There’s no getting around it, skydiving can be a terrifying prospect! At its core, jumping out of an airplane in flight involves trying to override one of the most primal fears we, as humans, have — the fear of heights. We are simply hard-wired to be scared of falling because we know instinctively that falling generally doesn’t end well, but here’s the significant bit… It’s SO MUCH FUN!

If you’re like many, the first time skydiving came up in conversation as something to do; it was after a few rounds with that one friend. At the time, even you had to admit that it sounded like a great idea, but now the sun has come up on a bright new day, and it just sounds… crazy! Fun, of course, but nuts. “It’s dangerous, isn’t it? Parachutes flat-out don’t work sometimes, right? I mean, YouTube!”

For almost as long as skydiving has been a thing, man’s best friend has been a part of our sport. For many skydivers, their first interaction at the dropzone was with someone's happy fur baby! They are incredible mascots and bonfire companions and practically run the show in some spots! Yet, for all their charm, our furry friends can also pose problems on the field. Just as with jumping, there’s an etiquette that needs to be observed when Fido comes out to play, so let’s take a quick look at the CSC dos and don’ts when it comes to pets.

So we all know what we need to do before we start a great day of jumping. We also know what we need to do before each skydive. We’ve learned through experience that the easiest way to avoid an emergency in the air is to spot the problem on the ground. Gear check. Gear check. Gear check.