I had the best time! I had been wanting to do it for a while and finally decided to give in! My instructor was Zach, and I cannot recommend him enough! He was very informative and talked me through everything. He definitely kept me at ease. Whenever I decide to go back (and I will be) I will be requesting Zach! read more

Had a FANTASTIC experience skydiving here! The staff is phenomenal. They walk you through the entire process and make you feel super comfortable. Skydiving can be scary but they make it fun and put you at ease. WHILE still remaining professional and enforcing safety. Cannot recommend this place enough, especially jumping with Zach! Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity! Do not hesitate, just do it. read more

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Incredible experience. I'm so happy i did this l. First time for me. Mario is amazing, truly the best. Josh, video dude, crazy good, nice, funny and I got the best video and pics. So happy I got to jump with both of them. read more

I had an amazing skydiving experience, and a huge part of that was thanks to Ronald! He's incredibly professional, but also super friendly and fun. From start to finish, he made me feel safe, relaxed, and excited for the jump. Ronald explained everything clearly and kept the energy positive the whole time. His calm confidence and great sense of humor made the whole experience even better. If you're skydiving for the first time (or the hundredth!), ask for Ronald - you won't regret it! read more

I came here to conquer a fear and to just do a hard reset after experiencing grief and the lowest point of my life. Prior to today, I was absolutely TERRIFIED of heights. I was paired with Zach for my jump and I had such an amazing time. He made me feel so comfortable and safe. He talked me through everything and answered all 100 of my questions . He was also cheering me on and checking in on me every step of the way. I am very thankful we were paired together! I can't say I would do this again lmao, but i'm proud as hell of myself for doing this and I can say with 100% certainty that this place is perfect for first timers! read more

Today was my second time jumping (both times with John Smith). He's amazing, fun, and extremely focused on safety! Although I was tandem with John, Bobby jumped shortly after us and joined us in free fall. Watching the things he can do was unreal and the coolest experience! I will be back!!!! read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

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I came from New Jersey to go skydiving with my adult nephew and his daughter. This was their first time, but my second time. I had previously skydived here in 2014. I was a bit nervous but my tandem instructor Mario and video/photorapher Joseph were so sweet and explained everything and really put me at ease. The plane ride was wonderful as Marcel kept me well informed of each step. I have nothing but high praise for them and for the entire staff who were really, really fantastic. If you want to go tandem skydiving, Skydive Orange is the place to be. read more

What an amazing experience. First I'll just say, I researched this organization in detail before I scheduled my appointment. I have family and friends that have also jumped from this location and everyone has nothing but amazing things to say. With all that amazing feedback it still took me years to book, nevertheless, I jumped! The staff is warm, welcoming, passionate, fun, and professional. From start to finish I felt extremely protected and safe. Try to arrive at least an hr before you jump, if you do, you'll be able to watch others prepare for their jump. Ask questions! Be nervous! It's all apart of the experience I screamed the entire time so I'm very thankful that my instructor was calm. Last tip. While on the plane, I looked around at the staff, all of whom were professional jumpers, and I knew that if they could go on 7 jumps a day, I could definitely complete 1. You got this! read more

Skydive Orange - Getting Ready To Go Up Up Up! - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

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These folks are a class act. Very professional. They have thought of everything. Just show up prepare to sign your life away :) - The crew, pilot, receptionist, everyone - was just super nice. My son and I did tandem jumps here last Thursday. Weather was prefect. We had to wait longer than expected (2 hours). The instructors are all very experienced and top notch. The jump is terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. I would do this again in a heart beat. Spurge for the video. We must have watched that video a dozen times reliving the experience. This sport is not cheap, but you can't take it $$ with you. Give them a try. We'll be back! The wife has finally agreed to do this. read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

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First time jumping tandem on Sunday June 16th and I had the freakin time of my life! Any anxieties were quickly erased when you get a chance to see how organized and professional this team is. Whether it's your first time jumping like me, or your 100th jump, these guys and gals are incredible. I had the pleasure of jumping with Zack (Zachary) and he was amazing! He was really attentive in making sure I was fitted properly into the harness and going over all the steps we'd be taking. He made sure to tell me just to have fun and leave the rest to him and I definitely did. Cannot recommend this team and Zack enough for your skydiving needs! Will definitely be back. - my personal advice is to pay extra for the video package!!! I am so thankful I did as I am able to share this exhilarating experience with anyone when I'm talking about my time there! read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

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Jack was awesome! He made sure I was safe and felt comfortable the entire time. He had such good energy and was patient with me throughout the whole experience. Next time we come back to Skydive Orange I hope I can do it with him again! Thank you, Jack, for such an amazing skydive! read more

Skydive Orange gave us such an amazing first-time skydiving experience today! We arrived super early and there was plenty of room to check in, watch others prepare/check equipment/fold up parachutes, and sit in bleachers to watch other flyers take-off and land. These were real pros who made the entire experience a blast. The video and photo package was well worth it for the memories. I flew tandem with Mario - he was awesome...he made his instructions clear and was very personable at the same time. Thank you for the amazing experience, Skydive Orange! read more

Skydiving in Virginia and Washington DC | Skydive Orange July 2023 When you willingly get pushed out of a perfectly good airplane! I added Skydiving to my bucket list about 4 years ago and I finally got to check it off. I scheduled a tandem jump for July 28, 2023, at 0930 with Skydive Orange. An incredible adventure with great staff that made me feel extremely comfortable and prepared. A+, 100 on a scale of 1 to 10. We arrived at Skydive Orange around 0910 and checked out the aircraft and facilities. They had both a single engine and dual engine aircraft on the tarmac, which looked in good order, well maintained and even fairly new. While I was the only jumper, my wife was with me the entire time, right up to me boarding the aircraft. Everyone was very friendly and interacted with us both. We checked in with the office and after watching the "this is dangerous," "you could die," "You can't sue anyone" videos, filling out and signing the same waivers, getting weighed and making the final payment, we were told we could wait in the hanger for my trip. Within minutes of finishing, I was called by my tandem instructor, John Smith. John greeted me and treated me like he had known me forever. Super friendly, super energetic, super informative and super professional. As John harnessed me up, he was explaining everything that I would be experiencing. After gearing up, I was also introduced to my videographer, Mikey. Mikey interviewed me for the pre-jump and post jump phase and was smooth at making me relaxed and not sounding like a babbling idiot. Within minutes, John, Mikey and I were directed to the plane along with 11 other jumpers. As the plane taxied to the runway, John continually explained to me what was all happening and why. Also, multiple times during the flight to altitude, John performed safety checks of our gear and asked if I was ready to go. This was to make sure I had the opportunity to back out, if I so chose. John and another instructor on the aircraft were very good at answering the multitude of questions I had during the flight. John can definitely read his audience and made me feel very comfortable and prepared. At altitude and completely secured to John, the time came for the jump. The 11 other jumpers exited the plane first and it was my turn. Mikey was on the outside of the plane capturing all of the action of us getting to the door. Sitting on the floor, with my feet and legs out of the aircraft, I saw my first glimpse of the ground, 13,500 feet below. And just like John had prepped me, "Ready, steady, spaghetti" we were out the door and in freefall. This is an incredible feeling of flying. No sensation of falling, just the rush of wind pelting your body and right in front of us was Mikey, filming it all. Waves, thumbs up, yells of excitement were the course of action. I am afraid of heights. Standing at the edge of a 10-foot-high roof makes me nervous. There was no nervousness at all during the freefall and no sense of falling. John assisted me, into, and helped maintain the arch position for free fall. The next thing was the opening of the parachute. I saw john wave to Mikey, so I waived to Mikey as well. What I did not see was John's signal that he was deploying the chute. The force of the chute opening against the wind was pretty strong and we were whisked upwards and away from Mikey and the camera. Once under canopy, John did safety checks and asked if I wanted to fly the chute, which I of course did. At this point, it was a beautiful view, a nice slow meandering ride across the sky. The silence was incredible, and John and I were carrying on a conversation in a normal voice. Again, John answered all of my questions about why things were done and what made stuff work. We could see the other jumpers floating below us, following their flight patterns and down to the landing zone. The only time I felt any "roller coaster" sensations was when John asked if I wanted to do a hard turn. We did and during the 10 second, 360-degree turn, it felt like we dropped several feet, which put my stomach in my throat until we flared out the parachute and returned to straight and level flight. The landing was interesting, as I watched the individual skydivers land on their feet and walk forward to stop. Being a tandem, we landed in a butt slide, and it was smooth as butter. Even though the website said to be prepared to spend 4 to 6 hours, I was scheduled at 0930 and was on the ground by 1058. Overall, a great adventure, with a very professional, friendly and informative staff and a top-notch facility. read more

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This was my very first time sky-diving for me and my friends. Their team took very good care of us. They were very respectful when going through with Tandem-skydive. I really appreciated the extra effort they put in when I told them I wanted to experience everything they can offer when jumping out of the plane and while falling down through the sky. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

Really awesome experience with awesome people! This was my first time skydiving, but my boyfriend's third. They tell you to expect to be there for 4-5 hours, but most of that time is spent waiting your turn. Our appointment was 1:15, but we started gearing up around 3, and boarding the plane around 3:30. My tandem instructor was super cool and made me feel reassured. He even let me pull the parachute cord! I felt safe the entire time and he took his time to show me some cool landscapes while in the sky. read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

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Absolutely incredible experience. I've wanted to do a tandem jump for a decade, but was never able to get around to it. I decided the other day to book a slot at Skydive Orange after a recommendation from an experienced skydiver and could not have been happier. My instructor / tandem with Mills felt very safe, and I was walked through every step of the process. Seeing Mills go through his own safety checks and double-checking others too made the whole jump stress free. Pricing is very fair for a tandem skydive and afterwards they give you a voucher for your next jumps. I will ABSOLUTELY be back. read more

Skydive Orange - Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

Absolutely nothing but nice things to say about this place. I walked in and instantly felt like family. I surprised my wife and best friend with tandem jumps. We checked in and watched a short video. After that they suited up and went to jump. Everyone was so friendly and make everything less stressful. I would go back again for another great experience. John Smith did an amazing job with the jump and I hope everyone else had a great experience. read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

Had the best experience of my life with my best friend! Chris is amazing and hilarious, he made the experience less scary and more enjoyable! Highly recommend! read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

Life changing experience. Tandem dive. Go do it. Pay a photographer. It's awesome. All wee beyond friendly, kind, and while safety was first, fun was second. Thank you Chris for jumping with me! Thanks Brad for videoing. And thank you orange for perhaps a new passion. Unable to articulate just how cool it was. read more

This jump zone is the benchmark of skydiving. A highly organized staff coordinates your parachuting experience in a manner that respects your fears, apprehension, and enthusiasm. A first-time jumper is accompanied through the preliminary training by the Instructor with whom you will jump. You are treated with respect and a calming presence that never pushes or ridicules. Then, when you realize they are never going to ask you to do anything that has not been done by thousands of people, you jump and have the greatest thrill possible. If I can do it at 80, you can too! read more

Skydive Orange - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

First time skydiving. My son and I were on the same plane. John Smith and Zach were the best tandems... Mario and Monica captured the best videos and pictures. Capturing on video and pictures is key...tough to remember everything when you are hurling your body out of a plane at 13k feet. Jumping with this group just added to the experience. Highly recommend Skydive Orange. read more

My son jumped on Saturday and I went with him, he was extremely nervous and excited at the same time however I don't think his anxiety was anywhere near mine as a parent. He was jumping tandem and was paired with Tanner aka Pony Boy, within minutes Tanner calmed our (MY) fears and it was clear he knew what he was doing and my son was in good hands. We opted for the video and pictures and I would highly recommend getting them they turned out great and are worth every penny of the price. I am even considering taking the leap myself and would request Tanner as a requirement for me. Great job Skydive Orange read more

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I completed my AFF/AFP with Skydive Orange and can not say enough good things. From the high level of instruction and training to the feeling of safety that the community at orange provided. I enjoyed how serious everyone took the training and the high standard everyone held me too. I love the overall vibe/feeling of family at the DZ and how everyone has been so helpful even if they weren't a coach or instructor. I also did a Tandem here in 2018 and that was a wonderful experience as well. Highly recommend! read more

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Absolutely incredible! The team at Skydive are professionals and made my first tandem jump experience a complete delight! Bonus points for enjoying it on the 4th of July, too! After getting to the facility, the roughest part for me (honestly) was just the administrative paperwork that they require (of course) before flying. After that and a quick video, it was off to training and prep for the flight. I was pleasantly surprised that the turnaround for that experience was incredibly quick - less than an hour from entry to getting into the air (for me at least)... Mario is a superb trainer/skydiver and was ultra-thorough w/ all the key details about the event. He was very encouraging, super energetic, and passionate, too, and that really heightened the fun of the experience overall. It was really great having a conversation w/ him after free-fall and getting to learn the ropes of navigating a parachute down to the landing area... David, the cameraman, was a consummate professional and was super cool and easy to work with before/during/after the skydive. He popped in at just the right moments to really pick up the most energetic moments of the flight. The team at Skydive really have it down properly in terms of providing an amazing choreographed experience for the value! Group experiences were super-coordinated, as we went up w/ about 18 people total and everybody exited the plane in proper fashion. Aside from calming my nerves and getting ready for the experience of a lifetime -- I couldn't have asked for a smoother experience! I'm truly looking forward to doing it again! Glad I got the courage to go this alone this time, but I'm looking forward to getting some friends to take the plunge w/ me next time! Thanks to the Skydive Orange team for such an amazing experience! read more

Skydive Orange - Myself plummeting to Earth in my first tandem skydive experience. Epic! - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

After years of wondering and wishing, I finally got out to do this. Thank you groupon! We had to arrive in the early hours of the morning. Skydive Orange is in a big airplane hangar or barn. When planning a jump here, you can expect to be hanging around for a long time. Like hours upon hours. Because the weather might change or the airplane might need maintenance. Anyway, you have to watch a video in a little classroom explaining the fun and dangers of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Then you sign your life away. It's almost like closing on a mortgage for a house. Then you register for a flight/jump. They'll provide you a 15 minute preflight instruction on what to do/expect/equipment. The people are pretty funny. Then your instructor calls you and fits you with a jumpsuit, harness, helmet, goggles, and gloves. You'll once again go over some pre-flight checks and if you're lucky, you might even get to jump right away. So your name is called over the intercom and it's time to go! You get on the plane with your instructor and a bunch of other crazy people. They are really good about pre-jump checks and are constantly doing them. Did I mention how funny everyone is? The humor doesn't stop. I felt really comfortable. After 14000 feet and the jettison of a few people, it was my turn. I'd been up in the air on military flights and even went hang gliding once. I was a little scared getting closer to the door, but that went away quickly when AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! We jumped out! It was the ride of my life! I just can't describe the feelings that were going through my mind.....except maybe total freedom and a lot of adrenaline. Freefall lasted for about a minute and then he deployed the chute. After that, it was like hang gliding again. We cruised down back to earth. The ride was over and I was feeling like I had to go again. I strongly recommend paying for the videographer and pictures. Especially if you're going on your first jump. You'll want to relive these moments again...and again. Plus all your friends will be jealous once you show them. Here's my video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5GNzD9V-eA read more

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I'm really not a thrill-seeker; but I am a "Carpe' Diem" kind of girl! When first entertaining the thought of skydiving, I researched many east coast companies online, I watched hours of YouTube videos, read countless news articles (good & bad); and after 4 long years of contemplation (yep, it took me that long), I decided Skydive Orange would be the venue for my first jump. I was very nervous, no doubt about it! In retrospect, the hardest part about the dive for me was the pre-jump video they make you watch, along with the paper-work and the endless disclaimer forms everyone must sign. Just reading over the many ways things could go wrong was a serious mind-trip! I almost backed out. After I got over the paper-work hurdle, I met several instructors. Everyone I met on staff had the most laid-back, carefree demeanor. The entire vibe was easy going and just... breezy. After greeting everyone, I walked outside the hanger, looked up and counted the parachutes gliding back down to earth. I counted six. Once they all landed, they floated past me with the BIGGEST smiles, talking about how awesome & amazing the experience was. Four of the six said they wanted to jump again! And then, it was my turn. My instructor, Mario helped me into the harness for my Tandem jump. We boarded the plane, and flew up 13,500 feet. I'm gonna be honest, my mind started messing with me again. I looked out of the window and watched the ground turn into that aerial patchwork. After a few seconds, the patchwork turned into clouds only, and then it was time to jump! The experience was like nothing I could have imagined. Even now, it's hard to find the words to describe the event. Skydiving didn't feel like falling (to me.) It was more like coasting on your belly. Skydiving is very loud, the air rushing over you is a deafening roar. You literally can't hear a thing. The view... AMAZING!! The experience... EXHILARATING! Before you know it, you're back on the ground trying to mentally re-immerse yourself into what just happened. Leonardo Da Vinci said, "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." This is true! Will I ever skydive again? Maybe. One thing is for sure, if I did jump again, it would only be with Skydive Orange! ~Happy Skydiving! read more

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Went skydiving for my first time with my dad and 91 year old pop! I was terrified but Chris was an amazing person to do tandum with. His light heartedness, jokes and intructions made it so much easier to relax and enjoy it! definitely would recommend this place, and Chris! read more

The best experience ever, Steve was amazing, they have the best trainers and are excellent about safety, It was my first time and was very nervous and they made me feel very safe and secure and I LOVED it, thank you for the best time of my 53 years in this life, will NEVER forget it read more

Absolutely AMAZING! My instructor, John Smith, was the best! Made me feel comfortable during the entire process. I was a nervous wreck, but honestly didn't need to be. Will definitely go back! read more

Thanks to Skydive Orange for making my first jump a great experience this weekend! From the moment we got there, the entire staff (and even some of their more frequent customers) were incredibly friendly and seemed intent on making sure any first time jitters were put to ease. They paired me up with Chris Whitley for a tandem jump, and we spent several minutes on the ground going over what to expect, practicing how to position your body, and so forth. Chris and other instructors were friendly and had a sense of humor, but were also diligent about taking all the necessary safety precautions. This continued as we got on the plane and throughout the whole experience. Skydive Orange is in a beautiful setting, and you can see the mountains and Lake Anna during your jump. You can pay an extra $150 for someone to jump alongside you and capture pictures and video, which might seem kind of pricey, but I'm definitely glad I did it. Definitely look at the weather forecast before you go. They're pretty flexible about letting you change your day and time. We had clear skies and warm weather, and I'm sure that made a big difference. I loved the experience, and I could not have picked a better company to go with for my first time skydiving. Highly recommend! read more

What an absolutely amazing day! Jumping with my tandem guy Alberto was amazing. I am going to start saving up to do it again. Everyone there was so much fun, had a great sense of humor, and really put me at ease. read more

Do it! Do it, do it, do it. That's the bottom line of the following TL DR review. :) Here are the things I did the night before my first tandem skydive: Google "skydive mortality," "skydive death," "skydive vs. scuba dive mortality," and "skydive accidents." Send an email to my family telling them I loved them. Cuddle with my dog before realizing he was being *unusually* cuddly and googling "can dogs sense impending death." Sleep for 2 hours while mournfully holding fiance's hand. Wake up and shovel an entire king-size bag of Raisinets into my mouth one handful at a time while staring off into the middle distance. Guess what ended up being the scariest part of the whole experience? THE NIGHT BEFORE, duh. There is nothing scarier than the unknown, especially when the little you do know involves falling 13,500 feet, screaming lustily, as the distance between you and rock-hard Earth decreases by 176 feet per second. The minute I arrived at Skydive Orange, my fears began to evaporate. First, I was happy to see it was a proper airport with a runway and a well-maintained Super Otter doing the drops - way nicer than the grass strip and crappy Cessna at the airfield-slash-skydive park where I used to do sailplane gliding. Second, everyone there had a sense of humor, but not about safety equipment or paperwork. Nobody used words like "bodacious" or "badical." (What gave me the impression that skydivers acted like extras in 1980's surfer movies?) If you look up "genial competence" in the dictionary, you will probably see a picture of the clean-cut, fitysomething instructor who led me on my dive. I've read a few grumpy reviews from customers who had to wait around in the hangar 12 hours because of weather delays, customer queues, etc. I lucked out: the weather was clear, the wind was negligible, and the air was so cold that only 5 other buckaroos showed up for tandems. We traveled up to altitude two at a time, along with our instructors and a bunch of more experienced solo divers. I was instantly at ease to discover that the fellow first-timer on my flight was an acrophobic Catholic priest from Germany. (God was not going to let us crash!!) By the time I got up in the sky, I wasn't at all frightened, but nevertheless: All but the most basic functions of my cerebral cortex shut down the instant I jumped out of the plane. I remember thinking OH MY GOD THERE IS SO GASP MUCH WIND IN MY FACE GASP I CAN'T BREATHE. I also remember the videographer, a second skydiver, poking me to look up at him and smile because I was too busy staring down at the ground while mouthbreathing like a trout stuck on a sandbar. Then...blank. My informed scientific conclusion is that while the human body travels at 120mph, the human brain must travel a whole hell of a lot slower. Higher thought didn't catch up with me until my instructor pulled the chute, but when it did - oh, oh my God, I would have been on cloud nine if there had been a single cloud in the sky that day. I was flying! The beautiful mountains were laid out all around me! The cows were so tiny down below! The second we came in for a landing, I broke out in a grin that stayed on my face for the next five hours. Seriously. Five hours. The endorphin rush was so powerful that all I could do on the drive back was sit and make goo-goo eyes out the window. Every song I heard on the radio was the most amazing I'd ever heard. I fell in love with everything I thought about: my fiance; the acrophobic priest; the chiseled redhead who came up to me in the hangar to ask how my dive had been; the matronly beagle who served as a kind of club mascot; the color orange; my Chik-fil-A sandwich; the Earth in winter; Leonardo da Vinci; soaring eagles; provolone cheese. Everything. I always knew that the brain was capable of producing chemicals more potent than morphine or Ecstasy. I never really believed it until I went skydiving. The high has now dimmed, but I'm still so happy with my experience I'm almost haunted by it. It was SO AMAZING, and thanks to Skydive Orange, it was also safe and fun. read more

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I'd been meaning to go to Skydive Orange for years, and the hubs and I finally went this past Sunday for our first/tandem jump. They're professional and I was totally at ease with their expertise. To top it all off, our instructors and videographers were hilarious. Chris was my instructor and Tres (I think that's how you spell it) was my video/pics guy. However you spell it, he's awesome. The plane ride up with all guys was almost as entertaining as the free-fall. Huge plus is that the vids and pics were ready in no time and, since they were ready to download, the hubs and I were able to edit them into one kewl vid showing both of us. I've seen some other tandem skydiving vids and the quality was not nearly as good as the one we have. And to think that I was gonna bypass getting the vid and pics for myself. Just get 'em. You won't be sorry. I would recommend Skydive Orange to everyone, without hesitation. read more

Im doing this again lol. The staff are immaculate, friendly and fun! If you ain't jumped out of a plane, the time is now

I have been very impressed with the folks at Skydive Orange. They are extremely thorough with their coaching and instruction! If you're looking to get into the sport, this may be one of the best places to learn and improve your skills. They follow the rules "to the T" and track all AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) students according to the official USPA Progression (Categories A-H) yellow card. Their prices are pretty standard for skydiving (which is an expensive sport). As you've probably heard, it is worth it. Lastly, everyone is so damn friendly. Gotta love the skydiver personality. Very laid-back and interesting. Bottom line: 1) if you're interested in doing a tandem.....if you want more scenery, do it at the ocean or something. If you just want to jump out of a plane and enjoy the experience, Skydive Orange is great. 2) If you want to fly solo, Skydive Orange's AFF program is probably one of the best in the country. And definitely pre-pay for your license...it ends up being so much cheaper...I wish I had! PS. Here's a picture of me flying solo. I think it was my 17th jump: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/skydive-orange-inc-orange?select=bpERvEyP53WxLmGV4IQ02A#DeOY3VD3m4Ab4H35IeExXg read more

In 2007 did a tandem jump at Skydive Orange. I've always wanted to get a licence through the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) program, and finally, about six years later I just completed the program and earned an "A" rating license. Anyone interested in skydiving, whether it's just a fun jump as a tandem, or thinking of pursuing a license, I strongly recommend Skydive Orange. Here's why: 1. Safety. They take this very seriously. Its ingrained in the program and they don't tolerate bravado and recklessness. 2. Great plane. They've changed planes a bit, but usually they fly a twin engine Otter. The twin engines means less time sitting in the plane trying to climb to altitude. If you take a smaller plane you'll spend a lot of time riding around. It also can move a fairly large group at one time, which means the process is efficient. 3. Good people. Skydiving, I've learned is a community onto itself. When you get into the program, it's almost like a little family. The instructors, the staff, they all look out for you and make you feel welcome. And you'll make a lot of new friends. 4. Fantastic hangar. This past year they opened up a new hanger. It's beautiful. Some skydiving places feel, well, dirty. This one is clean. Everything is brand new and as a student, you are going to spend some time waiting in the hanger; it's nice to be in a nice place. 5. Beautiful view. When you get to jump, take in the view. The Blue Ridge Mountains are to the west, Lake Orange is to the south, the runway is just below you. Local lore has it you can see the Washington Monument; I haven't seen it yet, but I'll keep looking. Tips: - It's about a 90 minute ride from D.C. Weekend traffic can get bad on I95 so leave early. - There's a ton of cops on the drive down. They hide everywhere. Even on rural roads. Don't speed. - Pack a little lunch; I always brought a cooler, but they have a decent break room with a fridge and a microwave. - There's a little gas station right outside the entrance where you can get a fresh made sandwich or a coffee. - You can also order delivery. Ask the desk for a recommended place to call. - If you go in the winter time, or early spring, dress in layers and wear warm socks. and shoes. It's cold. - If you are doing a tandem jump, order video and still photos. It's expensive, but how many times are you going to do this? I still have a video from 2007. read more

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Awesome Experience. 1st time AFF jump. Awesome Staff. Very professional, very organized. Definitely will not be my last time. read more

Skydive Orange - First AFF. Sep 2012. - Skydiving Near Me - Orange, Virginia

RECOMMEND TO IT'S UPMOST! Staff is amazing, Supportive, instructive, well prepared, and COVID practiced and enforced!!! EXPERIENCE WAS BEYOND WORDS! Amazing location, easy access, and a fun upbeat environment! We will definitely be returning! read more

I had an unbelievable experience that I will never forget. The staff were super accommodating and friendly. The only negative I would indicate is that this is a full day of waiting around. There are so many external factors that staff need to pay attention to in order to make this a safe experience. I would recommend booking one of the first availabilities of the day. We had a 1pm reservation on a Saturday and we didn't get to fly that day, which was a pain seeing as we drove in from DC and waiting for 5 hours. Staff were very accommodating and comp-ed our camera services for the hassle as well as rescheduled us. We came in two weeks later and maybe waited 20 minutes before we strapped up. The only problem was that they didn't have enough camera folks to jump with us, unless we wanted to wait some more....which we did NOT. read more

I thought 'bout the best way to write-up this bad boy. I mean - I jumped out of a plane and lived - clearly, an easy 5 stars (amiright?!) SO - since ya'll already know it's gonna be a "I have the best story at the next company happy hour" experience, I figured I'd add some value in comparison with SkyDive DC - of which I purchased the Groupon (because I'm apparently auditioning for my debut roll in "Extreme Couponers"...? Calm yourself, woman) and SkyDive Orange. There are 3 things in life you don't want to cheap-out on: plastic surgery, toilet paper, and skydiving. I learned the latter by jumping from SkyDive DC in Warrenton, VA last month and SkyDive Orange in Orange, VA yesterday. Let's do a compare & contrast (yay). PARKING: - SkyDiveDC: You park off a muddy path surrounded by what looks to be stuff a homeless guy didn't event want. I think there is a homeless man living there though - it's hard to tell. (wave at him though - we all need friends). - SkyDive Orange: You pull off a main road into a paved / gravel airport parking lot that is adjacent to the SkyDive Orange $800,000 hangar. BATHROOMS (ladies... feel me right?): - SkyDiveDC: Have you taken a leak in a Don's John? If so - you're prepared to use the trailer bathroom parked outside (again - wave to the homeless gentleman). - SkyDive Orange: God bless these people! Air conditioned separate men & women's bathrooms with fully functional shower, more than one stall, and no homeless man (although I was starting to like the guy...) FOOD (Glorious Food): - SkyDiveDC: perhaps the homeless brotha can donate, but I didn't see anything. Got a free water after the dive however. (woot - hydration) - SkyDive Orange: I literally think a five star chef works there - I dunno, but that smell was GLORIOUS. They have a kitchen constantly pumping out undercharged and deliciously made food. From breakfast to lunch. I think the sign says CASH ONLY however so take the money from couponing with ya. There are 2 vending machines with a selection of coke, red bulls, gatoraids and water (back at it with the hydration, Heather!) FACILITIES: - SkyDiveDC: A newish, small hangar that can fit about 3 skydivers packing shoots. Shares the same area with a training couch and the sign in waiver booth. - SkyDive Orange: A newish gigantic hangar that has - I dunno - 20 skydivers packing shoots? Some certified by the [insert cool sounding packing cert here that I can't remember] board. You sign in in an air conditioned (bless their souls) room after check-in. People are grabbing food, chillin' watching recap GoPro vid at two TV's. There's a practice plane door. There's practice chutes. There's practice "fall with your hips out like a pregnant woman" carts. There's maps. There's everything. There's Steve - the blessed man who makes it all work right. VIDEO / PHOTO: - SkyDiveDC : Hand strapped GoPro to your instructor. - SkyDive Orange: A separate "filming' dude with a DSLR strapped to his head and a video camera on the other side of his head. He's high fiving you, flying around you as you're falling. Running up and fist bumping you as you land. Dude was more hyped than I was! They give you tons (maybe 30) of photos and an entire video of the whole thing about 15 minutes after you land - you can watch it before you leave too. AIRPLANE: - SkyDiveDC: the plane was more dangerous than falling from the sky at 120mph. We took off from a grass field probably wakin' up the homeless bro. Max height 10k feet. - SkyDive Orange: a giant skydive propeller plane made to shove in 10 skydiver instructors / students with a giant door that opens up to allow everyone to leave in an orderly fashion. We took off from a 2,800 foot runway. Max height 13,500 feet (lots more free fall time). INSTRUCTORS: - SkyDiveDC: 2 dudes workin' their rears off to make deadlines. Nice guys, but they're so busy going up and down / packing their own chutes - I was lucky to even get to talk to them. - SkyDive Orange: tons of instructors. I actually took a class, so I can verify that these guys know what they're doing. They operate as a "community" so it feels like a group of really good friends who like to bond plummeting to the earth rather than at a bowling alley. Bless Billy and Gigi - two angels masking as skydiving instructors who traded wings for parachutes (they dove with me) and Steve - the chillest "student whisperer" who makes your landing look like a 3 time Gold Medal Olympian figure skater, Larry - the dude headin' it all up, and Bobby Page who is the air version of Steven Spielberg. And Liz!! PRICE: - SkyDiveDC: And here's the only way SkyDiveDC wins - they *are* cheaper. But you know when you buy cheap 1-ply toilet paper and then you're like "wow - I see why this was so cheap" a-ha moment? This is one of those times. - SkyDive Orange: I didn't do my tandem here, but I do know that they're not as cheap. Why? Because they pay their people to be the best. And it shows. Go forth. Jump. Land. Enjoy. read more