Dropzone Briefing

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Registration

Skydive Thailand runs on Burble software and you are required to create a personal account and enter your details before your first visit. Download the “BurbleMe” app to your smartphone. If you have previously used Burble, then your details should be in the system already and you just need to change your dropzone to Skydive Thailand.

On arrival at the DZ you will need to show license, logbook, passport/ID and your gear with packing data card. Fill out the paperwork then find an instructor and a rigger to sign you off.

Your first jump at Skydive Thailand will be a hop n pop orientation jump.

Manifest

We run a ticket-less manifest system using individual pre-paid accounts. You can choose to buy credit or discounted blocks of tickets. Credit is transferable but block tickets are for your own use only.
Both credit and blocks are non-refundable but will never expire.

Manifest for sport jumpers is all done through your smart phones using the BurbleMe app. After registration, there should be no need to visit the front desk except to make payments to your account or changes to your profile (e.g. new gear, new reserve date, etc).

Please be aware that no changes may be made to the load manifest within 10 minutes of the scheduled boarding time. Your account will be charged for the slot regardless of whether you’re on the plane or not.

DROPZONE POLICY

Jumper Requirements

  • Current = minimum 10 jumps in preceding 180 days
  • Hold minimum USPA B license (or equivalent with documented canopy course)
  • Have at least 200 jumps (special restrictions apply below 300 jumps – see below)
  • Able to consistently land in small areas with crosswind
  • Have an AAD, helmet and visual altimeter
  • Reserve repacked within preceding 180 days
  • Maximum wingloading = 1.4 with 400+ jumps, 1.5 with 500+ jumps, 1.6 with 600+ jumps, etc.

Jumpers with less than 300 jumps

  • Must do induction course and must book this course in advance. You can not just show up at the DZ and expect to be able to jump. Please check details on the “LICENSED” page of our website.
  • Must be current = minimum 10 jumps in preceding 90 days.
  • Wingsuiters must have done 50 wingsuit jumps elsewhere previously.

Canopy

  • No low turns / hook turns.
  • Main canopy deployment minimum 3,000 ft / maximum 5,000 ft AGL.

Health

  • If we consider your health to be questionable, we may not let you jump.
  • Anyone we suspect is under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be allowed to jump. This includes from the night before. Repeated violations will be subject to grounding.
  • Be considerate of our staff and your fellow jumpers and stay away if you’re sick – please do not come to the DZ and infect everyone!

Cameras

  • All cameras subject to approval by a Skydive Thailand instructor.
  • Minimum 200 jumps for helmet cameras / 1,000 jumps for non-helmet cameras. Protruding cameras generally not permitted but always at CSO’s discretion.

General

  • All training to be done by the company only, with the exception of visiting skills coaches who must gain prior approval from DZ management. Strictly no external instructors or coaches.
  • Any kind of unusual skydiving (XRW/CRW/tubes/etc) only with CSO’s specific permission.
  • No running anywhere on the dropzone.
  • Please be respectful to our host country and our customers by dressing and behaving conservatively.
  • No animals or pets and please don’t encourage stray dogs by playing with them or feeding them.
  • Rude or threatening behavior will not be tolerated at Skydive Thailand.

If any of our staff observes a violation of these rules, the person involved may be grounded for that day. A second offence will result in a one-week suspension of jumping. A third offence will result in being permanently barred from jumping at Skydive Thailand.

DISCIPLINES

Freeflying includes anything that’s not regular belly-to-earth, eg backflying, horny gorillas, etc.

  • Minimum 1 audible altimeter.
  • Please try to avoid solo freeflying.

Tracking & Angles

  • Every jump must have one leader who must stay on belly and be responsible for navigation of the whole group.
  • Minimum 1 audible altimeter.
  • Tracking and angles jumps should involve very careful planning and training, and must never be treated as “all-are-welcome” jumps.
  • Please study our rules for horizontal flight on arrival at the DZ.

Wingsuits & Tracking Suits

  • Every jump must have one leader who must stay on belly and be responsible for navigation of the whole group.
  • Minimum 1 audible altimeter.
  • We ask that you don’t use wingsuits for your first 10 jumps at Skydive Thailand, to familiarise yourself with the local area and conditions.
  • Wingsuiters must deploy at 5,000 feet if there are tandems or other horizontal flyers on the same load. Note that tandems always have right of way and may not always follow the arrow! Try to avoid landing at the same time.
  • Wingsuiters must jump with phones and in case of off-landing call 096-859-2075.
  • Please study our rules for horizontal flight on arrival at the DZ.
    To make patterns easy to follow, jump-run will always be parallel to the runway.

JUMP PROCEDURE

Plan all jumps well in advance. Dirt dive and practice the climb-out using the mock-up, not the aircraft.

Boarding & Climb

Go to the boarding area at the 5-minute call so you have time to do all this:

  • Appoint a Loadmaster: a Skydive Thailand instructor or the most experienced skydiver on the load.
  • Arrange exit order and patterns for each discipline.
  • Discuss exit separation and plan ahead how to get this right for your group
  • Pre-boarding gear checks are mandatory for ALL skydivers.
  • Clip seatbelt karabiner around hip ring / hip webbing. Note that the seatbelt has a quick release in case of emergency.
  • Seatbelts fastened and helmets on until 1,500 ft.

Exit

RED LIGHT = 2 minutes until drop

YELLOW LIGHT = open door and check position and airspace

GREEN LIGHT = pilot is ready for jumping. Each jumper/group must spot before exit: check position, airspace and separation from the previous group. Ensure green light is still on before climbing out!

RED LIGHT = stop jumping and close door for go-around.

IMPORTANT

STAY IN YOUR SEAT UNTIL IT’S YOUR TURN TO EXIT – DON’T SHUFFLE TOWARDS THE DOOR!
NO MORE THAN 6 JUMPERS BEHIND THE RED LINE
NO MORE THAN 3 JUMPERS OUTSIDE THE DOOR

  • Keep proper exit separation.
  • Please take care not to hit the wing flaps – “no bums over wing” and be careful with head-down or back-tracking launches. Also take care not to hit the tail (floaters & wingsuiters).
  • Be smart and stay in the aircraft in case of cloud cover, bad weather, etc. You will not be charged for the jump if you choose to land with the plane for safety reasons.

Aircraft Emergency

  • Below 1,500 ft: remain calm, keep seatbelts on and stay in aircraft for emergency landing.
  • Above 1,500 ft: remain calm, sit still and await instructions from the pilot and/or Jumpmaster. The pilot may use green or red lights to signal or may shout “SEATBELTS” or “JUMP”. If landing with the plane, fasten seatbelts and secure helmets again. Never assume it’s ok to jump.
  • Parachute open in plane: up to Loadmaster to decide what action to take.

Flying & Landing

  • Jump-run will always be parallel to the runway.
  • Turn off jump run immediately after opening. Once the jumpers after you have deployed you should then proceed directly to the holding area to begin organizing traffic.
  • Stack up in the holding area, find your slot and stay in it. Always aim to land alone.
  • Fly a left-hand pattern and land into wind. The arrow will show the landing direction for each load and all must follow.
  • Fly a straight final with no S-turns.
  • There are currently no restrictions on high-performance landings but if you scare us then we will take action. Stay within safe limits and don’t ruin it for everyone else!

Off-landing

  • If you land off, please call the “Off-landing phone” immediately to let us know you’re ok, otherwise we assume you’re injured and will start a rescue. We recommend jumping with your phone and storing this number: 096-859-2075. Wingsuiters must jump with a phone.
  • If you have internet connection on your phone, use the BurbleMe app to notify us of your status – this will automatically give us your GPS location so we can find you quickly.
  • Scope out the surrounding areas in advance so you know your alternates and hazards. In short: lots of alternates to the north and east and not much to the west! Remember that almost every road in Thailand has power lines.

Cutaway

Our staff are watching and will take note of where your main landed. Any rescue (people or gear) will be controlled and co-ordinated by DZ staff – please don’t all rush off to help as this creates further chaos and people unaccounted for.

FURTHER INFORMATION

End of Day

Beer light is on only once the last load of the day has safely landed and the aircraft has been shut down. Alcohol consumption is completely forbidden anywhere on the dropzone until that time.

Fun jumper Lounge

We provide an air-con room for fun jumpers to relax, debrief, etc. Please keep it clean and tidy. You can eat in there but clean up after yourself or you will get ants/rats in your gear.

You should remove all personal gear from the hangar after jumping each day. You can leave whatever you want in the fun jumpers’ lounge overnight, but please remove weekly to allow proper cleaning.

Packing

You may make use of our sport packers. Buy pack tickets at the reception and place one on your rig for the packer to collect. Our packers are trained to pack one way only and are trained to ignore suggestions from anyone except our riggers. If you are not happy with how they pack, we suggest you pack yourself. Sub-100 or special gear (RDS, etc) we also suggest you pack yourself.

No food or drinks allowed in the packing area except water.

Tandems

Bring your friends for tandem skydives and we’ll give you commission: You can either give them 1,000 baht discount off the walk-in price or take a free jump for yourself.

Only our staff may jump with tandems – no exceptions! But of course we can arrange for you to be on the same load as your friend.

Insurance

Skydive Thailand does not provide skydivers with any kind of insurance. We strongly recommend taking out your own insurance cover, for both medical and 3rd party liability.

Incidents

It is the nature of our sport that we do sometimes witness serious accidents and fatalities. In the event of such an incident please consider the victim’s family and loved ones:

  • Help us to keep total silence, until you are sure the family has been informed AND there has been an official media release from the DZ.
  • Avoid talking to the media as they will always twist facts. Point all enquiries to the DZ.
  • Stay off the Internet completely! There is never any need to post anything online and that includes writing “RIP”, asking “are you OK mate?”, turning your profile picture black, etc. If you think it’s necessary you may write simply “I’m OK” on your own page, but if there’s any doubt it’s better to just keep quiet.

Hopefully none of us will ever experience the above if we all play our part to keep this a safe drop zone. You are encouraged to bring any safety issues or concerns to our attention. Please don’t be shy – we are relying on you experienced jumpers to be our eyes and ears so please do report everything and anything: The DZM’s office is always open and your privacy is guaranteed.

Thank you for reading and we hope you have fun at Skydive Thailand!