the business is shady or that you should avoid it.

Oxygen, on the other hand, is a good idea at that altitude. A requirement, too. I always told my customers that we had it to comply with the rules, and that a fast-climbing plane means you're not really spending enough time at altitude to feel the effects... but if you need to move around or put some effort into getting a student hooked up, having that hose to suck on definitely helps.

If you want to do one of those jumps and are concerned about safety, call up the dz and ask if they provide oxygen in the plane... and don't worry about the claims of the 'world's highest tandem jump'. If it's your first skydive, your time perception will very likely be totally off, and you won't be able to tell the difference between freefalling from 13.5 or 18.000 feet, anyway.

[michaelmullins 81]

bamber

I notice a lot of places offer "The world's highest tandem jump." Some are even so brazen to say the 18,000 foot jump is only available at their business,
Beginners should avoid these places, right?

Quote

This is the World’s Highest Tandem Skydive with the longest freefall and it’s only available here at Skydive Monterey Bay!
http://www.skydivemontereybay.com/skydive/skydive-packages/

***Welcome to Skydive Space Center
World's Highest Tandem Jump - 18,000 FEET!!
http://www.skydivespacecenter.com/

Quote

West Tennessee Skydiving supplies the aircraft, Mike Mullin's Super King Air, and DZ for HaloJumper.com, and Halojumper.com supplies the oxygen equipment and training for the jumpers for our oxygen jumps.

We have been doing this for the last 20 years and have dropped well over 2,000 jumpers from altitudes between 28,000' and 30,000' and at least 800 of these have been tandem skydives.

We dropped 2 tandem pairs, with video, today, 4 Sept 2017, from 28,000' at West Tennessee Skydiving.

Our jump altitude in the past was always 30,000' but a few years ago the FAA instituted RVSM airspace and it takes equipment that this series King Air does not have to go above 28,000', so we only do 28,000' now. In some regions the FAA will waiver this equipment but not in our region.

We do the highest, and only, Tandem Jumps available from 28,000'. As far as all the other claims, they know we do this and you can draw your own conclusions from their hype. Our 28,000' Tandem Skydive is 10,000' higher than their "World's Highest Tandem Skydive" at 18,000'. We do not lie to our customers.

I had actually emailed Skydive Monterey Bay in 2006 to politely tell them that their claim was inaccurate. The emails are attached, nothing was changed.

Mike Mullins
West Tennessee Skydiving

• Quote

[akarunway 1]

bamber

I notice a lot of places offer "The world's highest tandem jump." Some are even so brazen to say the 18,000 foot jump is only available at their business,
Beginners should avoid these places, right?

Quote

This is the World’s Highest Tandem Skydive with the longest freefall and it’s only available here at Skydive Monterey Bay!
http://www.skydivemontereybay.com/skydive/skydive-packages/

Both owned by the same people. One in J-vill too. SEC used to be a blast til M sold it. Tandom factories now. They do have some nice airplanes tho.
.
***Welcome to Skydive Space Center
World's Highest Tandem Jump - 18,000 FEET!!
http://www.skydivespacecenter.com/

fat

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[2legit86 0]

Could be wrong but I believe Skydance Skydiving in Davis, CA actually has a waiver and still does 30k tandems a few times a year so 18k is not even close to the highest tandem. It is pretty pricey to jump from that high though so I don't see the point to do it for a tandem. For the couple thousand it's going to cost to do one jump you could pay to get your A license.

[377 22]

Jumped at Monterey many times over the years. Back when Jess and Mike owned it we all had to use O2 nose cannulas on 18K jumps which as I recall we made from a Twotter.

The 18 K jumps I made at Monterey under the new owners used a King Air that got us up to 18K FAST, with no supplemental O2 breathed by jumpers. Lots of tandems paid extra to ride to 18K.

No King Air jumpship I've ever been in climbs like Mike Mullins does. Had the pleasure of making two 23,000 ft + jumps at WFFC from his rocket ship for the amazingly low price of $48 per jump. We breathed supplemental O2 through masks literally until we went out the door.

Who has the world's highest tandems? Not sure but I know it is not Monterey. The coastal scenery at Monterey is spectacular so do visit the DZ if you're passing through the area. They run a lot of tandems there but it's still worth your time. 18 K freefalls with a great view are really fun.

What just KILLS me about Monterey is their high priced "VIP Tandem Package" which offers "priority boarding". The VIP package is $419! I think the purchasers have visions of a first class airport lounge and a separate cabin forward once aboard. Perhaps some caviar on the way up to jump run. Nope, same fart can as everyone else boards, you just go in first.

http://www.skydivemontereybay.com/skydive/pricing/

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.