Page 8 - Volume 15 Number 9

the weekends,” but he still managed to make around 2,000 jumps in a five-year period. During that time, he also became a jumpmaster, aerial photographer and skydiving instructor.
As time went on, Hall became interested in the operational side of the industry. He had moved to Chicago and missed his home drop zone in Missouri that had since closed. At 25 years old, he started discussions with his dad and began working on a business plan to open a skydiving center together in the Kansas City area.
Using a King Air enables Skydive KC to advertise some of the region’s highest jumps – 14,000 feet MSL. Their jumping season usually begins in April each year and ends in late October.
Airport selection is a key consideration when opening a drop zone. Having pitched their business to more than 25 airports in the area, they landed an agreement with their current field to open their business. Skydive Kansas City, rebranded as Skydive KC, was founded in 1998.
Roughly an hour southeast of downtown, Butler Memorial Airport (KBUM) has one asphalt runway (18/36, 3,999 feet x 75 feet) and is home to primarily general aviation businesses and traffic. This type of relatively quiet airport is good for drop zones, especially on good weather Saturdays and Sundays when parachutes fill the sky.
A common skydiving aircraft amongst operators, even those who also operate larger aircraft, is the Cessna 182 which has been the hallmark of Skydive KC for several years. “We bought a 1956 Cessna 182, which is the best year for this type of jump plane, in my opinion. Sitting at around 1,500 pounds empty and rated to 2,500 pounds MTOW, there are a few hundred pounds more of useful weight than other 182s,” Hall said.
›
6 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2021