Who has the largest DZ in the country?

[JoeyRamone 0]

Skydive Arizona is the world's largest drop zone. ***

I read this in some post. Who has the largest DZ in America and what makes it the largest? By land, number of planes, number of jumpers a year????

[PhreeZone 20]

If you are going on just plane fleets, to the best of my knowledge:

SDA - 3 Super Otters, Skyvan (I've heard up to 4), DC3, KingAir, Porter.
Perris - 3 Super Otters, Skyvan
Deland - Super Otter, Skyvan, Porter
Carolina SkySports - 5 or 6 Super Otters, 4 Casa's, 2 King Airs, 7-8 Cessna's.
Crosskeys - 3 Caravan's, Otter, Skyvan, Biplane, Chopper
The Ranch - 3-4 Super Otters

Largest number of jumps per year would probally be Skydive Arizona. They have a lot of teams, plus they contract out to foriegn military groups and other projects.

Now if you want to include WFFC into the mix, they have:
3-6 Super Otters, 2-3 Casa's, Skyvan, Mullins King Air, Chopper, 4-5 Balloons, Biplane and what ever else they bring in like the C130, the 727, the bombers... And they do 40-60k jumps in a 10 day peroid.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Remster 30]

Quote

Carolina SkySports - 5 or 6 Super Otters, 4 Casa's, 2 King Airs, 7-8 Cessna's.

But do they actually fly those there?


What kinda fleet does SDC have?

Remster

[JoeyRamone 0]

I think SDC has 3 otters, DC3, and had a bell jet helicopter, plus one Cessna. They might have sold 1 of the otters. Not 100% on that.

I know for sure it is 2 otters, DC3 and a Cessna.

[markD16767 0]

Hey guys, go to the Drop Zones link on USPA's web site:

http://www.uspa.org/dz/index.htm

It won't tell you the acreage of the DZ, nor its avg # of jumps each year, but it does have a fleet listing for each DZ.

Mark.

[sunshine 2]

Quote

I know for sure it is 2 otters, DC3 and a Cessna

Considering the DC3 is un-airworthy, i don't think it counts.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[kevin922 0]

Quote

If you are going on just plane fleets, to the best of my knowledge:

SDA - 3 Super Otters, Skyvan (I've heard up to 4), DC3, KingAir, Porter.
Perris - 3 Super Otters, Skyvan
Deland - Super Otter, Skyvan, Porter
Carolina SkySports - 5 or 6 Super Otters, 4 Casa's, 2 King Airs, 7-8 Cessna's.
Crosskeys - 3 Caravan's, Otter, Skyvan, Biplane, Chopper
The Ranch - 3-4 Super Otters

Largest number of jumps per year would probally be Skydive Arizona. They have a lot of teams, plus they contract out to foriegn military groups and other projects.

Now if you want to include WFFC into the mix, they have:
3-6 Super Otters, 2-3 Casa's, Skyvan, Mullins King Air, Chopper, 4-5 Balloons, Biplane and what ever else they bring in like the C130, the 727, the bombers... And they do 40-60k jumps in a 10 day peroid.

I believe lodi has 4 or 5 planes as well.

[Unstable 9]

ACTUALLY, these are all common misconceptions. The WORLDS largest DZ is right here in the Midwest, the Kansas State University Parachute Club. Unlike MOST DZ's, we have a Nice & Roomy wide body Cessna and our own airport!!!

=========Shaun ==========

[Adriandavies 0]

As far as Europe is concerned Empuria does 100,000 plus jumps per year and has 2 or 3 planes, including Otters and a Porter and gets helicopters in occasionally.

[Remster 30]

Quote

including Otters

I think this is where things get complicated (for Empuria and others). Are you sure Empia oens their otters?

Same questions for many DZs.... One week a DZ may have 3 plane, the next mont only one....

I think the measure of "biggest" should be # of jumps.

Remster

[deaflamb 0]

Come on, who cares about how BIG it is... It's all about how you use it. At least I think thats what my ex told me

:)

Ray

Happy Trails

[TrickyDicky 0]

I thought empuria broke 20000 last year?
and they have 2 porters and an otter. Dunno if they own them though

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[PhreeZone 20]

CSS keeps at least an Otter and a Casa on site plus what ever is'nt being lease out or is on military contract.

SDC is down to the 2 Super Otters (Skydive Tecumsa bought one), the damaged DC3, the Bell 222 (that is set up for shuttling execs and not really a jumpship) and their 182.

By the same token SDA has their King Air and Porter leased out most the time and at least one plane from Xkeys is at NOSC in LA and another at Sebastian. Kpow has a few planes too but I think they lease one or two of them out also.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Zhills is huge as well - and use the Freefall Express Otters. In the winter they have three otters, and in the summer they have one. They also have a Porter that is not airworthy and sitting in the hanger.

Chicagoland also has a Super Otter, Super Porter, and a cesna.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[JoeyRamone 0]

Well thanks for all the input. Sounds like i need to go check out some other DZ'S.

TR

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I would think that when judging who the largest DZ is, we should be judging how many jumpers they can accommodate as opposed to how large their fleet is. I mean who cares if a DZ owns 20 airplanes (just a figure here) if 18 of them a regularily leased out to other DZs.

With that in mind Skydive Arizona is considered the largest DZ in the world. But there are a number of other DZs (Perris, Z-Hills, Deland, SDC etc, etc, etc) which are also considered large major DZs.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Remster 30]

Quote

With that in mind Skydive Arizona is considered the largest DZ in the world. But there are a number of other DZs (Perris, Z-Hills, Deland, SDC etc, etc, etc) which are also considered large major DZs.

I'd include Empuria in there too. At 110 000 jumps / year or so, they are up there.

Remster

[stateofnature 0]

And on that note, look at resturants, special events, packing areas, good vibes........

it ain't just dem planes that make um biggies

[JoeyRamone 0]

SDC has all of that and then some. I was just checkin with everyone else on what their opinions were. SDC will always be my home DZ......

[johnny1488 1]

Quote

The Ranch - 3-4 Super Otters

Dont forget the Jewel, the twin star and the porter that for some reason hasnt flown in a while. We keep 4 otters in the summer, but I'll bet we "could have" all the freefall express otters we could fit in Billy's back yard.

Johnny
--"This ain't no book club, we're all gonna die!"
Mike Rome

[sasteam 0]

Damn. And I flew in that Porter, too. Or, at least, I flew in a Porter there. Not skyworthy? I'm freakin glad I had a parachute on my back.

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

Quote

Damn. And I flew in that Porter, too. Or, at least, I flew in a Porter there. Not skyworthy? I'm freakin glad I had a parachute on my back.

It has no engine in it right now, I doubt it took you to alti. From my understanding it has been that way for years.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[mdrrus 0]

If we are playing airplane poker, then Perris will see the fourth otter and raise a DC9 and a wind tunnel. Now who's bluffing?

[tkhayes 348]

Oh yeah? Well MY dropzone is bigger than YOUR dropzone.....

actually it is about 60x100x120x14

and that is pretty big
TK

[airgord 1]

The Porter at Skydive Arizona now lives in Italy, the Skyvan fleet is four with another for spares and one will be sold soon, we'll end up with three plus the spares plane. Otter 204BD is leased to Mile Hi for the summer and everything else will be traveling to boogies leaving us at least one of something to jump out of.
Nice hardware TK.