Skydiving is like skiing, roller-blading, skate-boarding or any other extreme sport; there are inherent risks that require careful training and execution. Failure to follow that training can lead to serious injury or even death. Skydiving is as safe as the individual makes it. The equipment is so evolved and reliable that, when used properly, skydiving can be as safe or safer than any other extreme sport. Statistically, you have a better chance of getting injured, or even dying, in your kitchen at home than you do of getting injured while skydiving. Just do as you were trained to and don't bend any rules and you will remain safe. At WSC all skydiving activities are regulated and monitored by PASA (Parachute Association of South Africa) and all our instructors are PASA certified.

Exactly how fast you fall depends on a number of factors including body-position, weight, the type of clothing you're wearing and even the weather. An average skydiver falls at about 200 km an hour.

We will not jump in unsafe weather conditions. Unsafe conditions could include rain, strong winds or no winds. It is up to each skydiver to decide when the whether it is safe for him/her to jump, but for students and very-low-time skydivers this decision is made by the CI.

Yes. We can wear protective clothing to keep us warm on the plane and in freefall. A little bit of cold never stops a serious skydiver though. In South Africa, we very seldom get weather cold enough to justify shutting down skydiving operations completely. If it's safe to fly the planes, it's skydiving time!

First, you will need to be an experienced skydiver. Skysurfing is one of many disciplines that any skydiver can choose to follow. There is a well defined progression to skysurfing from student status laid out in the BSR's. If you're interested in skysurfing, get into a first jump course and start skydiving. Follow the progression mapped out in the BSR's and work on basic skydiving skills. Once you have met the pre-requisites for skysurfing, ask your instructor how to proceed.

B.A.S.E. jumping is the black sheep of the skydiving fold, and should be treated as an extremely advanced discipline for accomplished skydivers only. There are ways to get into B.A.S.E. without skydiving first, but there are also easier ways of getting yourself killed. B.A.S.E. is not something to be taken on lightly. It is recommended that you first be a highly experienced skydiver before even attempting your first B.A.S.E. jump. Seek the guidance of other experienced skydivers and B.A.S.E. jumpers.

YES! Even in the days when skydiving (or parachuting) was seen as something done as a circus trick by crazy lunatics or experimental pilots there were women involved. To this day the tradition continues and there are many women all over the world who skydive on a regular basis.

Much the same as you breathe anywhere else. Once you start skydiving you learn to control your breathing in freefall. Don't believe the stories about skydivers absorbing oxygen through the skin, that's just another silly myth.

Only in the movies.

On average we jump from 10,000 feet above ground and open our parachutes at about 3,500 feet above ground. It takes about 45 seconds to a minute to fall from 10,000 feet to 3,500 feet.

There's only one way for you to really find out: try it!

That's entirely up to you and is a decision that is influenced by what kind of instruction programmes are available, whether you want to take up skydiving as a regular activity and which of them you can afford. At WSC the most popular first skydive is the static line jump, but we also cater for AFF and Tandem for those who want them.

Witbank Skydiving Club has an experienced and dedicated staff that will do everything in their power to make sure that every single skydive you ever do at WSC is safe and fun. Our staff also do all they can to ensure that our aircraft are always in tip-top condition and that our facilities are kept in good shape too. Besides all that, Witbank is also the most sociable club you're likely to come across, and that makes Witbank the best club in the country.

You will need to be at least 21 years of age before making your first skydive. If you have written parental consent, however, you could do your first jump at the age of 16. The maximum permissible weight for any person doing a first jump course is 100kg. If you are over this weight limit the CI can refuse to allow you to participate in the first jump course.

The student equipment used at WSC is designed, tested and certified for a maximum student weight of 100kg. Legally WSC can not allow anybody heavier than this to use the equipment.

This is entirely at the discretion of the CI. If you have a group interested in doing the course together call the club and find out if we can arrange a special once-off group rate, but remember that we have to cover our costs too.

You're going to have fun so in order to do so, be comfortable. A comfortable pair of running shoes is recommended and protective clothing if you're doing static line i.e. jeans and a sweater like a rugby jersey. Try to stay away from a sweater that has pockets in the hips as this may hinder you if you have to do emergency procedures. If you do AFF you'll be given a jumpsuit to use so the shoes are the most important for you to bring with. Tandem can be done in a t-shirt and pair of shorts if you wish but remember that it may be cold at altitude in an aircraft without a door. Afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence so don't forget to bring something warm/waterproof for after the jump. Don't forget the sunscreen - it can get very hot at a drop zone.

Dress comfortably. Shorts and T-shirts in summer, sweats in winter, comfortable shoes (takkies, cross-trainers etc. Nothing with hooks!). All other required gear will be issued to you at the club.

We have almost everything that you will need at the club. You might want to pack lunch or something to drink, but we do have a canteen where you can buy delicious breakfasts and/or lunches. We also have drinks and other snacks available. Remember that we do not permit the consumption of any alcohol on the Drop Zone while skydiving operations are in progress.

ARRIVE ON TIME! We will do our best to work with you if you do arrive late, but it will be up to the discretion of the instructor to decide whether to let you join the class or not.

A good idea is to report to the manifest office as soon as you arrive at the club and get yourself registered for the first jump course. Ask anybody hanging around on the Dropzone and they should be able to point you to the manifest office. The manifest officer will hand you a form to fill in and call you when the course is ready to start.

The first jump course lasts about 6-8 hours, depending on the size of the class. The course covers all important aspects of your first skydive, including aircraft and exit procedures, landings, emergencies, and much more. There is also a practical section during which you will be placed into a suspended harness and be expected to demonstrate to your instructor your grasp of the material covered in the classroom.

That depends on when you jumped and what kind of jump you did. Talk to the CI and he will let you know what your options are.

If the course runs smoothly and if the weather is kind to you, all students on the course will jump on the same day that they take the course. If conditions are favourable and it's not too late in the day, you will make your first skydive about an hour after the course is finished. If you do not get to jump on the day you do the course, be prepared to go to the dropzone the next day to do your jump. If you can't get to the dropzone the next day, talk to your instructor and he will tell you what your options are and when you can make your first skydive.

NO! There is a strict alcohol and drug use policy in place at WSC (as at all dropzones) that says that there will be no consumption of alcohol on the Dropzone while there are people skydiving (even if the person is not skydiving himself he should not drink on the dropzone if others are skydiving). Skydivers are also not permitted to skydive within 8 hours of consuming alcohol.

No problem. A large, over-the-glasses goggle is available for freefall jumps. For static line you could also use these goggles or simply tie a retaining strap or elastic to the glasses.

Yes, for Tandem and AFF you will get a pair of goggles which protect your eyes in freefall. If you do the static line course and subsequent jumps then pre-arrange with Manifest or the Equipment Officer to get a pair of goggles to jump with.

All students doing AFF or Static Line are required to wear a hard helmet which will be issued to you with your parachute.

That depends on which of our planes you will be using, but besides the pilot either 5 or 6 people fit in the plane at a time. You will need a jumpmaster on all your student progression jumps, so that means that you can have a maximum of 4 or 5 students in the plane.

Static line jumps are done from a height of 3,500 feet above ground level. Most other jumps are done from 10,000 feet above ground but if you do the static line course, you will build up to that height gradually over the course of your static-line and freefall progression.

That depends on which one of our planes you go up in and how many people are in it, but generally it will take about 10 minutes to get to 3,500 feet.

Some people actually start skydiving to overcome their fear of heights. It's not really a very good reason, but in some cases it does work. Fear of heights (vertigo) only really occurs at lower altitudes. Think about looking out of a window on the seventh floor of a building; that can be pretty scary. But compare that to looking out of the window of a passenger aircraft 10,000 feet above a city; not the same thing. Fear of heights does not apply in the same way for skydiving. You are so high, it does not look high in the same way that looking down from a ladder or out a high window looks high.

Fear & apprehension get worse & worse until you are out of the plane and skydiving, then most of it goes away. When you come back for repeat skydives, you will find that repeat jumps made on the same day will be more enjoyable since you will get a lot of this out of the way on the first jump of the day.

You will be fully briefed and trained and drilled on emergency procedures while you are on course. No student will be permitted to make a first skydive before he has demonstrated his/her ability to use the emergency procedures taught on the course.

From the time you exit the plane it takes about five seconds before your canopy is fully inflated. Once inflated you need to perform a few controllability checks before steering yourself back to the dropzone. The ride will typically last between two and three minutes.

For your first two jumps your landing will be assisted by a 'bat-man'. This person waves a couple of bats in the air to indicate how you should steer and land your canopy. If you follow that person's instructions correctly, you should have a soft, tippy-toe landing. As you get more experience you will learn how to judge your flare on any given day and make perfect, soft, tippy-toe landings every time... well, almost every time anyway.

Once you have done your first jump you take your equipment back to the club so that it can be re-packed by our qualified and experienced club packers. You will then have to get a de-briefing from your instructor. He will sign your log card and present you with your First Jump Certificate. Keep your log-card with you because that is your licence to jump at WSC until you progress off student status.

If you want to continue skydiving you will need to skydive fairly regularly. This means that you need to jump at least once every for weeks. If you wait longer than four weeks between jumps you will have to undergo some refresher training as determined in the BSR's, but try to avoid having to do this as it is safer for you to keep current and jump regularly.

It is club policy that when you do the static line first jump course you get a video. That video will not have your skydive on it though. If you would like pictures or video taken of your skydive ask your instructor, it may be possible to arrange this, but we make no guarantees. If you are doing a Tandem jump or the AFF first-jump course you can get a video of your skydive by prior arrangement with your instructor.

By now you have probably seen all the great pictures of students making jumps at WSC and you're wondering if you can get one of those for yourself. Well, you can! Just chat to the manifest officer and it can be arranged (for a small fee).

Once you have done about 15 skydives. By that time you should have done a few freefall skydives, and you should have done what is referred to as a dive exit (an un-poised exit from the aircraft). Your CI will administer an A-License test and on successful completion you will be able to apply for your 'A' Licence. Your A license tells people that you are capable of handling yourself in the sky and you will be permitted to skydive without Jumpmaster supervision.

At first this will not be necessary at all. You will be using student equipment provided for you at the club. Once you have your A licence and start progressing to the higher-performance canopies you will want to start looking for equipment of your own.

This is a tough decision in any skydiver's career and there is no simple answer. Don't rush the decision to buy your own equipment. Speak to your CI and to other jumpers who's opinions you trust and try to determine what would be the best equipment for you. Chances are that you will want to upgrade or replace some or all of your equipment after a relatively short time, so consider buying second-hand. Ask around, talk to people and chose wisely.

Currency is a very important safety factor in our sport and therefore it is important to jump as often as possible to remain current. You will need to jump at least once every month to stay current. Please check the BSRs for currency requirements for detailed information.

The Witbank Skydiving Club is situated adjacent to the Witbank aerodrome.

Every weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Operations can commence as soon as there is an instructor and a pilot on the premises (and enough skydivers to put on the plane). On rare occasions the club may be closed for various reasons (boogie at another club, festive-season shut-down etc.) so call the club to make sure.

We accept cash and cheque. Regrettably we do not have credit-card facilities.

We have three Cessnas; a C205, a C206T and a C210T.

Yes. There is plenty of space for you to pitch tents and there is no charge for camping on the DZ.

There are a number of places that offer discounts to skydivers in Witbank. Please ask for details at the manifest office.

Generally there are people available who are willing to pack parachutes for a fee, but if you need a rigger it may be a good idea to call ahead and arrange for your rigging needs ahead of time.

Yes, there is a large shady packing area adjacent to the club-house and also enough space inside the club-house where you can pack your gear.

There is a television and VCR in the bar where you can view and/or download you video. Enquire at the manifest office if you need help using these.

An AAD is encouraged, but we do not explicitly require them. Please remember that you are responsible for your own safety so make sure your gear is in good condition, that it has been repacked within the last six months, and that you are current enough to do the skydives you want to. If you have any doubt, feel free to have a chat with one of the instructors.

Yes, there is a canteen where you can get very good breakfasts and lunches. There are also a variety of cooldrinks and sweets available.