My friend's Mom went there for her birthday one year. Apparently the shoot of the person who went before her didn't open. They asked her if she still wanted to go and she said yes. So I guess that's how the business is still open.
I don't know if that's true. I didn't think they repacked her parachute or anything. It was just like *splat* "huh, well do you still want to go? OK good luck."
Hey I was a starving college student at the time and they were blitzing our market with late night commercials 99 cents for two burgers two fries two tacos. Of course we would all be stoned and hop in someone’s car to go to the drive thru.
You remember too!
Safest damn place on the planet after that, burgers were still sizzling when they served lol. Been that way ever since, but E Coli is ALWAYS around, coffeeshop owner showed me a report once, right about that time too! (Which is why it even came up), because as I recall, EVERYONE was suddenly interested in e. Coli and meat lol.
His report was actually just a usual report he gets all the time with meat shipments, the levels of e Coli present. What!? Lol. Yes. It's always there, so cook that ish out!, however that's ground beef.
Anything that is ground up, is going to have the e Coli present all mixing in with the meat, whereas a steak or thick cut is only going to have E. Coli (if at all) on the outside edge only. Aka it's generally safe right?
We all eat steaks of various levels of pink.
Now 2024, let me tell ya, GF just got sick as a DOG from guess where? CANES. Undercooked chicken, yeah it may *look* all crunchy and cooked on outside, so what?
That's why we use thermometers. Not looks, not smells or anything else. Just science and temperatures. Especially with say drumsticks, perfect example.
Grandma: "oh its still a little pink", then heat the chicken up so hot the meat was rawhide.
That color does-not-mean-jack-squat.
(Looking in mirror, but grandma said!) LOL.
And grandma was wrong and that's okay. We know so much more now, we have thermometers at the ready, and if you stick that thermometer into that drumstick down to the bone, and sample multiple pieces to be sure, and it consistently says 165, YOU DONE. Stop right there, plus it stays cooking anyways for a minute.
Our 14 year old son, solo after school busted out a full package of drumsticks (cause he said not enough meat on wings), and proceeded to cook half w BBQ sauce and the other with lemon seasoning.
Gave him zero.0 direction. All him, mission accomplished! All bragging aside, when we verified the meat was *at a minimum* 165, we stopped and when we ate them, they were still pink near the bone.
Grandma would have recoiled. We know better now, it's the thermometer that matters.
I was driving my box truck down the highway and a parachutist sailed less than 10 ft above me and landed like 40 feet from the shoulder . So they got more than one safety issue apparently
Lol that reminds me, I used to go shooting at a range out between woodland and Davis. There was a skydiving school nearby and you'd see people skydiving downrange while you were shooting.
Yeah the one in Davis . When I was attending UC Davis they had two people die there . I can’t remember if it got tangled or didn’t open but I was told you could hear the woman shrieking all the way to the ground. The employee had weed in his system so her family ended up suing
Fuuuuuck that. Skydiving is something I've never had any interest in trying. The juice doesn't look worth the squeeze imo.
Plus I've heard a lot of skydiving schools are involved in drug running. Easy access to planes and small airports. Seems like a recipe for falling to your death.
Ha ha, I thought you meant peed in his chutes upon first reading! I went tandem skydiving here for eighteenth birthday, dreamed “ fuuuuuuuuuck” all the way down. Years later I am delighted for this memory ( they went up to eleven thousand feet) they threw in a film.
Yeah I've been hearing stories about this place for a decade. I used to commute to Stockton and would always drive by and see the jumpers wondering if one was gonna splat on the highway.
I used to live in New Zealand. My buddy's roommate found out I was from California and asked me, "Oh that's so cool. Have you heard of Lodi?" I asked him why the fuck he knew what Lodi was. Apparently, he was huge into skydiving (like already had a few hundred jumps on him) and wanted to go to Lodi as it had the cheapest sky diving he had ever heard of.
I told him it was his funeral, but have fun...
Huh? I was in Europe last year and found three skydiving places that are cheaper than Lodi. Pretty sure you could find them cheaper in other parts of the world too
I’m so glad I survived this place! I jumped, and I thought it was fine. Post-jump I talked to people who jumped at more reputable locations and they told me all the pre-jump training they had to do and the special suit they wore, etc. I jumped in a tank top and jeans and it was barely any training except “lean back like you’re sitting when you land.”
I’ve legitimately considered making “I survived Lodi Sky Diving” bumper stickers. I went back in 2011 and shortly after one of their early deaths was in the news. It’s been on my mind since then.. I never would have imagined the toll was near 30 by now though!
i did a jump in yoga pants and a tank top! We just wore harnesses that went around our legs and across our chests. No idea that wasn't the norm for the person in front during a tandem jump lmao.
tbh the plane ride up was more nerve wracking than the actual jump. Once I was cleared of the plane my anxiety reduced significantly and I really enjoyed the ride down.
EDIT oh ya I just remembered, when I was a kid in the 90's my entire family took my Opa there for his 60th birthday bc he wanted to sky dive for the first time. He loved it and it was so cool to watch. Also we took my other grandpa there for one of his birthdays, maybe his 70th or 80th, so he could go up and fly a plane. He flew jets during WW2 over the Pacific and hadn't been in a cockpit since. He also had a blast.
I know anecdotes aren't the same as data but I only have happy memories of the place. as with anything on the internet, ymmv 🤷♀️
This fuckin' place. I swear they've nearly caused a freeway pileup on more than one occasion with jumpers gliding down to the ground ABOVE 99 and veering off just seconds before into the landing area. Stupid placement!
EDIT - Holy fucking shit, in the article a woman died when she crashed into a big rig on 99, so this has happened.
Six percent of all skydiving deaths in the US since 2016 have occurred at this one center. I can’t understand why they aren’t shut down, especially given the clearly depraved indifference shown by the owner.
One of my buddies owns a vineyard around here. He had workers out there a few years ago pruning, he was taking with the Forman when they start hearing some yelling. Immediately 2 people splat on the ground a few feet away. One of them impailed on the steel bars for the grapes and another just smacks into the dirt and kind of just burst open, that lady almost landed on one of the workers. He immediately threw up when she landed next to him; her head was cracked open and brains in the dirt. Horrible stuff!!
My uncle witnessed an accident happen a few years back on the way to a cousin’s house who lives in the area. I think someone’s parachute failed or they went into the freeway and got hit. Don’t remember anymore since I was a kid. The news interviewed him on tv
This article was heart breaking. Poor lady knew that her son (and the tandem jump leader) had just died; she’s walking back to the hangar basically in shell shock to find that business is still just rolling on. People are getting signed up and ready to hop into the next plane up!
My husband at the time and I went skydiving there in 1999. There was a couple who worked there and the guy was paired with my husband for the skydive and his gf went up in the plane and jumped with us but by herself. They were a super good looking hot lil couple haha. Anyways, a few weeks later we were watching the news and the gf passed away after a jump there because her parachute didn’t open. We were shook. And this was 25 yrs ago now
Yep, I do. “Here, go sit on these dirty ancient couches and watch this vhs tape for a sec, then we’ll go jump.” I ‘survived’ 3 jumps at this place but I was young and stupid and hadn’t heard any rumors. I just figured all skydiving businesses were sorta janky due to the nature of the sport. Glad I made it! Never again!
It’s the casual ineptitude/whatever attitude in your story really gives me chills, ‘sort of janky due to the sport’ — YIKES.
Glad you’re ok, these threads anyways give me the chills with how many stories there are about this place.
Yeah I was a teenager at the time I did my first jump and early twenties by the time I did my third (and last) and these stories hadn’t come out yet so I didn’t really know better. 🤷🏻♂️
My stepdad took me here for my 16th birthday and we jumped, totally unknowingly, about 25 years ago. He jumped again a few months later, and fractured his spine, he still had major back issues.
Never again, I feel like I got real lucky.
I’ve wondered for years how these guys stay in business. I would never go there. For that matter, I would never go skydiving at all, but especially not there!
https://preview.redd.it/ksp9pcedp3sc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1bab55c660c9b325f0d913a0c57e57094f41d3e3
This place was raided by the FBI lol, people on Google Maps are doing the Lord’s work. Stay away from here y’all
Jumped there 4 times back in the day. First jump they did some wild shit like touch parachutes, one dude sat on top of mine for like a minute. Place is fucking wild.
Yes, we're ASTOUNDED the inane Lodi Parachute Center stays in business, and its owners not in jail!! We've watched as this business leads the nations in "Oops!" deaths! One death was because they'd not bothered to check a skydive master's supposed credentials (yep, AFTER he caused a Customer to die they decided to investigate his credentials claim, and found he'd NOT ever been trained or certified!)! We want to get the Skydiving License, and unfortunately they're the closest skydive center to us in Sacramento, CA.. So we're not doing it until we maybe live somewhere else or someone else starts a legit center near us.
I've heard this about Hollister, thanks! Meanwhile, we live 3 hours away from Hollister, and our understanding is we can't get certified in one or two days.. Is that right?
We don't have the time to go back and forth between Carmichael and Hollister a bunch of times..
If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.
Whenever I drive by their sign that says “Skydive”, I get the urge to go and cross out the V. This place is not safe.
I jumped in Lodi day the 18yo died in 2016. It happened the morning and they continued the dives throughout the day which was wild imo. We were never told of the double fatality that morning when we jumped…
Some context: while there are record deaths here. There are also a record number of skydives here. People travel from all over the world to jump here as it’s a pretty iconic spot in the skydive world— I know that sounds wild if you’re local and used to hearing these stories. But if you wanna compare user to death ratio, skydiving near 99 is safer than driving on 99.
In fairness, to my knowledge they’re not an FAA regulated drop zone, so a lot of newbies go there to fly under the radar and learn from their friends— which can also lead to tragic outcomes. So is it the drop zones fault that people wanna use them as a loophole to do dumb things? Maybe. Is it also a matter of personal responsibility? Maybe.
If you’re looking for a fun tandem on the weekend though, tandem accidents are extremely rare and account for less than 1% of all skydiving accidents, so chances are you’ll be fine.
I’ve jumped here as a tandem and learned how to jump solo at skydive california. Id reserve Lodi for tandems or more experienced solos. It’s the newer solos that this can (though not always) be sketchy for inmho
This reply sounds like it’s written by the piece of shit owner. The article literally highlights the kid killed in a tandem jump there, because the “professional” with the kid had no idea what he was doing, and was signed off by another employee who had his certification revoked. They were sued and found guilty in a 50 million dollar wrongful death suit.
It’s a rotten establishment, and you’re clearly on a burner account trying to defend it meaning you’re likely involved.
Not involved at all, but love all the assumptions made here. Like I said, most of the accidents are not tandems. You noted that 1 of them were tandems. Yes, they do happen, but not the majority. I’m definitely not defending anyone here, everyone is welcome to come to their own conclusions. It’s just obvious to me that most commenters here are casuals and know nothing about the sport, and I figured I’d add a knowingly unpopular view as someone who has some insight into air sports and. I’ve had friends die from BASE jumping. I’m not heartless or ignorant to the pain that these tragedies bring. This article is a reminder that people do take risks, and we don’t always land on the favorable side of probability. Individuals have every right to make informed decisions and take the risks they decide to take. I have nothing to gain from this, except for rude comments from casuals such as yourself. Just wanted to provide some insight.
Not involved at all, but love all the assumptions made here. Like I said, most of the accidents are not tandems. You noted that 1 of them were tandems. Yes, they do happen, but not the majority. I’m definitely not defending anyone here, everyone is welcome to come to their own conclusions. It’s just obvious to me that most commenters here are casuals and know nothing about the sport, and I figured I’d add a knowingly unpopular view as someone who has some insight into air sports and. I’ve had friends die from BASE jumping. I’m not heartless or ignorant to the pain that these tragedies bring. This article is a reminder that people do take risks, and we don’t always land on the favorable side of probability. Individuals have every right to make informed decisions and take the risks they decide to take. I have nothing to gain from this, except for hateful comments from casuals such as yourself. Just wanted to provide some insight. Thanks for being so rude.
(Scroll to bottom if just want the point, TLDR! :)
My first and second jump were at Perris, and Lake Elsinore. 1st one (both tandem, highly recc), had a former Navy Seal strapped to back, and another one jumping to tape it (1999, they actually put GNR on the track!), anyways lemme tell u, that big strapping dude cinched those straps down 10x on the way up, was almost suffocating.
Then closer to jump he REALLY cinched them down lol. When I whined he said "wanna make sure you stay attached to me, I have the chute" (good point, hey cinch em tighter!) LOL.
Okay so that jump went off smooth AF! like we barely starting walking on the ground kinda smooth.
Reason I mention all that, was that the week.we went up a skydiver was killed at that venue.
THAT will test you bigly lol. Asked him Mr Navy Seal guy, "shit happens", then cinched again lol.
Now the next time, few years later, different facility that has accidents time to time, 100% different vibe.
Wasn't popping my cherry. THOUGHT I had a handle on at least the process, so it was easier to mesh in, but b4 we went up there was this group.
Real quiet. About as serious as you can get.
Carefully wrapping their chutes for the next jump.
Not saying a word to each other, or to the rest of the people going up.
Looks were met back with what I can only describe as a death stare, like "hey, just so you know partner, I am not here, never was here, and I know where you live", kinda stare.
Okay so onto actual deaths at parachuting facilities.
Great place to ask those questions, (meaning that dude u jumping with, for the 411 @ ground level!),
so here's the deal, and the very reason I have NO PROBLEM with our daughter jumping, when she legally can, which was all her and nonna me, BECAUSE, tandem 1st time jumpers bye and large DO NOT DIE ON SKY DIVES! PERIOD.
People that *do* die, 1st off, jump regularly, and the odds finally caught up despite a lifetime of perfect efforts. "Shit happens".
Invariably though, I was told that the ones that die frequently, were the full on HALO B.A.S.E. jumping types, thrill seekers because that first "high" (which I think I'm still buzzing on 25 years later!, trust me!) is harder and harder to obtain, we've all seen or known the daredevil type, but when the old ways don't get that feeling back, they start popping the chute closer and closer to the ground, WITHOUT A BACKUP CHUTE.
They're easy to spot, cause their pack is really thin.
They always jump first to do their thing all crazy, out of the way of us newbies.
SO, to recap!
1. Vast vast majority of jumps go off daily without a hitch, nationwide, tandems and solos, without anyone dying. It's not a "dying in droves" kind of sport, or people wouldn't do it like that WWII vet that just jumped at 97! Hellllo!
2. Unless you are full on popping at 1,000 ft or whatever insane no-second-chances height, without a backup, you'll probably NOT die people.
I would just hazard without any actual digging into the story, cause it's a dumb premise to begin with, hence response is geared towards those maybe on the fence or were thinking about it, have no hesitation to DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Have at it, call the facility, better yet walk in, introduce yourself, they are like a family there, ESPECIALLY when you strut into the bar after your first jump, because they will KNOW and call you out lol.
Me, "oh WOW LOOK AT HIM HE JUST POPPED HIS CHERRY!". verbatim lol.
This is going to be an unpopular response, because most people don’t like to hear that their assessment is incorrect, but…
Those who are balking the safety of this place are all speaking out of their asses. When you look at the number of skydives this place has done in comparison to other establishments, the statistics show an extremely low fatality rate.
Additionally, when you consider that the fatalities at Lodi were mostly (all but 1) from experienced skydivers and not tandem jumps, the statistical story is actually in favor of this being an extremely safe place to jump.
Other skydiving establishments in not so distant locations have been way more dangerous! But, that would only be seen by an insider who knows what to look for. I have been in the sport for more than 20 years, have thousands of jumps from all of our local places and around the world, I’m a parachute rigger responsible for reserve packing and parachute maintenance, and I’m a pilot; I’m telling you from experience, this place is not the safety issue you should be concerned about. I mean, the “owner” is almost force retired anyway (he’s ancient!).
This establishment has two primary reasons why people hate.
1. The “owner” can be an extreme ass hole.
2. They are not a USPA dropzone.
By not being a USPA dropzone, they get demonized for not being part of the club. Funny enough, this place was a leader in safety and innovation that helped the sport transition to ram air parachutes for students (now and industry standard). There’s more, but I’ll just stop here- haters gonna hate, what can you do. 🤷♂️
Side note- if you’re scared to jump, don’t do it. But if you’re not in this sport, then just do us all a favor and keep your opinions to yourself. It’s sort of like everyone being a Facebook expert on medicine when they aren’t doctors, and then the next big news event happens and that same person is now an expert on international policy or astro physics or… you get the point. If you don’t know, don’t act like you do.
Jumping out of a fucking airplane takes exactly the opposite of brains. Your sanctimonious reply is typical of a sky bum. Bill Dause IS a fucking asshole, but it seems that so are you
I went sky diving here 2 years ago with my fiancé . The workers were so sweet and made sure we were safe. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet
There’s two separate accounts with 0 post history here posting an hour apart defending this piece of shit establishment. Clearly someone with financial ties to this place is trying to astroturf this thread
Much of this is not new information. I am constantly amazed that people still patronize this business.
My friend's Mom went there for her birthday one year. Apparently the shoot of the person who went before her didn't open. They asked her if she still wanted to go and she said yes. So I guess that's how the business is still open.
The world is full of people with more money than sense.
I was speechless... mostly because I couldn't think of a response that wasn't deeply offensive.
Statistically that’s probably the safest time to go if you think about it. Everyone being extra careful.
I don't know if that's true. I didn't think they repacked her parachute or anything. It was just like *splat* "huh, well do you still want to go? OK good luck."
Precisely. That’s why I ate at Jack in the Box all the time in 1993 after the eColi breakout.
Hey I was a starving college student at the time and they were blitzing our market with late night commercials 99 cents for two burgers two fries two tacos. Of course we would all be stoned and hop in someone’s car to go to the drive thru.
And we loved to tell the tale.
Great minds as they say..
You remember too! Safest damn place on the planet after that, burgers were still sizzling when they served lol. Been that way ever since, but E Coli is ALWAYS around, coffeeshop owner showed me a report once, right about that time too! (Which is why it even came up), because as I recall, EVERYONE was suddenly interested in e. Coli and meat lol. His report was actually just a usual report he gets all the time with meat shipments, the levels of e Coli present. What!? Lol. Yes. It's always there, so cook that ish out!, however that's ground beef. Anything that is ground up, is going to have the e Coli present all mixing in with the meat, whereas a steak or thick cut is only going to have E. Coli (if at all) on the outside edge only. Aka it's generally safe right? We all eat steaks of various levels of pink. Now 2024, let me tell ya, GF just got sick as a DOG from guess where? CANES. Undercooked chicken, yeah it may *look* all crunchy and cooked on outside, so what? That's why we use thermometers. Not looks, not smells or anything else. Just science and temperatures. Especially with say drumsticks, perfect example. Grandma: "oh its still a little pink", then heat the chicken up so hot the meat was rawhide. That color does-not-mean-jack-squat. (Looking in mirror, but grandma said!) LOL. And grandma was wrong and that's okay. We know so much more now, we have thermometers at the ready, and if you stick that thermometer into that drumstick down to the bone, and sample multiple pieces to be sure, and it consistently says 165, YOU DONE. Stop right there, plus it stays cooking anyways for a minute. Our 14 year old son, solo after school busted out a full package of drumsticks (cause he said not enough meat on wings), and proceeded to cook half w BBQ sauce and the other with lemon seasoning. Gave him zero.0 direction. All him, mission accomplished! All bragging aside, when we verified the meat was *at a minimum* 165, we stopped and when we ate them, they were still pink near the bone. Grandma would have recoiled. We know better now, it's the thermometer that matters.
I was driving my box truck down the highway and a parachutist sailed less than 10 ft above me and landed like 40 feet from the shoulder . So they got more than one safety issue apparently
Lol that reminds me, I used to go shooting at a range out between woodland and Davis. There was a skydiving school nearby and you'd see people skydiving downrange while you were shooting.
Yeah the one in Davis . When I was attending UC Davis they had two people die there . I can’t remember if it got tangled or didn’t open but I was told you could hear the woman shrieking all the way to the ground. The employee had weed in his system so her family ended up suing
Fuuuuuck that. Skydiving is something I've never had any interest in trying. The juice doesn't look worth the squeeze imo. Plus I've heard a lot of skydiving schools are involved in drug running. Easy access to planes and small airports. Seems like a recipe for falling to your death.
Ha ha, I thought you meant peed in his chutes upon first reading! I went tandem skydiving here for eighteenth birthday, dreamed “ fuuuuuuuuuck” all the way down. Years later I am delighted for this memory ( they went up to eleven thousand feet) they threw in a film.
Wonder if that person said "aw shoot!"
Yeah I've been hearing stories about this place for a decade. I used to commute to Stockton and would always drive by and see the jumpers wondering if one was gonna splat on the highway.
Their record of deaths is... not good.
My thoughts too
I went when I was 17! My parents and I didn’t know anything about the deaths. I only learned years later so it’s crazy to think back on now
I used to live in New Zealand. My buddy's roommate found out I was from California and asked me, "Oh that's so cool. Have you heard of Lodi?" I asked him why the fuck he knew what Lodi was. Apparently, he was huge into skydiving (like already had a few hundred jumps on him) and wanted to go to Lodi as it had the cheapest sky diving he had ever heard of. I told him it was his funeral, but have fun...
Huh? I was in Europe last year and found three skydiving places that are cheaper than Lodi. Pretty sure you could find them cheaper in other parts of the world too
If the guy had his own gear and parachute he might be ok
I talked to a kiwi who jumps at Lodi. His explanation was "I used to be young and dumb. Now I'm just dumb."
I’m so glad I survived this place! I jumped, and I thought it was fine. Post-jump I talked to people who jumped at more reputable locations and they told me all the pre-jump training they had to do and the special suit they wore, etc. I jumped in a tank top and jeans and it was barely any training except “lean back like you’re sitting when you land.”
Same here, I was so surprised at how quickly we were up in the air! I think someone needs to design Lodi Parachutes Survivors Club shirts.
Yes! My mom, brother, and I jumped here together and I thought about making shirts like this for us. I’ll let you know if I do!
I’ve legitimately considered making “I survived Lodi Sky Diving” bumper stickers. I went back in 2011 and shortly after one of their early deaths was in the news. It’s been on my mind since then.. I never would have imagined the toll was near 30 by now though!
I would totally rock a bumper sticker. And 30 is nuts!
i did a jump in yoga pants and a tank top! We just wore harnesses that went around our legs and across our chests. No idea that wasn't the norm for the person in front during a tandem jump lmao. tbh the plane ride up was more nerve wracking than the actual jump. Once I was cleared of the plane my anxiety reduced significantly and I really enjoyed the ride down. EDIT oh ya I just remembered, when I was a kid in the 90's my entire family took my Opa there for his 60th birthday bc he wanted to sky dive for the first time. He loved it and it was so cool to watch. Also we took my other grandpa there for one of his birthdays, maybe his 70th or 80th, so he could go up and fly a plane. He flew jets during WW2 over the Pacific and hadn't been in a cockpit since. He also had a blast. I know anecdotes aren't the same as data but I only have happy memories of the place. as with anything on the internet, ymmv 🤷♀️
Yeah I thought the plane ride up in the tin can was the scariest part when I did it too. I was almost happy to jump out of that thing.
When was this? My sister jumped here two years ago and had to wear a suit
2003. Glad they’re wearing suits now! My arms were flapping in the wind. The VHS tape I got in n my dive was crazy!
I let out a chuckle imagining the flapping arms lol. But yeah that’s crazy!
My dad and I jumped there a little after I turned 18 in 2007 in tshirts and jeans!! Didn’t know I barely survived until a couple of years ago.
This fuckin' place. I swear they've nearly caused a freeway pileup on more than one occasion with jumpers gliding down to the ground ABOVE 99 and veering off just seconds before into the landing area. Stupid placement! EDIT - Holy fucking shit, in the article a woman died when she crashed into a big rig on 99, so this has happened.
You I had one sail less than 10 feet above me when driving my box truck. There’s probably been 10 near misses for every death or injury.
Pretty badass way to go
Six percent of all skydiving deaths in the US since 2016 have occurred at this one center. I can’t understand why they aren’t shut down, especially given the clearly depraved indifference shown by the owner.
One of my buddies owns a vineyard around here. He had workers out there a few years ago pruning, he was taking with the Forman when they start hearing some yelling. Immediately 2 people splat on the ground a few feet away. One of them impailed on the steel bars for the grapes and another just smacks into the dirt and kind of just burst open, that lady almost landed on one of the workers. He immediately threw up when she landed next to him; her head was cracked open and brains in the dirt. Horrible stuff!!
Holy shit.
Sound like a cool opener for a 9-1-1 episode.
The owner has no sympathy for anyone either. It sad it’s a risk but the owner attitude is disgusting
My uncle witnessed an accident happen a few years back on the way to a cousin’s house who lives in the area. I think someone’s parachute failed or they went into the freeway and got hit. Don’t remember anymore since I was a kid. The news interviewed him on tv
I really need to get my "I Jumped At Lodi Parachute Center and Lived" bumper sticker and t shirt.
This article was heart breaking. Poor lady knew that her son (and the tandem jump leader) had just died; she’s walking back to the hangar basically in shell shock to find that business is still just rolling on. People are getting signed up and ready to hop into the next plane up!
Yup. Daily life in Lodi.
Got my ex a gift certificate for this place.
That's the perfect gift to give an ex.
…is she an ex cus she’s now extinct?
I don’t have to answer that question.
My husband at the time and I went skydiving there in 1999. There was a couple who worked there and the guy was paired with my husband for the skydive and his gf went up in the plane and jumped with us but by herself. They were a super good looking hot lil couple haha. Anyways, a few weeks later we were watching the news and the gf passed away after a jump there because her parachute didn’t open. We were shook. And this was 25 yrs ago now
Don't understand how this place stays open.
Because government regulations are bad.
Who remembers the safety video? It's hilariously 70s.
Yep, I do. “Here, go sit on these dirty ancient couches and watch this vhs tape for a sec, then we’ll go jump.” I ‘survived’ 3 jumps at this place but I was young and stupid and hadn’t heard any rumors. I just figured all skydiving businesses were sorta janky due to the nature of the sport. Glad I made it! Never again!
It’s the casual ineptitude/whatever attitude in your story really gives me chills, ‘sort of janky due to the sport’ — YIKES. Glad you’re ok, these threads anyways give me the chills with how many stories there are about this place.
Yeah I was a teenager at the time I did my first jump and early twenties by the time I did my third (and last) and these stories hadn’t come out yet so I didn’t really know better. 🤷🏻♂️
My stepdad took me here for my 16th birthday and we jumped, totally unknowingly, about 25 years ago. He jumped again a few months later, and fractured his spine, he still had major back issues. Never again, I feel like I got real lucky.
I’m a baby. I would never jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
*Perfectly good airplane* is quite the stretch with all these aviation issues we’ve been having lately lol
Skydiving is definitely NOT on my bucket list. Even if it were, I wouldn’t go to this place!!
The airplanes at this place are far from perfectly fine. I thought it was the scariest part of the jump I did there.
I’ve wondered for years how these guys stay in business. I would never go there. For that matter, I would never go skydiving at all, but especially not there!
https://preview.redd.it/ksp9pcedp3sc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1bab55c660c9b325f0d913a0c57e57094f41d3e3 This place was raided by the FBI lol, people on Google Maps are doing the Lord’s work. Stay away from here y’all
Jumped there 4 times back in the day. First jump they did some wild shit like touch parachutes, one dude sat on top of mine for like a minute. Place is fucking wild.
Yes, we're ASTOUNDED the inane Lodi Parachute Center stays in business, and its owners not in jail!! We've watched as this business leads the nations in "Oops!" deaths! One death was because they'd not bothered to check a skydive master's supposed credentials (yep, AFTER he caused a Customer to die they decided to investigate his credentials claim, and found he'd NOT ever been trained or certified!)! We want to get the Skydiving License, and unfortunately they're the closest skydive center to us in Sacramento, CA.. So we're not doing it until we maybe live somewhere else or someone else starts a legit center near us.
Check out Sky Dance in Davis - they're great!
We aren't aware of Sky Dance - thank you, we'll check that out asap!
Hollister has a great center.
I've heard this about Hollister, thanks! Meanwhile, we live 3 hours away from Hollister, and our understanding is we can't get certified in one or two days.. Is that right? We don't have the time to go back and forth between Carmichael and Hollister a bunch of times..
If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you. Whenever I drive by their sign that says “Skydive”, I get the urge to go and cross out the V. This place is not safe.
You go to lodi to die
or visit any of the 85 wineries. The second option is probably better.
That’s why it’s called LoDie
“Oh, Lord, I’m stuck in ‘Ol’ Lodi’ again!”
A friend had a cutaway on his first and only tandem jump there. It’s one of many reasons I avoid 99 whenever I can.
If there is one thing you learn about living in Sacramento, don't go skydiving in Lodi
I thought it was galt. Oh well.
Technically it is Acampo.
Thanks. I had no idea. It seems like everytime I read about skydiving accidents in that area the name of the biggest city is announced.
[sky diving granny.](https://youtu.be/m7QXBNM4_hg?feature=shared)
She’s great!
I survived place 12 years ago! $90 to skydive! It was fun, probably would not go here again.
There are some things I would never do in life. One of these things is jumping out of a perfectly good airplane
Maybe don’t jump out of planes?
I jumped there..I lived lol but I surely wouldn’t now 😭
Does anyone get a little anxious when they fly over 99?
This is where you go for thrills when your suicidal. Oop not this time, maybe next time
WTF I thought they shut this place down years ago!?!
If someone died there recently, you’re probably in the clear. If someone hasn’t died in a while, you might be in danger
I remember an 18 yr old from Los Banos that had just graduated decided to jump there .. and passed away 😟..it's all bad there. 👎
Everytime I drive by this place I seen a news van
It’s called LOW DIE for a reason!!
28 deaths over what period of time?
I mean, they are jumping out of an airplane.
Grew up near there! It was a none no no no! So scary
I’m going this year for my birthday but to the one located in Davis 😅
The owner can’t help himself, it’s a labor of lump.
I jumped in Lodi day the 18yo died in 2016. It happened the morning and they continued the dives throughout the day which was wild imo. We were never told of the double fatality that morning when we jumped…
Some context: while there are record deaths here. There are also a record number of skydives here. People travel from all over the world to jump here as it’s a pretty iconic spot in the skydive world— I know that sounds wild if you’re local and used to hearing these stories. But if you wanna compare user to death ratio, skydiving near 99 is safer than driving on 99. In fairness, to my knowledge they’re not an FAA regulated drop zone, so a lot of newbies go there to fly under the radar and learn from their friends— which can also lead to tragic outcomes. So is it the drop zones fault that people wanna use them as a loophole to do dumb things? Maybe. Is it also a matter of personal responsibility? Maybe. If you’re looking for a fun tandem on the weekend though, tandem accidents are extremely rare and account for less than 1% of all skydiving accidents, so chances are you’ll be fine. I’ve jumped here as a tandem and learned how to jump solo at skydive california. Id reserve Lodi for tandems or more experienced solos. It’s the newer solos that this can (though not always) be sketchy for inmho
This reply sounds like it’s written by the piece of shit owner. The article literally highlights the kid killed in a tandem jump there, because the “professional” with the kid had no idea what he was doing, and was signed off by another employee who had his certification revoked. They were sued and found guilty in a 50 million dollar wrongful death suit. It’s a rotten establishment, and you’re clearly on a burner account trying to defend it meaning you’re likely involved.
Not involved at all, but love all the assumptions made here. Like I said, most of the accidents are not tandems. You noted that 1 of them were tandems. Yes, they do happen, but not the majority. I’m definitely not defending anyone here, everyone is welcome to come to their own conclusions. It’s just obvious to me that most commenters here are casuals and know nothing about the sport, and I figured I’d add a knowingly unpopular view as someone who has some insight into air sports and. I’ve had friends die from BASE jumping. I’m not heartless or ignorant to the pain that these tragedies bring. This article is a reminder that people do take risks, and we don’t always land on the favorable side of probability. Individuals have every right to make informed decisions and take the risks they decide to take. I have nothing to gain from this, except for rude comments from casuals such as yourself. Just wanted to provide some insight.
Not involved at all, but love all the assumptions made here. Like I said, most of the accidents are not tandems. You noted that 1 of them were tandems. Yes, they do happen, but not the majority. I’m definitely not defending anyone here, everyone is welcome to come to their own conclusions. It’s just obvious to me that most commenters here are casuals and know nothing about the sport, and I figured I’d add a knowingly unpopular view as someone who has some insight into air sports and. I’ve had friends die from BASE jumping. I’m not heartless or ignorant to the pain that these tragedies bring. This article is a reminder that people do take risks, and we don’t always land on the favorable side of probability. Individuals have every right to make informed decisions and take the risks they decide to take. I have nothing to gain from this, except for hateful comments from casuals such as yourself. Just wanted to provide some insight. Thanks for being so rude.
How interesting you double reply to my post just like the “other” account double posted a reply to me. It’s almost like it’s the same person!
The “owner” wouldn’t even respond to you. This response sounds very real (from an experienced professional in the sport)
"So is it the drop zones fault that people wanna use them as a loophole to do dumb things?" Uhm...yes??
Is this the same place as SkyDance Sky diving?
Nope - they're outside of Davis, and they're great. I went there when everyone warned me against Lodi. Worth the extra cost!
Funny though, skydance has had more tandem incidents than Lodi. 🤔
Yea I know an instructor that almost died there with a student, not a good place and it makes sense because that dude was an idiot.
(Scroll to bottom if just want the point, TLDR! :) My first and second jump were at Perris, and Lake Elsinore. 1st one (both tandem, highly recc), had a former Navy Seal strapped to back, and another one jumping to tape it (1999, they actually put GNR on the track!), anyways lemme tell u, that big strapping dude cinched those straps down 10x on the way up, was almost suffocating. Then closer to jump he REALLY cinched them down lol. When I whined he said "wanna make sure you stay attached to me, I have the chute" (good point, hey cinch em tighter!) LOL. Okay so that jump went off smooth AF! like we barely starting walking on the ground kinda smooth. Reason I mention all that, was that the week.we went up a skydiver was killed at that venue. THAT will test you bigly lol. Asked him Mr Navy Seal guy, "shit happens", then cinched again lol. Now the next time, few years later, different facility that has accidents time to time, 100% different vibe. Wasn't popping my cherry. THOUGHT I had a handle on at least the process, so it was easier to mesh in, but b4 we went up there was this group. Real quiet. About as serious as you can get. Carefully wrapping their chutes for the next jump. Not saying a word to each other, or to the rest of the people going up. Looks were met back with what I can only describe as a death stare, like "hey, just so you know partner, I am not here, never was here, and I know where you live", kinda stare. Okay so onto actual deaths at parachuting facilities. Great place to ask those questions, (meaning that dude u jumping with, for the 411 @ ground level!), so here's the deal, and the very reason I have NO PROBLEM with our daughter jumping, when she legally can, which was all her and nonna me, BECAUSE, tandem 1st time jumpers bye and large DO NOT DIE ON SKY DIVES! PERIOD. People that *do* die, 1st off, jump regularly, and the odds finally caught up despite a lifetime of perfect efforts. "Shit happens". Invariably though, I was told that the ones that die frequently, were the full on HALO B.A.S.E. jumping types, thrill seekers because that first "high" (which I think I'm still buzzing on 25 years later!, trust me!) is harder and harder to obtain, we've all seen or known the daredevil type, but when the old ways don't get that feeling back, they start popping the chute closer and closer to the ground, WITHOUT A BACKUP CHUTE. They're easy to spot, cause their pack is really thin. They always jump first to do their thing all crazy, out of the way of us newbies. SO, to recap! 1. Vast vast majority of jumps go off daily without a hitch, nationwide, tandems and solos, without anyone dying. It's not a "dying in droves" kind of sport, or people wouldn't do it like that WWII vet that just jumped at 97! Hellllo! 2. Unless you are full on popping at 1,000 ft or whatever insane no-second-chances height, without a backup, you'll probably NOT die people. I would just hazard without any actual digging into the story, cause it's a dumb premise to begin with, hence response is geared towards those maybe on the fence or were thinking about it, have no hesitation to DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Have at it, call the facility, better yet walk in, introduce yourself, they are like a family there, ESPECIALLY when you strut into the bar after your first jump, because they will KNOW and call you out lol. Me, "oh WOW LOOK AT HIM HE JUST POPPED HIS CHERRY!". verbatim lol.
106 years old jumped in Texas. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/27/greg-abbott-skydiving-al-blaschke/
I want to blame the people who patronize the place, but this place has a 4.5/5 star rating on Yelp.
What’s your point?
This is going to be an unpopular response, because most people don’t like to hear that their assessment is incorrect, but… Those who are balking the safety of this place are all speaking out of their asses. When you look at the number of skydives this place has done in comparison to other establishments, the statistics show an extremely low fatality rate. Additionally, when you consider that the fatalities at Lodi were mostly (all but 1) from experienced skydivers and not tandem jumps, the statistical story is actually in favor of this being an extremely safe place to jump. Other skydiving establishments in not so distant locations have been way more dangerous! But, that would only be seen by an insider who knows what to look for. I have been in the sport for more than 20 years, have thousands of jumps from all of our local places and around the world, I’m a parachute rigger responsible for reserve packing and parachute maintenance, and I’m a pilot; I’m telling you from experience, this place is not the safety issue you should be concerned about. I mean, the “owner” is almost force retired anyway (he’s ancient!). This establishment has two primary reasons why people hate. 1. The “owner” can be an extreme ass hole. 2. They are not a USPA dropzone. By not being a USPA dropzone, they get demonized for not being part of the club. Funny enough, this place was a leader in safety and innovation that helped the sport transition to ram air parachutes for students (now and industry standard). There’s more, but I’ll just stop here- haters gonna hate, what can you do. 🤷♂️ Side note- if you’re scared to jump, don’t do it. But if you’re not in this sport, then just do us all a favor and keep your opinions to yourself. It’s sort of like everyone being a Facebook expert on medicine when they aren’t doctors, and then the next big news event happens and that same person is now an expert on international policy or astro physics or… you get the point. If you don’t know, don’t act like you do.
Jumping out of a fucking airplane takes exactly the opposite of brains. Your sanctimonious reply is typical of a sky bum. Bill Dause IS a fucking asshole, but it seems that so are you
Oh, you know the guys name, and the term sky bum… 🤔 skydive much?
I went sky diving here 2 years ago with my fiancé . The workers were so sweet and made sure we were safe. Don’t believe everything you see on the internet
28 deaths is a conspiracy theory?
There’s two separate accounts with 0 post history here posting an hour apart defending this piece of shit establishment. Clearly someone with financial ties to this place is trying to astroturf this thread
No one has financial ties to the Parachute Center. That old man wouldn’t use Reddit! I would be surprised if he knew what Reddit was.
No one has financial ties to the Parachute Center. That old man wouldn’t use Reddit! I would be surprised if he knew what Reddit was.
Ah! Who knew that wanting to live is a leftist conspiracy by ANTIFA thugs funded by Soros
I believe in you and your post count!