Skydive New Zealand Blogs

Of all the places to skydive, why Skydive Franz? The answer is simple – Skydive Franz is one of the most insane, exciting and beautiful drop zones in the world. Where else can you skydive over the Southern Alps, rainforests, two age old glaciers, lakes and a never ending coast line? It’s a one-stop-shot, an epic collection of all the wonders of the South Island. To top it off, Skydive Franz offers the longest free-fall out of all the commercial Dropzones. Our 20000ft tandem gives you 85 seconds of free-fall!  

We’re thrilled to confirm the purchase of a PAC 750 XL aircraft. The PAC 750 is designed and manufactured by Pacific Aerospace in Hamilton and is the first plane in the world purpose-built for skydiving. With a load of up to 17 passengers the aircraft will enable us to double our daily capacity along New Zealand’s West Coast, with Skydive Franz Josef & Fox Glacier businesses. Until now, INFLITE has used the Pilatus Porter PC-6 for skydiving. The addition of the PAC 750 will enable this aircraft to return home as the third Ski Plane at Mount Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters. INFLITE Group acquired Skydive Franz Josef in 2018 and the business has performed strongly since then leading to a rapid expansion of skydive operations – initially with the purchase of Skydive Abel Tasman, then the establishment of Skydive…

Skydivefranz is excited to announce a partnership recently made with Making Trax!, this travel company is especially accommodating to persons with disabilities within the realm of adventure and tourism. Adventure Tourism is an extremely rewarding and rapidly changing industry, striving to meet a wide range of people of different cultures and abilities. Skydivefranz is fully embracing the education, information and adaptation around the opportunities Making Trax provide. This tourism company provides the link between the client and their adventurous desires! Making dreams come true everyday. When making a booking through this company for a Skydive with us, we will be happy to be informed of all necessary information and communicate this with our team to make our clients experience safe, fun and provide the Skydive of a lifetime! We had the pleasure of meeting with Ross Ormsby and Laurane Dufour, before their skydive with us. Ross has had the…

It was March 25, 1979, when Stuart Bean first threw himself out of an aeroplane at 3000 feet. The parachute on his back was known as a “cheapo” – a big, round, cumbersome piece of material that was deployed via a cord attached to the plane. Stuart was just 19. Skydiving was a relatively new…

When’s the best time to skydive in New Zealand? Anytime, of course. Skydiving is often seen as a summer activity, but every season – yes, even the middle of winter – offers a unique experience. Summer is the peak tourism season in the Nelson-Tasman region, so that’s generally the busiest time for Skydive Abel Tasman….

Skydiving over the Abel Tasman is a feast for the senses. Spectacular sights of snow-capped mountains, golden beaches, and three national parks. The sound of the wind as you free-fall from 16,000 feet. The feeling of weightlessness as your parachute opens. The taste of adventure as you launch yourself into the unknown. All of the…

Skydiving Abel Tasman had an epic Labour Weekend, hosting over 40 sports skydivers from around the world for the inaugural Lift Off Abel Tasman Festival. Over 10,000 people came along to Lift Off Abel Tasman which was hosted across two days, Saturday at the Motueka Aerodrome and Sunday at Kaiteriteri Beach where crowds were entertained with skydiving…

Skydiving in New Zealand is something that everyone should do at least once. It’s an experience like no other, an unforgettable combination of fear, excitement, and accomplishment. But what drives someone to skydive for a job? To throw themselves out of planes and free fall 16,500 feet back down to earth over and over again?…

Whilst cruising around New Zealand with the awesome Flying Kiwi Tours, Will and Chantelle Tang did something that they never thought was on the cards for their kiwi adventure, they jumped out of a plane with us at 13,000 ft! “I’m totally afraid of heights, so I’m not sure how this is going to go…” Will expressed pre-jump. Skydiving was not on Chantelle’s bucket-list who put all her faith in her husband to plan their dream New Zealand trip. “I knew NZ was the adventure capital but no, I did not think I would be skydiving… I didn’t plan the trip,” Chantelle says laughing with Will. It wasn’t hard for to Chantelle to leave the planning to Will as he is a fairly seasoned traveller with an inspiring blog Going Awesome Places showcasing his epic adventures. Upon landing, Will & Chantelle were over…

So you’re planning to visit the Abel Tasman, but you only have a few days up your sleeve? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered with the local’s guide to making the most of your time in and around Abel Tasman National Park, the crown jewel of the Nelson-Tasman region. In 72 hours, you can…

We’ve had a pretty tough week here in Franz Josef. On Tuesday afternoon the Waiho Bridge which connects Franz Josef township with the road South towards Haast and onto Wanaka was swept away with what some are saying was a 1 in 100yr flood. During the night matters were made worse when the stock bank…

We received a letter in the mail today. It was from the Qualmark team at Tourism New Zealand. Qualmark helps businesses become more sustainable from a people, planet and profit perspective. Only those businesses that are delivering a quality sustainable experience, who have safe principles and practices, and showcase true New Zealand hospitality, are recognised…