Rapid Descent FAQs

Where is Rapid Descent?

Rapid Descent is located at the Hannibal Regional Airport. The physical address is 6079 County Road 425 Hannibal, MO 63401. County Road 425 is right off the Shinn Lane exit, off highway 36. We are directly across the highway from the Hannibal Regional Hospital.

When is Rapid Descent in Operation?

Rapid Descent is in Operation on most weekends during the warmer months of the year, if the weather is fair.

When do I arrive?

Rapid Descent is usually tightly scheduled. You should arrive at the time you are scheduled, or before. We make the schedule in order to give you time to sign waivers and receive the required instruction you need in order to make the jump.

When will I actually jump?

You will most likely be able to jump approximately an hour after your arrival time.

Can I get a refund if the weather is bad?

If we happen to have bad weather, or other mishaps, and are forced to reschedule your jump we will gladly work with you to determine a suitable date and time.  

 What if I am late? 

If it happens that you are late, it is your responsibility to call and let us know, and to reschedule and come back to make your dive. We train groups at the scheduled time and you cannot jump without receiving the required instruction.

What about my friends coming along to watch?

Friends and family are more than welcome to watch your jump. Be sure they understand they may be waiting around a while, it is recommended that they check over these FAQ's so they understand about weather contingencies, the possibility of the need to reschedule your jump due to weather and such, and that skydiving is not something that can be organized on a tight schedule.

How far ahead do I need to send in my deposit to schedule my skydive?

At Rapid Descent we do not take a deposit, but only payments made in the full amount. We prefer not to take money on our scheduled jump days, and have a ticket system which allows us to sell the tickets before the actual jump. The skydiver must have the ticket paid for before their scheduled jump date.

Do you jump when it is cold?

Rapid Descent’s normal jump season is April through October, so we are not open during the colder months of the year. During our months of operation we usually do not have problems with the weather being too cold to jump.

Do I get a Confirmation number after I Reserve my Skydive?

Instead of giving out Confirmation numbers we require everyone to purchase a ticket before the date of their scheduled skydive. The ticket holder must bring the ticket with them when they are scheduled to jump. Each ticket has a ticket number, and an expiration date.

Weekday Skydiving?

Weekday Skydiving is reserved for AFF and IAD students only. Fridays may be available to schedule Tandems and slots for jumpers.  

Can I ask you a question?

We realize you do not know about skydiving and we will be glad to inform and educate.

Can I bring my Dog or Cat?

Please Don't! Rapid Descent is not a good place for pets or unattended Children. If you bring your pet to Rapid Descent, you will not be allowed to jump until you take your pet home. Thousands of Dollars worth of skydivers’ personal gear is in the hanger during and after operations. Please don't bring your pet(s) to Rapid Descent even if there are a few inconsiderate folks who do. Also, please do not bring children here. Aircraft and skydiving do not mix well with children. Things that appear to a child's eye to be great toys may be expensive equipment that had best not be tampered with. Rapid Descent is not a good place for pets or unattended Children.  

Can I bring my own camera on my skydive?

We encourage taking photos on the ground by you or your guests. However we need your undivided attention during the dive so no personal cameras on the skydive. Safety is the most important issue and we ask that you acquire approval from a staff member before leaving the student area at the airport. This is for everyone’s safety.

 

What if I have a fear of heights?

If you have a fear of heights, it does not apply in the same way for skydiving. You are so high, it does not look high in the same perspective as looking down from a ladder or out a high window.

What about fear and apprehension?

Fear & apprehension get worse & worse until you are out of the plane and skydiving, then most of it goes away. When you come back for repeat skydives, you will find that repeat jumps made on the same day will be more enjoyable since you will get a lot of this out of the way on the first jump of the day.

Which kind of skydive should I do for my first skydive?

For a first time jump we require that you start with a Tandem Jump or IAD. A tandem is a good way to begin the course, taking the least amount of training. Doing a Tandem lowers the chance that you would have to reschedule due to weather. One tandem jump can get you through the first Category of the program.

What to wear?

We suggest that skydivers wear a t-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes for their jump. No loose clothing or shoes that could potentially fall off. Keep in mind that the temperature at altitude is lower than it is on ground level. We provide jumpsuits as needed. If you feel that you will be cold, pack a pair of gloves and a sweatshirt. Goggles are provided. Anyone with long hair must tie it up in a pony tail.

Eye Glasses/Contacts?

We prefer for skydivers to wear contacts if possible, instead of glasses. We do provide goggles for you to wear so don’t worry about contacts being lost in the air. For those who only wear glasses we provide over the glasses goggles.

 

Smoking & Drinking?

Please don't smoke in the hanger or near aircraft. If we pack a parachute on a hot cigarette butt, it causes a lot of expensive damage. At Rapid Descent Skydiving you will NOT be permitted to make a skydive if you have consumed any alcoholic beverages or if you are incapacitated, do to alcohol or drugs, neither are permitted on the airport property. This is NOT negotiable. Safety is our number one priority; we do not drink and dive.

Cancellations?

The amount of organization that goes into your skydive on is enormous, as is the commitment made by our instructors, parachute packers, videographers, and hard working behind the scenes organizers necessary to be ready to provide everything needed for you to make your skydive in a safe environment. That's why there is no refund for the non-refundable deposits. If you would like to cancel we would appreciate a five day notice.

Where do I go when I get there? 

When you arrive at the Hannibal Regional Airport, you must use the drive labeled “Rapid Descent”, do not drive across the ramp. We do not permit driving or parking on the ramp. The parking area is located in the grassy area in front of the green hangar. Check in at the portable trailer. 

 Weather?

We will not jump in unsafe weather conditions!

Being in the skydiving business as we are, we must ask you to accept in advance that Skydiving is a weather controlled sport. Weather forecasts just one day previous to the jump day are less than 50% accurate when used to try to guess if you will be able to jump or not. Hence, in the event that you come out and the weather is bad so we can't jump (High winds, turbulence, clouds, rain), or if it causes the day's jump schedule to be backed up so that you cannot jump that day, it is your responsibility to reschedule your jump (no refunds). We will do everything we reasonably can to work with you to reschedule, and we will give you priority when you return to try again. Remember, what matters is the weather at the intended time of your jump directly over and around the airport. All weather reports are little more than rough guesses that are loosely applied to areas thousands of times this size. Let us point out three considerations for those who like to listen to the weather guessers: Partly Cloudy = partly Sunny, "Cloudy" Does not address how high the clouds are. If they are above 13,000', then they will have little if any effect on skydiving anyway, but sometimes they guess exactly right! Don't get mad at us if you come out despite a bad weather report, and it indeed turns out as predicted.

What about scheduling and my deposit?

The amount of behind the scenes expense and effort that goes into providing your moment of glory in the sky in a safety conscious environment is enormous. We do our best to provide aircraft, relatively new state of the art parachutes with the latest safety devices and carefully maintained Reserve parachutes, as well as the best instructors at the right place at the right time. After all this, you are expected to show up to make your jump as scheduled. If you fail to appear for your appointment you will be charged an additional $50 as a rescheduling fee, which must be paid prior to your jump. If possible, a five day notice for a reschedule would be appreciated; this call will emit the extra $50.

When can I jump by myself?

If you choose AFF method, category E and F, about 8 jumps into the training progression, are solo skydives where you do front flips, back flips, barrel rolls, and tracking. If you choose IAD method, your first jump is solo.

What do I need to bring?

Most importantly you will need to bring your ticket, your picture ID, or other form of identification, and a good attitude! You will also need a pair of tennis shoes to wear when you jump and a pair of gloves if you want them.

What if I am under 18 years old?

Due to legal concerns you must be 18 years old or older to skydive.

Do I need to buy anything else?

No, you don’t need to buy anything else at this point.

What if I am over the weight limit?

The weight limit is 240 lbs. If you are over this limit we will not be able to allow you to sky dive here. We are sorry for any inconvenience; this precaution is for the safety of our staff and our customers.

What about Aircraft Safety?

At Rapid Descent, we recognize that safety starts before we even get off the ground. As a student skydiver, we ask that you stay close to your Instructor or Jumpmaster while approaching the aircraft. Approach only from the rear or side of the aircraft staying very close to your instructor. If anyone is coming to watch you skydive, we ask that they stay near the parking/hanger area, AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT LOADING AREA.

Do I get an Automatic Activation Device?

Yes, Absolutely.

How do I know you are safe?

All instructors are United States Parachute Association Certified -uspa.org  

Can I get just still photos of my skydive?

Video and still photos are both included in the purchase price.   We can take still photos only, but the price is still the same.

Can we get one video or set of still photos for our whole group?

It is best to discuss this with your videographer. Your videographer can only video one skydive at a time, so each jumper must purchase the video. It is then possible to combine all the jumps from your group onto one disk, but this takes allot of time and effort. If you have access to a computer with a DVD burner, you may make as many copies of your disk as you want. 

 What is it like?

The sensation is not one of falling but flying.

What is the landing like?

You will raise your feet and legs up and hold them up and let the instructor dictate the landing, either sliding in or stand up landing depending on conditions, for a safe landing.

 What about AFF LEVELS 1-7?

If you want to learn more about AFF levels 1-7 you can click the uspa.org link to watch a few videos.

Don't see your question listed here?

Please email Robin Carroll at robinlarae@gmail.com. She will try to get back with you as soon as possible.