Quote:
Originally Posted by greenberetTFS
koz,
I've never jumped free fall and obviously I won't be the oldest...  However I would love to try a tandem on my 73rd birthday.......  I'm really heavy(290 lbs)... Would it be possible at that weight to go tandem? 
GB TFS  |
You'd be really close. You'll probably go with a smaller Tandem instructor. Some places say 275lb, some say less but the number you're really looking at is the total weight - ie small tandem master, big jumper...
From where you are I think the best place would be
Gold Coast Skydivers Call them and give them your specs (age /wt). They're pretty military friendly as well.
Another option is
www.emeraldskydive.com - The owner used to be part of 20th Gp. The only have a cessna so that's where I think Gold Coast would be better - bigger airplane, bigger door.
One of the coolest things to ever see: There was an old guy who came out the civilian DZ when I was at Bragg, and expressed his desire to make a tandem. The girl at the office asked if he had ever jumped before, he said had made 6 total when in the military. Nothing spectacular. She jokingly asked if he had done his five (at jump school) plus his cherry jump and he said he only made two jumps at jump school. Someone asked if he had made his other jumps around Bragg and he said no, he had jumped Sicily, Italy, Normandy, Nijmegen... He was a member of the 505th made four combat jumps. We looked up him up and he was on the roster below. For the life of me I can't remember his name. This gentleman was a walking piece of history. Another TI did his jump, I'm just glad I was able to shake his hand.
http://www.505rct.org/4jumps.asp