CSC Blog

Doug

Doug

Douglas Smith is CEO/President, and Guest Relations Associate at Chicagoland Skydiving Center. He has owned and operated the business since 2000. He has been skydiving since 1994, and in addition to leading the CSC Team, is currently an instructor, videographer and pilot for CSC.

You may have asked yourself this before - do I really need to take a canopy course? No matter where you are in your skydiving progression, it's likely the answer is yes! It’s one of the fundamental keys to our sport, you never EVER stop learning. Without question, the biggest aspect of safety and currency in modern skydiving is becoming and remaining a proficient canopy pilot. Your approach to learning these skills is just as important as the skills themselves.

We’re pretty sure that if you’ve come as far as checking out our website and reading our blog then you’ve got a pretty solid interest in making a skydive. You’ve probably even done a bit of research into the safety aspects of the sport and have seen the statistics that tell you just how much more dangerous it is to get into your car each day than it is to make a tandem skydive. But… you’ve probably also thought about what might happen if things don’t go as planned on a jump and may have even come across the term “cutaway”. You’re not really sure what it means, but you’re also relatively confident you don’t like it. The term inspires images of World War II movies with a paratrooper doing battle with his malfunctioning parachute as he plummets to the ground, but the reality of a malfunction in modern skydiving is much less dramatic to say the least.

You’ve undoubtedly seen countless incredible videos of those flying squirrel men and women screaming past vast rugged mountain landscapes, skyscraper balconies, or through the sky together. Maybe you’ve never seen it and thought - that is just plain CRAZY! Or perhaps you’re wondering to yourself - how do I get to do that!? Either way, you’ve found yourself down the rabbit hole trying to find out more wingsuit flying. Don’t worry, we’re here to give you a rundown. 

It’s that time of year again, and we just couldn’t be more excited! For those of us skydivers that have spent the winter months with our gear lovingly packed away in gear bags waiting patiently for the dawning of our favorite time, the wait has finally come to an end. And for all of you looking to make your summer memorable with your very first skydive, now is the time! 

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