If you are looking for the ultimate experience, then skydiving at night, is an experience you should have. Listen to the episode above on Gail Menasco's (host and producer of Experiences You Should Have Podcast) experience of her first night skydive.

The First Night Skydive

Gail was 21 when she went on her first night skydive. She had about 60 skydives to her name and had just received her B Skydiving license (which is required to do go on a night skydive). She went to Skydive City also known as z-hills for her first night jump. It was a solo night skydive because she had never jumped at night before and it's best to wait on night formations with friends after you've experienced a night jump before.

The ride to altitude (13,500 feet) felt long and this particular ride was quiet. The mood and energy was different, maybe due to the stillness of the night, fear, excitement or a combination of the three.

When the twin otter reached altitude, Gail climbed out of the plane and jumped to the dark world above. In the first 10 seconds, she fell 1,000 feet then when she hit terminal velocity at 120 mph, she fell 1,000 feet every 5.5 seconds. The world was dark but lit with lights from homes and cars below. It was alive and peaceful at the same time. At around 4,000 feet, a minute into freefall, she pulled her parachute. She could see her parachute in the moonlight and saw that it had the 3 S's, square, stable and steerable, so she kept her parachute and flew it towards the ground.

Skydive Landing at Night

She knew which way to land because a car was parked in the field with the lights shining towards the direction to land (in the wind). Flaring (converting forward speed to lift) is a bit hard in the dark if you're not landing near the parked car, as it's hard to know when it's 10-15 feet above the ground. Gail's landing was a bit bumpy as she hit the ground before she could flare, but she learned for next time to land closer to the lights. She still lived to see another day and continued to do night jumps and it became a tradition to do a night jump on New Years Eve at Skydive Sebastian (another Florida dropzone).

Gail Menasco (in pink) skydiving at night with her friends on New Years Eve Photo by Chuck Bryan

How to Get a B-License in Skydiving

* You first need to learn how to skydive and get an A-license that allows you to solo skydive* For a B-License, you need at least 50 jumps* Water Training (and proof you took a water landing course)* Pass a written test* Exhibit skills and accuracy skills to obtain a B license

Once you have a B license, you can go for a night skydive.

What Constitutes as a Night Skydive

A night skydive is a skydive that happens during the time of an hour after sunset or an hour before sunrise.

Photo of Chuck Bryan

Can You Go Night Skydiving on a Tandem Skydive?

Absolutely not. Skydiving at night is an additional risk and one that is not allowed for tandem skydivers.

Related Episode: First Time Skydiving