Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Johns.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I decided to make a tandem skydive for my birthday in 2010. I expected to just “bucket list” the experience and be done with it. But instead, I fell in love. I moved to Chicago the winter after that for a job at an advertising agency. When the spring rolled around, I decided to start solo skydiving training and earned my license the summer of 2011. As I got more involved at the dropzone, I met the business owner Douglas Smith, and offered to help with some marketing projects in exchange for jumps. We found we worked well together and over time there were more and more projects passed my way. While the advertising agency world was fun, I was motivated to follow my passion to work in the skydiving industry and make a difference in a small business. I asked for a full-time job in 2013, creating a job description that had never existed before at CSC. Douglas said yes, and we’ve been full steam ever since building the best place to skydive in the country.
There have been a ton of ups and downs (literally! get it?) but the challenge of doing things the right way in this industry is fun. As I’ve progressed as a skydiver, it has become even more rewarding to run marketing and events for this company. I’m getting paid to bring the joy of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes to as many people as possible. It’s a blast!
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all. Running a seasonal, weather-dependent business is hard. Especially in the Chicago area. And our primary product for sale is something people might do once in their lives. Plus, there are a few other skydiving operators in the region – some big, some small – but competition for the same market is fierce. It’s very difficult.
On top of that, we’re in a small town, far enough away from the city that many people feel like it’s really difficult to get here. So, we’ve had to solve all kinds of problems to succeed – operations, safety, marketing, transportation, the list goes on.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Chicagoland Skydiving Center is an entertainment venue that features skydiving. We are the premium service provider in our industry, known for excellence in customer service, safety, and our incredible facilities.
Our campus features an airplane hangar, gear store, rigging loft, events tent pavilion, sand volleyball court, and full-service restaurant and bar. In addition to our many skydiving events and daily operations all summer, our venue is used year-round for private events. People love the unique facility, it’s impressive to guests who wouldn’t typically think of an aviation environment for a wedding, banquet, reunion, or birthday party. The Flight Deck Bar & Grill brings in a steady stream of spectators, who love to have a bite to eat and watch the parachutes fly overhead. It’s really an incredible sight – the patio is full on sunny days with people of all ages watching the skydivers land just a few hundred feet away.
What sets us apart within the skydiving industry is our professionalism. The team is held accountable to high customer service standards, and it shows. We only hire highly professional team members, we go above and beyond with equipment purchases, maintenance, the way we care for our airplanes, etc. We have a perfect safety record, and proud of it.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Absolutely. Chicago is a city full of people who love to enjoy the summer time, and seek outdoor activities. It can be a challenge to get people to drive a little further than the city limits, simply because there are so many amazing things already going on there that they don’t feel the need to look further.
Our location is exactly centered between Chicago, the Quad Cities, and Madison, Wisconsin. So, we pull in guests from all around the region. It’s pretty cool to meet so many people each summer. In addition to that, Chicago is a draw for experienced licensed jumpers looking for skydiving events to attend during the jump season. While the dropzone is an awesome place to hang out, they also love the proximity to Chicago for an off-site adventure.
Should a new skydiving company want to get started around here, I would not recommend it, simply because this area is already served by several great quality dropzones. The skydiving industry is unique, and there are already dropzones in operation serving all the major areas of the US. Without a big spike in popularity of the sport as a more mainstream activity, it would be hard to imagine more dropzones being able to succeed in an already competitive market.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1207 West Gurler Road, Rochelle IL 61068
- Website: PerfectlyGoodAirplane.com
- Phone: 815-561-3663
- Email: customercare@skydivecsc.com
- Instagram: @skydivecsc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CSCskydiving/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chicagoland-skydiving-center-rochelle
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g36613-d2559658-Reviews-Chicagoland_Skydiving_Center-Rochelle_Illinois.html
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