We arrived at Skydive Fargo ahead of schedule. I didn't expect anyone to be there because Hans said they'd be starting at 5:00 PM. After we parked the car, we checked the door of the hangar.  It was locked - not surprising since there were no cars in the parking lot.

Since we both needed to use the bathroom, we walked to the FBO building. While we walking, Tina showed up. I pointed out the Skydive Fargo hangar and went into the FBO.

I left Matt and his tummy troubles in the FBO and walked back down to the Skydive Fargo hangar. What a strange coincidence that Tina was in North Dakota. We just jumped together at the Orange Boogie on the 16th. Together, we walked out to look at the landing area.

It was great! Skydive Fargo is another DZ with plenty of real estate.

Shortly thereafter, people started showing up.  It wasn't long before the hangar was bustling with commotion. The three of us filled out waivers and our names were on the white board for load 1!Now, we just had to wait for the 182 pilot to show up.

This drop zone has two Cessnas (a 182 & a 206) and the cushiest packing area that I have ever encountered. It was super squishy!   

Skydive Fargo Hangar

In the back of the hangar, they have a lounge area and separate bathrooms for men and women!  I love this feature. They have a great video set up with plenty of seating.  This picture shows a small fraction of the lounge area.

Skydive Fargo Lounge

One of the SDF locals (Jerry Fish) added his name to our load and we decided to do a four way with him. It was around 6:00 PM when we boarded the Cessna 182.  I'm still not very confident with four way exits from the Cessna, but they are always entertaining.

Fish on his back over the top

Most Cessna 182's only get to 10,000 feet on a good day, but their plane had extended wings and a beefed up engine so it could take up to 12K! As we exited the plane, Fish went over top of us. At that point, I let go of my grip on him. Eventually, we got back together and managed to get four points before tracking away.

Skydive Fargo Aerial

As you can see from the aerial shot, the terrain near the drop zone was very flat. When we were taking off, I noticed the water at the bottom of this picture.  I'm not really sure how these reservoirs are used.

North Dakota Landing Area

When I started my final approach, I wasn't getting much penetration because the winds were very strong. I wasn't 100% certain I'd make it over the taxi way, but I wasn't worried. With such strong winds, I knew that I could land on the tar safely if necessary.

I made it past the tar.  Yay!

Yay!  I made it past the tar.

The four of us walked back to the hangar together.  While we were packing, even more people showed up.  I got a chance to talk to one of the local girls - Alycia.  She was the only female fun jumper at Skydive Fargo!  There were a few other women.  Brenda (Hans' wife) was working manifest and one of the pilots was a woman.

Before leaving the DZ, we took some pictures and I gave the women SIS socks. I went back into the hangar to see if I could find Hans.  I wanted to thank him for his help. While I was saying goodbyes, Matt and Tina worked out dinner plans. We were headed to JLBeers in Moorhead!