skydiving – The Activity People Blog

Skydiving Hibaldstow is our venue of the month!

Summer is here and hundreds of people are already heading off in search of sun, but it’s not just the perfect time to be jetting off in a plane, it’s the perfect time to be jumping out of one too! Judging by our recent feedback plenty of you have already taken the plunge too, and that’s why we’re delighted to name Skydiving Hibaldstow as August’s venue of the month!

If you’re ready to prove how much of an adrenaline addict you are Hibaldstow Skydiving is the perfect place experience the rush of free-fall – and we guarantee you’ll love every second! With state-of-the-art equipment, expert instructors and incredible views there’s a lot to love about leaping from a plane at this brilliant skydiving centre.

What really makes Skydiving Hibaldstow special is the team of ever-friendly staff and instructors, who go above and beyond to give every jumper the best experience possible. Even if you’re hit by a bout of last minute nerves they’ll put you at ease in an instant, and once you’ve completed your intensive skydiving training you’ll be raring to go. In total Hibaldstow’s team of instructors have completed in excess of 30,000 jumps and between them have over 75 years of experience, so you can rest assured there’s nobody better qualified to throw you out of a plane!

To add to the incredible skydiving experiences, Hibaldstow Skydiving is also home to a selection of first class facilities, which makes it the perfect place to spend the day. As well as essentials like on-site parking facilities, showers and toilets you’ll also find superb spectator facilities, a fully licensed bar and an excellent café that serves hot and cold food. You can even spend the night in Skydiving Hibaldstow’s fantastic bunkhouse!

Enough of what we love about Skydiving Hibaldstow, we think their most recent reviews say it all..

“It was an excellent experience and all the staff were very helpful and friendly, would definitely recommend it, good choice of food being served too.”

Jay Green – Hibaldstow Skydiving – 22^nd July 2017

“Fantastic experience, highly recommended.”

Victoria Dean – Hibaldstow Skydiving – 20^th July 2017

“Amazing experience. Well organised. Great day.”

Rory Grainger – Hibaldstow Skydiving – 15^th July 2017

Skydiving Salisbury is venue of the month!

With thrill seekers from across the country joining us for everything from bungee jumps to bubble football, April was the month of the adrenaline addict – and it made for some great feedback! One venue in particular stood out though and we’re delighted to name Skydiving Salisbury as May’s venue of the month.

Taking the plunge from 15,000 feet isn’t for the faint at heart, but hundreds of you have headed to our sensational Salisbury venue to experience the thrill of free fall, and it’s easy to see why! With an unbeatable combination of first class facilities and expert instructors, there’s nowhere better to sample skydiving.

Based at one of the UK’s most historic airfields, a skydiving experience at Salisbury Skydiving is far more than just jumping out of a plane. The state-of-the-art training facilities are undoubtedly some of the best around, and they guarantee every jumper the highest level of tandem training before they head for the sky. With a team of experienced tandem masters to teach you everything there is to know too, you can rest assured you’re in safe hands as you get ready to embark on this unforgettable aerial experience.

As well as the incredible facilities and top class tuition, all equipment at Skydiving Salisbury is also meticulously maintained to the highest standards required by the British Parachuting Association, which means you’ll not only feel like a seasoned skydiver, you’ll look like one too! That’s not all though, when you’re not taking the plunge you can take advantage of Skydiving Salisbury’s excellent on-site café, peaceful picnic area or spectacular viewing zone – they really do have it all!

Enough of what we think though, here’s just some of the five star feedback we receive for Skydiving Salisbury..

“Amazing service the day was amazing thank you.”

Sean Wain, Skydiving Salisbury, 23^rd April 2017

Karen goes Sky Diving

With spring in the air and summer almost in sight we decided it was about time we escaped the office for our annual adrenalin rush, and after calling on all of our courage we thought it was the perfect time to try a skydive! After all, we’ve conquered karting and perfected paintball, so why not see what it takes to survive a skydive? Taking up the challenge on behalf of everybody here at Activity HQ were activity experts Karen and Marcus, here’s how Karen got on..

“When I got the chance to try a tandem skydive I couldn’t resist, plus the boys in the office aren’t exactly the bravest so I thought I’d show them how it’s done! The only thing I’ve done which is remotely similar is a reverse bungee, and that was awesome so I couldn’t wait to try skydiving.

In the lead up to our skydive I was scared and excited, but I think that’s fairly normal. Thankfully we were booked in for the first jump of the day, which meant there wasn’t too much time to let the nerves kick in – but to be honest my only thoughts were death!

We arrived at Skydiving Bridlington just before our start time of 7.30am, and the instructors were already there so we went straight in. Before our training we had to sign a couple of disclaimers and medical fitness forms, but they only took a couple of minutes to complete and after that we got straight down to action. The training was really simple and easy to understand, and because the instructors were so relaxed it really put us both at ease. After we’d got our jumpsuits on and been harnessed in the reality really started to kick in though.

Once we’d finished our training and harnessed up it was time to climb into the plane, which is a lot smaller than you’d imagine! Getting to 10,000ft took about 20 minutes from take off, but time seemed to absolutely fly by and before I knew I was sat in the doorway of the plane waiting to start my skydive. As soon as the green light appears it’s time to go, and all of a sudden you’re in the air free falling, it’s crazy! The sensation of free fall is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before either, it was exhilarating, heart-racing and absolutely breathtaking. I just wish it could have lasted longer, apparently you fall over 5,000ft in 30 seconds, so by the time you’ve caught your breath it’s time for your instructor to pull the parachute. Gliding back to the ground gives you the perfect opportunity to admire the views though, and you really can’t beat the Yorkshire coast when it comes to spectacular scenery!

After touching back down on the ground I was absolutely ecstatic, and as amazing as skydiving is, there’s definitely a sense of relief when you feel your feet on the ground again. To make sure the day really ended on a high we were both presented with a certificate, which was a really nice touch. I don’t think I’ll have to rely on my certificate to remember my first skydive though, it’s still just as vivid as when I did it!

Overall our experience was even better than I expected and I’d definitely do it again. What really made the experience for me was the beautiful views and amazing instructors. If you’ve got a good sense of humour you’ll love the guys at Skydiving Bridlington, and I’d just like to thank them for giving us such an incredible day.”

Karen and Marcus took on a 10,000ft tandem skydive at Skydiving Bridlington, to find out more about this incredible experience visit our website.

Skydiving – why we love it

Synonymous with bucket lists, skydiving is one of the most adrenaline-filled activities imaginable. Incomparable to other so called ‘extreme’ activities you’ll take the leap of faith out of a plane placed about 10,000 feet in the air, plummeting to the ground below at speeds of up to 120mph – covering 5,000ft in about 30 seconds! You’ll have to put on your best Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible expression to overcome the free fall before our qualified and experienced instructor opens up the parachute…hopefully!

Looking for excuses not to take part after reading that? Well as long as you’re over 18 and in good health you’re qualified jump – even people like Paris Hilton and our colleagues in the office have taken part, with our very own Marcus taking the plunge having previously never stepped in a plane before! You’ll be able to find our colleagues’ thoughts on their life changing sky diving experience later on this week.

So, what happens when you turn up? Well when you arrive at the skydiving venue, you’ll be kitted out into the oh so fashionable skydiving safety equipment whilst being provided with a full safety briefing from the qualified instructors that will be diving with you in your tandem sky dive- then it’s time to squeeze yourself into the small planes as you make your way up into the clouds!

Oh, and before you whip out the “I’m sure there’s not a skydiving venue near me” excuse, we are actually the UK’s largest skydiving provider and have 28 fabulous skydiving venues located across the UK and Ireland, so there’s sure to be a skydiving venue near you! Don’t believe me? Check out the list here and take part in a truly unforgettable experience as you enjoy the truly picturesque views and exhilarating thrills that skydiving offers!

What’s the Difference Between a Skydive and a Parachute Jump?

Throwing yourself out of a plane might not be everybody’s idea of fun but for real adrenalin junkies nothing comes close to the rush of taking to the skies and making a daring descent back to the safety of solid ground. If you are brave enough to head for the heavens you have a tricky decision to make between a skydive or a parachute jump, so to help make the decision a little easier here’s a quick look at some of the main differences between the two.

SKYDIVING

Skydives usually take place from around 14,000 feet.
Most skydives are done with an instructor and are known as tandem skydives.
Skydivers experience an exhilarating 65 second free-fall.
The parachute is deployed by the instructor.
It’s the instructors job to control the descent and landing.

PARACHUTE JUMPING

Parachute jumps usually take place from around 3,000 feet.
All parachute jumps are done without an instructor.
If you choose a parachute jump you won’t experience any free-fall.
The parachute deploys automatically as soon as you leave the plane.
It’s the jumpers job to control their descent and land safely.

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Whichever airborne activity you opt for you’re in for the experience of a life time and if you’re still not sure which of the two you should pick why not find out how brave you really are by starting out with a slightly less daunting parachute jump. Once you’ve experienced the intense excitement of a parachute jump you’ll be ready to take things up a notch and head for the heavens to take on an exhilarating skydive.

5 Great Ways To Be Superman

English actor Henry Cavill has landed the role of Superman in the latest Hollywood superhero blockbuster, and everybody here at The Activity People is sure that his career’s about to take off faster than a speeding bullet.

So, to celebrate, we thought we’d fill you in on 5 great ways that you can take to the sky…just like the guy in the famous red undies.

1. Skydiving

A tandem skydive is just about as flabbergastingly brilliant as extreme sports get, and you don’t need to worry about a laborious training regime because you’ll be attached to a trained professional who’ll take care of the technical stuff while you enjoy a 120mph free-falling, gravity-powered joy-ride.

It’s an adrenaline rush unlike any you’ll have felt before, and a completely new perspective on the world (directly above it, and approaching fast). This is far from a once in a lifetime experience, because once you’ve made the jump, you’ll want to do it again and again.

2. Hot Air Ballooning

Ok, so Superman could fly Lois over the Metropolis skyline in his arms, but you can go one better: soaring majestically above the breathtaking British countryside in the lap of luxury.

Fly by morning or evening, when the sky is at its most dramatic and beautiful. Take off over the tree tops and drift blissfully wherever the wind takes you. Hot Air Balloon rides can ascend as high as 4000ft, and that provides views to rival any on Earth. It’s both exciting and peaceful, and the memories will last a lifetime. Perfect for couples.

3. Microlight Flying

We can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we can fly high with the wind in our faces and plenty of buildings far beneath us. Strap yourself into any of our two-seat microlights and experience the thrill of open air flying. You’ll be in the more than capable hands of a trained pilot with plenty of experience in light aircraft fliying.

Each pilot is a qualified instructor, who may even let you briefly take the reigns during your unforgettable flight.

4. Bi Plane Flights

An unbelievable day of aviation action is ready and waiting for you at any of our Bi Plane facilities in the UK. Strap yourself in and blast off for close formation flying and hair-raising aerobatics.

We employ some of the most trusted pilots in their field. It’s heart-pounding stuff, but it’s safe too. You’re thrown in the thick of high speed aerial manoeuvres, you might not have thought possible, until you find yourself, mid-air, and smack bang in the middle of them.

5. Body Flying

True, you won’t exactly be in the sky, but Body Flying is still the closest you’ll get to being a real life Superman. It’s the thrill and sensation of free fall…but without the falling part.

Leap onto a portable, vertical wind tunnel and learn to fly on wind speeds of up to 125mph in a safe enclosed area. You won’t need any previous experience, nor will you need a parachute, but you’re bound to have a blast. Make the leap then fly like the Man of Steel, himself.

Finally, for those of you who aren’t aware of handsome Henry Cavill, here’s 5 quick facts about the latest dude to don the red cape and the big ‘S’.

Henry Cavill newpic1

He’s previously missed out on the roles of James Bond, Batman and…Superman! After being pipped to the post by Brandon Routh for the super hero’s last big screen outing, Empire magazine referred to Cavill as “The unluckiest man in Hollywood”.
He was author Stephanie Meyer’s first choice for the role of Edward Cullen in the movie adaptations of her Twilight series. Unfortunately for Henry, and the rest of us, it wasn’t her decision and the studio plumped for Robert Pattinson instead.
He’s fluent in no less than four languages, including Spanish, French and Italian. No prizes for guessing the other.
He probably smells good. After all, he’s currently the face of Dunhill, fragrances for men.
If Henry hadn’t got into acting, he’d have joined the armed forces, in order to fulfil his sense of ‘patriotic pride’. Ironic then that the proud Brit is about to become world famous for playing an American icon. Or should that be a Kryptonian icon?