What Skydive Twin Cities does

Skydive Twin Cities is a privately held skydiving center operating from a privately owned airfield in Baldwin, Wisconsin, approximately 35 miles from the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. Founded in 1975 and owned by Kerry McCauley since 1986, the company provides tandem skydives from 13,000 feet, Accelerated Freefall (AFF) solo training programs, video and photo packages, and experienced-jumper lift tickets and gear rental. Its core technology consists of a 17-passenger Cessna Supervan 900 aircraft enabling high-altitude exits with over 60 seconds of freefall, parachute rigs equipped with Automatic Activation Devices (AADs) on all student and tandem systems, and a large, obstacle-free grass landing area on a private airport.

The business serves four primary customer segments: first-time tandem jumpers, AFF solo training students pursuing their skydiving license, experienced licensed skydivers seeking organized jumps and equipment rental, and group bookings for corporate events or team-building. Go-to-market is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the company's own website (powered by the Burblesoft booking system), phone reservations, and walk-ins; the company explicitly declines third-party agency bookings. Marketing is digital-first, leveraging Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google Business, Yelp, and a structured referral discount program.

Revenue is generated entirely through transactional per-jump pricing: weekend tandems at $259, weekday tandems at $239, AFF Category A ground school and first jump at $330 with progressive categories priced $165–$230, experienced-jumper lift tickets at $32 plus $30 gear rental, and video/photo packages ranging from $99 to $264. Gift certificates in set denominations provide a gifting channel, and military, group, and same-day repeat discounts support customer acquisition. The business is seasonal, operating April through October, and is a member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA).

Name

Skydive Twin Cities

Legal name

Skydive Twin Cities LLC

Website

https://skydivetwincities.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Skydive Twin Cities is a privately held, single-location skydiving center in Baldwin, Wisconsin, serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul market with tandem skydives, AFF solo training, and experienced-jumper services from 13,000 feet, operating seasonally April through October.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baldwin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tandem Skydives: Weekend tandem skydives at $259, weekday at $239. Includes all equipment and taxes. Jump altitude of 13,000 feet with over 60 seconds of freefall.
2. Solo/AFF Training: Accelerated Freefall (AFF) training program with progressive categories. Category A ground school and first jump: $330. Category B and C jumps: $230 each. Category D and E jumps: $165 each. After completing AFF, solo jumps at $32 each plus $30 gear rental.
3. Video and Photo Packages: Outside View Video and Photo Package: $155. Selfie View Video and Photo Package: $109. Selfie View Video Only: $99. Selfie View Photos Only: $99. Ultimate combined package: $264. Prices exclude applicable taxes.
4. Experienced Skydiver Services: Lift tickets to 13,000 feet or Hop 'n Pop at $32. Gear rental at $30 per jump. Prices reflect 3% cash discount.
5. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available in $50, $100, and $150 denominations. Can be used for any skydiving services or products. Emailed to purchaser.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Skydive Twin Cities operates a skydiving center from a private airport in Baldwin, Wisconsin, providing tandem skydives from 13,000 feet for first-time jumpers and Accelerated Freefall (AFF) solo training programs for aspiring licensed skydivers. The core offerings are complemented by professional video/photo packages, lift tickets and gear rental for experienced jumpers, and gift certificates redeemable across services.

Product overview

Skydive Twin Cities operates as a skydiving center offering two primary service categories: tandem skydives for first-time jumpers and solo skydive training (Accelerated Freefall/AFF) for those learning to skydive independently. The core offerings are complemented by video and photography add-on packages using Outside View and Selfie View formats, plus experienced jumper services including lift tickets and gear rental. Gift certificates provide a flexible entry point for new customers. All services are booked through the Burblesoft platform or by phone, with customer media delivered via SmugMug.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tandem Skydive A tandem skydiving experience where the customer is attached to a specially trained tandem instructor for a jump from 13,000 feet with over 60 seconds of freefall. The customer may participate by wearing an altimeter, pulling the ripcord, and steering the parachute. Designed for first-time skydivers with no prior experience required.
• Solo Skydive Training (Accelerated Freefall) A learn-to-skydive program with progressive categories (A through E) culminating in solo jumps. Category A includes a comprehensive 4-5 hour ground school and first jump; categories B-E teach progressively advanced freefall skills including turns, hover control, stability recovery, and tracking. Leads to USPA 'A' license certification for aspiring solo skydivers.
• Video and Photo Packages Professionally filmed and edited video and/or photo packages of tandem or solo skydives. Includes Outside View (filmed by freefall videographer flying with the jumper) and Selfie View (HandCam on the instructor's wrist) packages. Footage covers boarding the plane, freefall, canopy ride, and landing, delivered via SmugMug.
• Lift Tickets Lift tickets providing experienced, licensed skydivers access to 13,000-foot jumps or Hop 'n Pop jumps via the Cessna Supervan 900 aircraft. Includes organizing and DZ briefing for visiting jumpers.
• Gear Rental Per-jump rental of skydiving gear in sizes 150 to 210 for experienced jumpers without their own equipment.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available in set denominations of $50, $100, and $150, or for specific services (Tandem Skydive, Tandem with Video, Solo Training). Redeemable for any skydiving service or product, emailed directly to the purchaser.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000 foot altitude provides longest freefall time in the area
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United States Parachute Association (USPA)OthersMember of USPA, the governing body for sport parachuting in the United States. USPA membership is required for experienced skydivers and provides safety standards, ratings, and regulatory oversight for dropzones.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Skydive Chicago: Large dropzone located in Ottawa, Illinois — comparable Midwest regional skydiving center offering tandem jumps, AFF training, and experienced jumper services to a similar Upper Midwest/Illinois customer base.
• Paraclete XP Sky Diving: One of the largest commercial skydiving centers in the United States, based in Raeford, NC. Operates a similar business model: tandem skydives, AFF training, video packages, and a high-volume fleet supporting thousands of jumps per year.
• Skydive Sebastian: Major Florida-based skydiving center offering tandem, AFF, video/photo packages, and large-scale operations — comparable commercial dropzone with multi-aircraft fleet and event/boogie programming.
• Chicagoland Skydiving Center: Midwest dropzone in Rochelle, IL offering tandem skydives, AFF training, and gear services to the Chicago metro — directly comparable regional competitor to Skydive Twin Cities in geography and offering.
• Start Skydiving: Ohio-based skydiving operation offering tandem, AFF, and experienced jumper services — a comparable Midwest/Great Lakes regional dropzone competing for similar first-time and training customers.

Broad incumbents

• Skydive Arizona: One of the largest and most established skydiving centers in the U.S. (Eloy, Arizona), running large-scale operations, world-record events, and year-round tandem/AFF services — a broader industry incumbent against which Skydive Twin Cities benchmarks operationally.

Regional players

• Skydive Las Vegas: Boutique-style dropzone near Las Vegas offering high tandem volumes driven by tourism — comparable commercial operation but in a distinct tourist-driven geography, illustrating an alternative gtm motion versus Skydive Twin Cities' regional drive-to model.

Emerging players

• iFLY: Indoor vertical wind tunnel skydiving franchise network with 80+ locations globally. An emerging/adjacent threat that captures year-round introductory skydiving demand and pulls some first-time participants away from altitude-based dropzones.

Others

• United States Parachute Association (USPA): Governing body for sport parachuting in the United States and Skydive Twin Cities' industry association partner. Not a competitor but an OTHERS-tier peer that sets safety standards, ratings, and regulatory oversight shaping how the dropzone operates.
• Burblesoft: Reservation and booking software used by Skydive Twin Cities for direct online bookings (bookings.burblesoft.com). An OTHERS-tier vendor peer whose platform is also used by many direct-to-consumer experience operators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SkydiveTC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9MlrzKt_loM5dXPz-IVNUA
• Facebookfacebook.com/skydivetwincities
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/4490538/skydive-twin-cities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skydive-twin-cities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skydive Twin Cities