Maximum weight limit for tandems increased!
Beginning immediately, our weight limit for tandem jumpers has increased 10 pounds to 220 lbs.  How did we come up with this limit?  The Federal Aviation Administration, www.faa.gov, is the governing body for all aviation activities.  They set limits in the form of Technical Standard Orders that container and parachute manufacturers have to comply with.  This means, the gear has a maximum limit.  For solo jumpers, that maximum is 254 lbs exit weight: this limit includes the gear.  Since most solo gear weighs about 25 to 30 pounds, the jumper must weigh around 224 lbs.  For tandem jumpers, the maximum is 500 lbs exit weight: this limit includes the instructor, the student, and all gear.  The parachute rig weighs 50 lbs.  If the tandem instructor weighs around 200 lbs, this means the limit for the student would be 250 lbs.  Our limit is even lower than this absolute limit to accommodate ease of exiting the aircraft and to reduce even further the risk of injury on landing.