Skydiving locations in the state of Texas

Texas offers a variety of locations to skydive all over the Lone Star State. Click on the city links below to list the contact information for the skydiving facility in that area.

Austin, Beeville, Bryan/College Station, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Midland/ Odessa, San Marcos

Austin

Texas Skydiving Center

1055 PR 7022
Lexington, TX 78947

45 minutes east of Austin off Highway 290

(979) 773-9100

Website: www.AustinSkydiving.com

E-Mail: info@texasskydiving.com

Beeville

Sky’s The Limit

1508 West FM 351
Beeville, Texas 78102

(361) 358-9330

Website: www.SkysTheLimit2.com

E-Mail: webmaster@skysthelimit2.com

Bryan/ College Station

Skydive Aggieland

6104 SH 21 East

Bryan, TX 77808

(979) 778-JUMP, Toll Free: 1 (866) SWOOP-IN

Website: www.SkydiveAggieland.com

E-Mail: manifest@skydiveaggieland.com

Dallas/ Ft. Worth

Skydive 35, Inc.
Hillsboro Municipal Airport
1000 Airport Boulevard
Hillsboro, Texas 76645
817-874-7591
Website: www.skydive35.com

Skydive Dallas

1039 PR 438

Whitewright, TX 75491

1-800-SKYDIVE, (903) 364-5103

Website: www.SkydiveDallas.com

E-Mail: SkydiveDallas@aol.com

Houston

Skydive Houston

15355 Penick Rd.
Waller, TX 77484
Toll Free: 1-800-JUMP-OUT
Phone: 1-800-JUMP-OUT, 936-931-1600

Website: www.SkydiveHouston.com

E-Mail: info@skydivehouston.com

Skydive Spaceland

16111 FM 521

Rosharon, TX 77583

1-800-SKY DIVE (759-3483)

Website: www.SkydiveSpaceland.com

E-Mail: skydivespaceland@msn.com

Midland/ Odessa

Skydive Eagles Nest

Eagles Nest Airport

25 miles southwest of Midland

432.563.JUMP

Website: www.skydiveeaglesnest.com/

San Marcos

Skydive San Marcos

Hwy 80 South, Fentress Airpark
Fentress, TX 78622
Phone: 512 488 2214

Website: www.SkydiveSanMarcos.com

—————————————————————–

Browse other skydiving facilities by state:

AL AK AR AZ CA CO CT DE FL GA
HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD
ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH
NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC
SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WI WV WY

Skydiving Granny - the Grandma who became a Skydiver

An interview with my mother (a.k.a. Skydiving Granny)

So what made you want to take up skydiving at 50 years of age?

I can tell you it is something I always wanted to do - even as a child.  My parents thought I was nuts (they weren’t far off) and then your father thought the same and told me I was not going to leave him with three kids!

I was at lunch with my son-in-law in downtown Abilene after being alone for about 4 years and he told me “mom, you are going to be 50 next year - why not skydive”.  The seed was planted and I did just that.  On my 50th went and took the AFF course with the intent to do my one and only solo jump.

It rained all day - the weather was not going to allow a student up so I did an instructor tandem.  It was great but still wanted to do that solo, so three weeks later went out by myself and did just that.  The instructor on radio told me to turn right, I wasn’t sure I should with what I saw below me, hesitated and he again said “turn right” - so I did, thus hitting the power line.

As a student we are taught to do what we think is right even if they tell us differently but there is so much to take in on the first jump that I just obeyed.  It made me mad that I did not land on the drop zone so went inside, signed up for the entire course and did another jump - landed right smack in the middle.  I was hooked.

What is it that you love the most about being a skydiver?

Can’t say why I love it so much except that I have always had a desire to do this.  The ride up is lovely - there is no reference to those being afraid of height or fear of falling.  Being in the air is great - feels like floating and now that I’m learning “moves” it’s very challenging.

The canopy is peaceful and simply just great.  I’ve gone through many obstacles (no pun intended) to learn this sport and still feel like I’m just a beginner.  Of course, I truly am with only 200 jumps but still have enough under my belt to say I have some knowledge J.  Some of the best times are meeting those who are there for tandems or their first solo – to see the nervousness and then the exhilaration once they land.

You just have to try it to ever understand why a person jumps out of a perfectly good airplane!  It’s just simply fun!

Accelerated Freefall (AFF) Skydive

Accelerated Freefall allows you to experience skydiving with a greater amount of control during the jump. Unlike Tandem skydiving, you and your instructor do not share a harness in an AFF jump. Instead of having an instructor attached to you, two jumpmaster instructors will assist and guide you through all stages of the jump. The jumpmasters will help you exit the airplane, guide you through the freefall stage of the jump and assist you with a safe landing.

Once you have exited the airplane you will freefall for about 55 seconds until you release your parachute. Both of your instructors will be by your side to assist you during the freefall. After the parachute has deployed, you will have complete control over it and will fly it to your landing. Although it may appear that you are alone at this stage, you will have radio contact with an instructor, on the ground, to help guide you to a safe landing.

As one would expect, Accelerated Freefall skydiving requires quite a bit more training then a Tandem jump. The AFF course, depending on the school, is around a 5 to 6 hour training session. Your training session will be with both of your instructors and you will learn techniques to stabilize your body during the freefall, altitude awareness, learn how to release the parachute and go over what is required for a safe radio assisted landing. If you are interested in becoming a licensed skydiver, then the Accelerated Freefall jump is the first step in the seven to nine-stage process.

*The number of stages required for the training depends on the location of the school. Some schools in the US may only require seven levels of training while a training school in New Zealand requires nine. The key is to make sure that the school you join provides is recognized for their high level of training.

Static Line Skydive

Have you have ever watched an old war movie where as the paratroopers exit the airplane and their parachute is deployed? If this sounds familiar then you are already become acquainted with a static line jump. Static line jumping usually requires around 4 to 5 hours of training for first timers. Once your training is complete you then proceed to the plane to start your ascend.

After the plane has leveled out at an altitude of 3000 feet, the pilot will fly to your jump destination where you will then exit the plane. Once you have left the plane, a static line attached to the aircraft will deploy the main canopy (hence the name “Static Line” jump).  A static line jump will give you a freefall for around 2 to 3 seconds as the parachute opens.

Benefits and Disadvantages of a Static Line Jump

Static line jumping gives you more freedom then the tandem jump but you only get to experience the freefall portion of the jump for a fraction of the time. The trade off with this type of skydive is that you do get more freedom to fly the parachute once it has been released. For some this may be the best option for a first time jump while other would prefer to stick to the tandem skydives.  Although the instructor will be flying the parachute in a tandem skydive, you will get to experience more of the freefall from the jump.

However, if you are one of those looking for the best of both worlds, between the tandem and static line jump, then you may want to consider looking into the Accelerated Freefall option.  The Accelerated Freefall skydive is the most advanced option and will give you the ability to freefall and fly your parachute while under the careful guidance of two trained instructors.

What is a Tandem Skydive?

Most people are already familiar with tandem skydiving but for those that have never heard of it or know very little about it we will discuss it in more detail. For, those new to skydiving,tandem skydives are really the easiest way to make your first adventure.

To get a complete understanding of what tandem skydiving is, it is best to take a look at what the definition of the word “tandem” means. Tandem, by definition, is the arrangement of two or more persons, or objects, behind each other. So in essence, tandem skydiving is arrangement of two skydivers, the student and the instructor, where the instructor’s harness attaches them to each other. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you go jumping out of airplanes it is important that you get a good understanding about the equipment you will be using. After all, don’t you want to know what will be helping you return safely to the ground?

* Even if your first skydiving experience is a tandem skydive, it is still important that you are familiar with the skydiving equipment before you jump.

Outlined below is a list of some of the skydiving equipment that will be available to you. This is not an “end all be all list” but should help you get a good understanding and start on your skydiving adventure.

Automatic Activation Device (AAD)
An AAD is a self-contained device that calculates rate of descent and altitude and deploys either the main or reserve canopy at a preset altitude. AADs are back-up devices required for student skydivers and worn by most experienced jumpers.

Reserve Static Line (RSL)
RSLs are attached to the main parachute’s risers to activate the reserve parachute if the main parachute is jettisoned during an emergency.

Jumpsuit
Though jumpsuits are not required, they have different functions depending on the skydiving discipline. Specialized fabrics and different tailoring help control descent speeds and give the skydiver more free fall control. Tight jumpsuits made of slippery materials allow for a faster fall rate for smaller people, while large, canvas-like jumpsuits provide a slower fall rate for bigger people.

Altimeters
Visual altimeters show altitude and are typically worn either on the wrist or front of the torso. Audible altimeters with pre-set alarms are worn near the ears to aid in altitude awareness.

Helmets
Helmets are required for student jumpers and worn by most experienced jumpers. For experienced jumpers, they range from leather aviator-style hats to full-coverage motorcycle-like hard helmets, made especially for skydiving.

Goggles
Jumpers wear goggles or sunglasses to protect their eyes from free fall speeds ranging around 150 mph.
Skydiving equipment on eBay

If you an experienced skydiver and looking for a good deal on skydiving equipment then don’t forget to take a look at eBay to see what they have to offer. There is probably a good chance that you will be able to purchase new and used equipment at a very affordable price.

You can see what is available on eBay now by clicking on the link below.