Indoor Skydiving, Where Is My Drop Zone?

The phrase 'Drop Zone' is a slang term used by skydivers when they are referring to either were they intend to land after jumping from a perfectly good aircraft, or in referring to the skydiving center that they took off from to begin with.

As A Landing Area

A 'drop zone' is also referred to as a 'pit' or 'jump target'. Usually these drop zones, in the case that a person is jumping from a plane, are a rectangular area with its length facing in the same direction as the plane's movement. The size of the drop zone will typically be dictated by the weather, speed of the plane, or (most commonly) the skill of the skydiver. However, drop zones are not limited to just rectangular fields. The more adventurous parachutist may decide to have their landing take place in water, on a snow covered slope, into a raging forest fire, or even into hostile territory, depending upon the requirements of the jump and the skill of the jumper.

Skydiving Centers

Drop Zone is also used in reference to a skydiving center. That would be the place that you go if you want to either learn to sky dive or, if you already have at least a class A license (by the way, not the drivers license type), where you go to get a seat on a plane that will take you into the heavens so you can float back down to earth. You can find these Drop Zones in any number of ways; you can look in your local phone book, head to your nearest airport and ask around, or peruse the internet and have all of the information at your fingertips. There are web sites aplenty overflowing with information on the sport of skydiving. Some, if not most, typically have a database listing drop zones in your area.

What Can You Expect At A Drop Zone

We have all seen the glamorized version of Hollywood's idea of a drop zone. Tightly nit groups of adrenalin junkies who do not relate well to other individuals. This is completely misleading. The people that you will find at these places are among the most friendly and talkative 'adrenalin junkies' you will find anywhere in the world. You would be hard pressed to find even one person, who has made that leap even one time, who is not happy to relate that experience to anyone who will listen. Also, they all seem to be more then helpful when it comes to recruiting virgin skydivers into the sport.