A fatal skydiving accident last year involved a tandem pair and resulted in the death of the tandem instructor, while the tandem student landed under the reserve parachute with minor injuries. While no accident investigation report has yet been issued, it appears the chain of fatal events began with at least one of the tandem pair’s harnesses getting hung up on the Cessna 182’s right main gear leg during their exit. Operators and pilots should look closely at their jump step arrangement, and...

Jumpers Away, a South Caolina-based jump pilot training school, has been designated by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association as a 2026 Distinguished Flight School. It is the fourth year in a row for Jumpers Away to receive the distinction. Jumpers Away was one of 52 flight schools in the U.S., and one of only 12 flight schools in the Southern Region to receive the honor for 2026. AOPA annually surveys pilots about their recent flight school experience and ranks flight schools based on...

Flying skydivers in a Cessna 182 (or a 205 or 206) is a great way to start a piloting career. You can log lots of high-performance time...