Frequently Asked Questions

I missed the registration deadline. Can I still participate?
We hope so! Each drop zone can only accommodate a certain number of tandem skydivers in one day, and, of course, those who have registered by April 1 have priority -- but if we still have room, we will try to accommodate you. Contact us as soon as you know you want to participate and we will try to assist you with finding a slot so you can participate.

How much does it cost to participate?
To participate in Operation Freefall® you must raise a minimum of $600 in pledges.

Do I have to raise pledges or can I pay the minimum myself?
There are two reasons we ask you to raise pledges. First, Operation Freefall is about raising awareness of sexual violence. Each time you ask a friend or family member to make a donation to your effort you are creating awareness of sexual violence by explaining what you are doing and why. We provide a great template letter for you to use. Most people are so amazed at your commitment to your cause (after all you are jumping out of an airplane) that they in turn talk about it to their friends and family. It’s a beautiful ripple effect!

And second, if you are a survivor, you’ll be empowered by the amount of support you receive from people making donations. You don’t have to identify yourself as a survivor unless you choose to do so, but over the years we’ve received hundreds of emails from survivors who told us they never knew so many people cared about them, not to mention the encouraging comments written by donors on pledge checks, like “You’re braver than me!” and “We’re so proud of you!” (These are actual examples.)

So, those are the reasons why we ask you to raise pledges. Of course, if you still don’t want to collect pledges, we do provide the option of paying the registration fee yourself. However, not all of it is tax deductible.

I’m a licensed skydiver and would like to participate. What is the fee or minimum amount of pledges I need to raise?
We love it when licensed skydivers want to participate. As a licensed skydiver you are required to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges.

What do the participation fees include?
The $600 minimum pledge participants receive the following: instruction and/or training; use of a student jumpsuit, the airplane ride to skydiving altitude, the tandem skydive, a DVD of your skydive, and an official Operation Freefall t-shirt. Licensed skydivers will receive (instead of the foregoing) a jump ticket which is valid for one flight to jumping altitude and an official Operation Freefall t-shirt.

Where does the money I raise go and what will it help do?
A portion of the $600 minimum pledge participation fee covers the cost of your tandem skydive and event expenses. If your drop zone has an official “local host,” organization, it will receive $100. If you raise more than $600 in pledges, which we hope you do, your local host organization will receive 50% of the amount collected in excess of $600. For licensed jumpers who commit to $100 minimum pledge amount, 50% of the amount collected in excess of $100 will go to the local host organization, if any. The money also:

Enhances local support and outreach services for survivors of sexual violence.
Extends efforts to provide recovery, risk-reduction, and prosecution information to tens of millions of people, including in your local community, each year.
Enhances SOAR’s programs to empower victims of sexual violence through the healing process.
Expands SOAR’s programs to educate lawmakers, police officers, students, the public, and the media about sexual assault.

Is the registration fee tax-deductible?
All donations raised are tax-deductible as allowed by law. If you have concerns or questions you should ask your tax advisor.

I'm collecting pledges and want to continue past the registration deadline. Where do I send the additional pledges?
First, thank you for continuing to collect past the registration deadline! We ask that you send all pledges to the SOAR office by May 31, 2009.

I've never skydived before. Can I still participate?
Of course. You need not be an experienced skydiver to participate -- in fact, many Operation Freefall participants have been first-time skydivers.

Do I HAVE to skydive in order to participate in Operation Freefall?
No. Operation Freefall and the beneficiaries of the donations you collect will be very grateful for your efforts regardless of whether or not you skydive. Please indicate your intention NOT to skydive on the application form, and the full amount of your pledges will then go to the beneficiary organizations, including your local host organization, if any. However, remember, Operation Freefall is an event to create awareness as well as raise funds, so the more people Taking The Two-Mile High Stand Against Sexual Assault®, the greater impact the event has!

What exactly is a tandem skydive? What will I experience?
On a tandem skydive you can experience the excitement of freefall without a lengthy and expensive training course. The skydive is performed with an experienced instructor, called a tandem master. A special harness connects you to the tandem master throughout the skydive. A third skydiver will videotape the skydive, so you can relive the skydive with your friends as many times as you wish. Before your skydive, you will go through a short instruction period.

Then you will put on your jumpsuit and harness and take a short plane ride to at least 10,500 feet (which is around 2 miles high!). Once you've reached skydiving altitude your tandem master will secure their harness to yours, do a final parachute check, and prepare for the skydive.

Before you skydive, a video camera operator will step out onto the strut of the plane so he/she can capture you in the moments before your skydive. On the tandem master's instruction you will roll out of the plane.

Next comes what may be the most adrenaline-pumping, exciting 60 seconds of your life: THE FREEFALL. It's an experience that can hardly be described, except to say that most people who try it find it totally exhilarating.

Once you've free fallen about a mile, it will be time to open your parachute. Your tandem master will have an altimeter so he/she can tell when it's time to deploy the chute. The parachute is actually a giant tandem canopy, extra large and sturdy enough to support 500 pounds.

Opening the chute is simple: just a short tug on a rope or handle. Then you'll have one of the calmest experiences of your life: floating in the sky while looking out over miles of countryside. After the rush of the freefall it's an amazing sight.

Is it safe?
Skydiving is an ultra-hazardous sport. As with all extreme sports, there are risks to skydiving and you should inform yourself of all the risks involved prior to skydiving. Injuries, including death, can and sometimes do happen. For more details on the risks of skydiving, please visit www.uspa.org.

Who is responsible for my safety?
THE OPERATOR OF THE DROP ZONE, AND YOU, ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY. The individuals and organizations volunteering to help put Operation Freefall together have no expertise in skydiving. SOAR is simply a beneficiary of your charitable giving. Members of SOAR assist with certain administrative aspects of the event and cannot accept any responsibility in connection with your skydive.

What if I get there and then change my mind and decide I don't want to jump?
No problem. You are under no obligation to skydive. You can change your mind at any time, right up until the moment before you skydive. If you're uncomfortable for any reason, just say so and the plane will take you back down the traditional way. Please understand that although you are not obligated to go through with the skydive, your participation fee and pledges cannot be refunded.

Can my friends come and watch?
Absolutely! Friends, family, all are welcome -- bring as many as you like (and tell them to bring binoculars and a camera). There's no fee for anyone who isn't skydiving. But it can be more fun if your friends skydive too.

Can kids take part?
You must be 18 or older to skydive, and be able to prove it to the satisfaction of the drop zone operator. But kids are welcome to watch and cheer you on.

How do I find a drop zone location near me?
You will be given details of the closest participating drop zone. If you would prefer to jump at another participating drop zone (e.g., to be with friends), just let us know. To find out in advance where your drop zone location will be, ask your local event host or email your city, state and zip code to jump@operationfreefall.com and ask for the information.

Why is the drop zone so far away?
Most of the drop zones are about 45 minutes to an hour outside of the city and some are as far as 3 hours away. The drop zones are operated out of small, privately owned airports and must be away from larger airports. Please don’t let the distance discourage you from participating.

There’s a drop zone closer to my home. Can I contact them to schedule my skydive?
Only the drop zones listed on the “Find a Drop Zone” page are official locations for Operation Freefall. There are two reasons why we ask that you do not schedule your own skydive. First, we contract with drop zones to ensure the lowest possible price for each skydive, which allows us to raise more money for the cause. Second, part of the impact of Operation Freefall is having as many people as possible skydiving at each official drop zone. We’d lose the impact of the event if we only had one or two people per drop zone.

Who can participate?
Participants must be 18 years old or older, weigh less than 200 pounds, and not have any disabilities or health issues, which may, in the sole judgment of the drop zone operator, create any safety concerns. We understand that some locations may have less restrictive weight limits and other restrictions. For instance, in past years we’ve had people with certain disabilities skydive, so it’s best to ask! If you have concerns, please contact us immediately so we can address them.

What should I wear?
You should wear comfortable clothes that are easy to move in, and sturdy footwear (no flip-flops, sandals, or anything else not permitted by the drop zone operator). The drop zone operator will provide a jumpsuit to wear over your clothes during the skydive.

Do I need to bring anything with me?
You'll need to bring a valid picture ID (driver's license, passport, military or state-issued ID card) with you to the drop zone.

What happens if the weather is bad?
If the weather is bad, call the drop zone that morning. If the weather is expected to clear, they may advise you to come out, go through your instruction/training, and wait for blue skies. If the weather precludes skydiving on the day, you may return the next day and skydive, or you can schedule another time to skydive by making arrangements directly with the drop zone. All participating drop zones have agreed to honor your prepaid tandem skydive with a rain check valid for up to six months. All rain checks must be booked directly with the drop zone, are non-transferable, and are valid only at the drop zone issuing the rain check.

I’ve been raising pledges, but have decided not to participate. Will Operation Freefall refund my pledges since I won’t be skydiving?
All pledges are non-refundable. Remember, you aren’t raising pledges just so you can skydive…. you are raising pledges to support victims and survivors of sexual violence as well as the work of anti-sexual violence organizations across the country!

I want to participate, but the date doesn’t work for me. Can I change the date in my area?
We’re sorry, but no. Operation Freefall is always the last Saturday of April.

I’ve heard of another similar event in my area on a different date. Is it connected to Operation Freefall?
There’s a well-known saying, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Don’t be misled! Only the drop zones and local host organizations listed on the “Find a Drop Zone” page are officially connected with the original, and only Operation Freefall.

I’m part of a group. Can we collect pledges together and share them?
Yes you can! And we encourage this type of organizing. The students from Bucknell University are a great example of this. For the past three years they’ve had the largest group of skydivers and have raised the most pledges. They organize all sorts of events in their community leading up to Operation Freefall to help them not only raise pledges, but raise awareness as well. They walk dogs, wash cars, and have a bake sale, even an ultimate Frisbee contest to ensure every one of their skydivers is able to participate. Each event creates more awareness of sexual violence in their community finally culminating on Operation Freefall Day! On the big day they all carpool to the drop zone and spend the entire day (we’re talking sunrise to sunset) cheering one another on! It’s a great team effort and one we encourage everyone to follow!

Is it possible to create my own t-shirt for Operation Freefall?
No. But if you register by the deadline you will receive your official Operation Freefall® t-shirt before the event and will be able to personalize it if you choose to. Once again, it goes back to creating awareness and having an impact…if everyone has on the same t-shirt people are going to notice and ask you about it! Please note that “Operation Freefall,” “The Two-Mile High Stand Against Sexual Assault,” “Speaking Out About Rape,”, “SOAR,” the Operation Freefall logo embodying the parachutist graphic and the SOAR Speaking Out About Rape logo embodying the wavy line graphic are trademarks or servicemarks which have been Registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may not be used without the express written consent of, and an express written license issued by, Speaking Out About Rape, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Do matching donations from companies count toward my $600 minimum?
It depends. First let us say that we really like companies that match employee donations. However, in past years we’ve run into some unforeseen problems with matching grants…the biggest being that we weren’t able to collect them. That meant that we lost money, which is something we can’t let happen. So, a matching donation will count toward your $600 minimum provided that we receive it prior to April 1, 2009. It will count toward the 50/50 split between SOAR and your local host if we receive it by May 31, 2009. After that, if we receive it, it will go directly to SOAR. But either way, it is being used to support services for survivors of sexual violence so you can’t argue with that!

I have a question that isn't answered here. Who do I contact?
Please call SOAR at (407) 898-0693 or email jump@operationfreefall.com.