We are proud to have three different aircraft as part of the Skydive Suffolk team.
Our chief pilot, Ross Leventhal, is skilled at flying each one.
Ross has seen a lot of skydiving drop zones in his career and believes the aircraft at Skydive Suffolk are second to none.
“I’ve worked with many operations across the country and believe that ours has the cleanest and best maintained aircraft in the industry,” he said. “When it comes to maintenance and safety, we always make sure the work is done and done right.”
Learn about each plane below!
Skyvan SC-7
Jumpers: 22
Manufacture date: 1976
Type: Fixed Wing Multi Engine Turbo-prop
Skydive Suffolk bought the plane in 2016. The Short SC-7 Skyvan, a.k.a Flying Shoebox, a.k.a The Shed, is a British twin-turboprop aircraft manufactured by Short Brothers of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The Skyvan is commonly used for short-haul freight and skydiving. The first flight of Skyvan 1 was on January 17th, 1963. Our Skyvan, the 300 series, is one of only 145 ever produced. Today, only 40 remain in the world.
Ross: “The Skyvan is like a giant shoebox with wings, and it’s one of the most fun skydiving exits you can do. You can stand there and fall out or dive out instead. There’s nothing like it!”
Cessna Grand Caravan 208B
Jumpers: 17
Manufacture date: 1996
Type: Fixed Wing Single Engine Turbo-Prop
Skydive Suffolk bought the plane in 2017. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan in an American single-engine turboprop commonly used for regional airlines, utility and skydiving.
The first prototype was flown on December 9th, 1982 and has been a workhorse for general and commercial aviation ever since. Our Caravan has been upgraded with the most powerful engine available.
The standard engine equipped provides 675 horsepower. Our engine puts out 1,000 horsepower making it one of the fastest rides up to 13,500 feet. This airplane is one of 1,700 caravans produced.
ROSS: “The Cessna is a great aircraft, in general, and ours is even better. We have an upgraded engine — the most powerful on the market — and payload upgrades. We can carry more people up in the sky faster than any other caravan out there.”
Pacific Aerospace PAC 750 XSTOL
Jumpers: 13
Manufacture date: 2004
Type: Fixed Wing Single Engine Turbo-prop
Skydive Suffolk bought the plane in 2005. The PAC 750 XL, made in New Zealand, had its maiden flight in 2001.
Certified in 2004, the PAC was a hit in the skydiving industry for its high payload and lightweight design. Designed to takeoff and land in very short fields with heavy loads, the PAC is a true workhorse.
Our PAC 750 was the first PAC ever delivered to the United States.
ROSS: “The PAC is an all-around workhouse. It was built for skydiving in the design phase, and it’s always a fun ride to altitude.”