Skydive Chicago’s April 2019 Newsletter

Take a peek at the latest information and happenings at the world-famous Skydive Chicago!

A Letter From Rook Nelson

First and foremost, let me welcome everyone back to Skydive Chicago for our 2019 Season. I am excited about what this year has in store for us and I am so glad to welcome everyone home.

After a winter like this past one, the warm weather is a nice welcome to the jumping season. Last year was a tough one when it came to weather and it’s already been so nice outside since we opened. It’s so nice to see the change. Hopefully, this trend will continue and we will jump so much more than last year.

I hope that all experienced jumpers were able to attend our Safety Day to get yourself back into thinking about skydiving. From a lifetime of being involved with skydiving, I know that the spring time can lead to injuries. Bad decisions can occur from not jumping all winter, and, if you’re not careful, can often times lead to injury. It’s important to go over your safety checks once, twice, and even 3 times. It’s a real bummer to get hurt in the beginning of season. I’m not sure if you have seen our events calendar for 2019 but I know for sure I’d rather be in the sky then on the ground.

I urge everyone to please take some time to get current with not only emergency procedures but all parts of the jump. Familiarize yourself with the aircraft. Plan your dive and be ready for freefall. Keep your eye out and your head on a swivel under canopy. Safety isn’t just a word we say. It’s a way of life for us at the dropzone. The whole point of jumping is to do it again and again. The only way to keep doing that is to take the time to ensure that you are prepared for your jump so that you can make the next one. If you have any questions or want to just talk about the best course of action in any given skydiving situation, please feel free to reach out to any instructor or staff member and we will assist you.

I appreciate everyone who visits our Skydive Chicago family and I wish you all a great 2019 season! It’s going to be a great year and I can’t wait to grow this year with each and every one of you! #Growth2019

Blue Skies,

~Rook

A Message From Manifest

Welcome back, Jumpers! Manifest is here and ready to help you get some altitude this year. As always, there are just a few housekeeping topics that we want you to be aware of as you return to the DZ this year.

There are some changes in pricing this year at SDC. We are in the process of upgrading the campground, planes, and a few other items and, while we would love to do it for free, we simply can’t. We have had the same pricing on jumps and camping for years. It’s time to make a few small increases that will make a big difference for everyone.

That said, we wanted to make sure that everyone knew we updated jump prices to $26 for full altitude and $22 for a hop’n’pop. As we are trying to make improvements in the campground and DZ wide, we are finally beginning to charge for tent camping as well. The prices are $5/night, $10/weekend, $25/week, $100/month.

Don’t forget that it’s time to renew lockers and fill out new campground agreements. Everyone will have until April 30th to renew their locker reservations. There are still lockers for rent and with our new policy of cleaning the hangar at the end of the days this year, it might be nice to have a place to store your gear. Stop on into Manifest and we will get you sorted.

We are looking forward to another fantastic year and we are here to answer any questions you may have. Just reach on out and call us at 815-433-0000 and we will be there and happy to help. Have a great season, everyone!

Skydive Chicago Unlimited Packages For 2019

We’ve brought back SDC Unlimited Jump Packages yet again for 2019 and we are as excited as all of you are!

Each year, we offer packages starting in May through October to pay a flat fee for the month and then you get to jump as much as you can. It’s amazing to see how many jumps some people can squeeze into a month. It’s even more amazing to see how many amazing people gravitate to the Unlimited Community. The Unlimited Community changes each month as people are coming and going but one thing remains the same; we draw the best kind of people who add so much value to our community here at SDC.

Grab a package. Come spend some time out here. Meet some of the coolest and most genuine people around. Make memories that last a lifetime and do it while jumping your face off!

Staying Safe In 2019

Thanks to everyone who came out to another successful Safety Day this year! We had over 120 people attend. A special “Thank You” needs to go out to Liz Alexander and Keith Nugent for going above and beyond this year. They stayed not only for the Safety Day Weekend to help get jumpers current, but they also stayed the following weekend to make sure everyone who was promised a free currency jump actually did get to jump with a coach. These two are here every year and we are thankful that they are back and so generously giving of their time to help our jumpers stay safe out there.

We are pleased to announce that Skydive Chicago has teamed up SkydiVR to bring the next advancement in Student Canopy Training this year. Practice your skills on landing patterns and landing emergencies in the safety of VR!

This new technology is helping to advance canopy flight in a completely save environment. Strap in to a harness, put on the VR goggles, and grab those handle controls as you simulate a canopy ride and potential issues with digital views of our very own dropzone!

“It’s a fun and engaging way to learn or refresh canopy skills and we get to do it with views of Skydive Chicago. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do with this new program to help our students and jumpers keep it safe in the sky,” said Anthony Ebel, S&TA of Skydive Chicago. “I’m really trying to see how far we can expand our safety protocols and this will help do just that.”

We will be debuting VF Canopy Flight this Saturday in the Skylounge for our 15-Minute Call Safety Session. Everyone gets one free flight. Come fly or watch others fly and help us keep our skies safe at SDC.

The Danimal And Team Are Back

The Danimal is back for another year of taking care of this amazing place that we call call home. He’s got a staff that is going to build through the year and help him to keep this place running smoothly and efficiently. We can all help him and his staff out this year if we pay attention to a few key items that will make everyone’s life that much better at the DZ.

As we move trailers around and place things in our campground slots, let’s leave room for the lawn mowers to mow our yards. If you don’t leave enough room, they will not just weed whack your whole yard. Keep your space clear of debris and the Groundscrew Staff will keep it mowed and trimmed for you.

Next on the list is keeping the hangar tidy. We’ve installed inclines on the lockers to stop the piling up of junk, cups of liquid, and other items. Groundscrew will be cleaning the hangar of anything that shouldn’t be on the floors or other surfaces every night. Basically, if it can be thrown away, it will be. Gear left on the floor will be placed in a specific bin as well. While that might be a bit frustrating to have your gear dumped in a bin with other gear, imagine how frustrating it is for Groundscrew to have all of your gear in their way as they try to make the hangar clean for all of us. Lockers are available to rent in Manifest if you would like your own storage spaces.

Continuing on cleaning and keeping things tidy, the Showerhouse will be cleaned Monday through Friday each week. Any personal items or trash left will be discarded as well. Groundscrew will maintain this schedule the entire year.

And finally, the South Lawn will be off limits for parking this spring. The ground is too soft and cars are making ruts already. This space is used for events throughout the year and we’d like to keep it nice for when we have those events. There is plenty of parking in our main lot and overflow parking can be found in front of the Pavillion by the Tiki Hut.

Thanks to all of you for helping The Danimal and his team as they work hard to make your dropzone the cleanest and best dropzone around!

Eat Up! Is Bringing In The New For You

It’s a brand new year and Eat Up! has brand new things too!

Stop by the Deli and grab yourself a ‘Buy 10 get 1 FREE’ punch card for either something from the Smoothie Center or a caffeine cup of awesomeness from the new expresso machine. Last year there so many people loved the expresso machine, Eat Up! decided to upgrade and get an even better machine to serve the masses.

Stop on up to the Sky Lounge this year and you’ll notice a few upgrades as well. They started with a fresh coat of paint to give the room a more open feel. Space has been cleared out to give more room for the people playing pool too. Ever wish you could have popcorn from the movies/bar at Eat Up!? Well, now you can! They purchased a popcorn machine for just that reason. (We have a few people already addicted to it too!) Drink and dinner specials are easily shown on a new lighted highlighter board and they made a chalkboard out of a section of one of the walls. It’s labeled, “Drinks For Friends!”. You can buy your friend a drink if you missed them or want to say thank you to them. Lisa will write your name on the board with the drink you purchased and the next time that person shows up, they can see their name with a free drink from their friend. It’s a great way to let your people know you love and appreciate them even when you’re not there.

Stop by the Deli for some new stuff or head up to the Sky Lounge for more new stuff so Eat Up! can make sure you are fed and have plenty to drink this year at SDC!

The 2019 Event Schedule Is Jam Packed

Many of you have seen the Event Schedule for this year already and you know what kind of year it’s going to be. BUSY! That’s just the way we like it and we know you do too. If you haven’t seen it, feel free to download a copy to your device and stay informed of the latest and greatest from SDC all year long.

This year we have also done a few things to make planning your time at the DZ that much easier. We’ve added early registration for both Summerfest and Rookiefest! You can register now and then sit back and think about how much fun your event will be when you can finally get out of work and make your way to Skydive Chicago for your favorite jumps of the year.

Summerfest Early Registration can be found right here and Rookiefest Early Registration can be found right here.

With such a busy schedule, you may have a question or two. We welcome calls at 815-433-0000 or simply email AJ and he will sort you out and make sure you are ready to have the time of your life at the greatest dropzone around!

Rock Sky Market Is Always Bringing The Goods

Rock Sky Market came to SDC last year and we couldn’t be more thankful that they did. They have provided us with fantastic rigging services, gear, apparel, and excellent customer service. We’re so glad to partner with them again for the 2019 Season.

Speaking of gear and apparel, Rock Sky Market has brought in a slew of new t-shirts and sweatshirts for 2019 in different colors and styles. They also have SDC jerseys available for you to grab and go as you head to the plane for that next load.

Feel like taking the new SPARK for a demo? Yep. They have that too. If you want an indicator light for you GoPro Hero 5,6, or 7, then stop by and demo a SPARK today. They have plenty on hand to let you try before you by. It’s just one more way that Rock Sky Market is making it easier to get the tools you really need like their huge selection of altimeters and helmets that are on hand and ready for you.

Finally, let’s not forget to check out their selection of used gear for sale. If you’re a new jumper and you want a canopy to start on, then you really have to stop by and see what they have for you. Don’t spend thousands on a canopy you will downsize from in a few months or a year. Get what you need and then get what you want as you grow and do it all cost effectively. Rock Sky Market will help you find the best gear for your budget.

Stop on into Rock Sky Market and ask any question, pick your gear, and get into the sky as an informed jumper who is sporting the latest and greatest while saving money for those skydives!

Eagle Air Wants You!

Eagle Air Transport is a growing company looking to add a qualified A&P to or team. We operate a Fleet of 3 Twin Otters, 2 Cessna Caravans, 2 Short Brothers SC7 Skyvans and a Cessna 182. We support the Skydiving industry and well as DOD contracts. We pride ourselves on providing top quality reliable aircraft to our clients and are looking to expand our team and add two new positions. Details of each position are listed below.

If you’re looking for a challenging but rewarding work environment with the opportunity to grow with an industry leader we can offer a salary range between $36,000 to $50,000 D.O.E. Please send resumes to donovan@skydivechicago.com for consideration.

A & P Description of job function:

Perform and assist in maintenance on Eagle Air Transport aircraft as directed by Director of maintenance.
Assist in aircraft squawks on a daily basis to help determine appropriate actions to keep aircraft in an acceptable condition for continued safe operation under supervision of the director of maintenance.
Be available to travel as required to complete scheduled and unscheduled maintenance while aircraft are away from home base of operations.
Maintains adequate supplies for Eagle Air Transport shop to perform daily maintenance effectively IE. Hardware, consumable items, sheet metal supplies.
Maintains Shop and work area in a organized and presentable manner at all times.
Provide feedback and input to improve on any and all functions within the Eagle Air Transport maintenance department.
Ensure all aircraft in Eagle Air Transport fleet are kept clean both externally and internally to project a positive professional experience for our customers.
Be available and on call to work most holidays and weekends as needed.
Keep up to date on fuel farm filter service dates and replacements to eliminate fuel contamination.
Work non routine and or extended hours as needed to meet contract obligation.
Reports any major mechanical or structural issues to superior on a timely basis so corrective actions can be made to resolve the problem.
Ability to use interpret and apply technical data to complete tasks as required
Work independently and work as a team to accomplish required work.
Provides own tools to perform tasks as required except for any airframe specific tooling.
Additional items as required

Requirements:
*Must be legal to work in the United States.

Education:

*High School or equivalent. Airframe and Powerplant rating or willingness to work towards achieving an Airframe and Powerplant rating
Experience:

*Preferred working knowledge of aircraft and basic principles. Willingness to learn and continue education in the aviation field a must.
Working conditions:

*Ability to walk, stand, crouch and sit. Work in close quarters for extended periods. Ability to work extended hours to meet project deadlines as needed. Ability to safely work elevated off the ground on ladders scaffolds and mechanical lifts. Ability to lift 50 pounds regularly and up to 100 pounds or more safely. Work in a variety of weather conditions ranging from high heat and humidity to cold conditions as well as rain and snow are possibilities at times.