History
Skydive Arizona™ is located in the heart of the scenic Sonoran Desert and lies midway between Arizona's two largest cities, Phoenix and Tucson. Drop zone founders Larry and Liliane Hill started in the skydiving business at a gravel airstrip north of Phoenix with a single Cessna 182 in January of 1978. As their operation grew, it became apparent they would need more space. In 1986 they moved to Coolidge, Arizona to start Skydive Arizona™. Soon the drop zone had grown to four Cessnas, four Beeches, and two DC-3s.
In 1990 Skydive Arizona™ obtained its first turbine airplane, a Westwind Beech. Business continued to grow and a new location was sought out that would allow for further expansion. Work began on the new DZ at Eloy (just 10 miles from Coolidge) in February of 1991, and the new facility opened for business in April of 1991.
Skydivers soon learned that the new Skydive Arizona™ was unlike any other drop zone in the world. Although close to major highways, it is surrounded by flat, uninhabited land for miles in every direction. Visitors remark on the oasis like appearance of the center, which has plenty of grass, a swimming pool, and trees in the midst of an otherwise barren desert.
It takes more than just great facilities to put thousands of skydivers a year in the air efficiently and safely. No other skydiving center has the quality or quantity of aircraft found at Skydive Arizona™. The fleet is led by 5 Super Otters and 7 Skyvans, each capable of taking twenty three skydivers to 13,000 feet.
A venerable DC-3, once the workhorse of the fleet, carries the occasional load of 43 jumpers. Altogether, these airplanes can put over 240 skydivers at a time in the air, or over 500 jumps an hour!