top of page

Des Moines Skydivers Limited Re-Opening Procedures

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS & PROTOCOL

​

Tentative date for Reopening:

Licensed skydiver jumps:  May 9, 2020

Tandem jumps: June 7, 2020
Student (AFF) jumps: June 7, 2020

*Updated May 6, 2020

​

​

OPENING DES MOINES SKYDIVERS

Des Moines Skydivers closed voluntarily on March 21st to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Des Moines Skydivers believes that, since closure, no one has been at Des Moines Skydivers who has had COVID-19 or been knowingly exposed to COVID-19. Des Moines Skydivers has taken precautions to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19.  The following information will provide detail on the precautions Des Moines Skydivers is taking upon re-opening and during operations.  Des Moines Skydivers will re-open in two phases; the first phase will be for licensed skydivers and the second phase will be for tandems. 

​

CLEANING AND OTHER PRECAUTIONS PRIOR TO OPENING AND AFTER OPENING

  • Bathrooms – cleaned before opening and throughout the day frequently with a disinfectant solution.  

  • Commonly touched spaces swabbed down with disinfectant, including door handles.

  • Manifest – Plexi glass barrier installed to separate manifest from skydivers, tandem customers

  • Disinfectant solutions (that adhere to UPT standards) – for gear cleaning and disinfecting.  Use only the approved disinfectant for cleaning and wiping down all gear and surfaces.

​

FOOD

Des Moines Skydivers will not cater in dinner during Turbine weekends until further notice.

​

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Aircraft and skydiving safety should never be sacrificed for COVID-19 safety.

  • Everyone visiting at Des Moines Skydivers must have a face mask or other nose/mouth barrier in their possession. 

  • Tandem traffic re-routed to avoid entering the hangar by the front door.

  • Tandem video played outside of hangar under designated tent.

  • Face masks must be worn at manifest, boarding area, in airplane and otherwise as frequently as practical.

  • Maintain six feet distance at the boarding area, manifest and elsewhere, as practical. 

  • Avoid holding items held by others.

  • Refuse to interact with anyone who appears ill. Alert manifest, management (DZM or board member) or S&TA who will escort the person off the drop zone.

  • Instructors – refuse to jump with anyone who appears ill and advise management or S&TA.

  • No fist-bumping, high-fiving, handshaking, or other unnecessary touching.

  • Hand-Sanitizer placed at loading to be used prior to boarding the aircraft. 

  • No spectators allowed in the hangar at Des Moines Skydivers.

  • Everyone is responsible for safety.

​

Tandem & AFF precautions:

  • Tandem Instructors must swab down the touch-points of student harnesses using only:

    • a water-damp (not wet) rag to lightly swab down tandem gear.

    • Or, diluted solution of UPT approved disinfectant in a spray container – sprayed onto a rag and swabbed on the touch points of the student harness.

    • No Bleach or any other product, including hand sanitizer, on or near tandem gear.

  • Tandem Instructors – use full face helmet.

  • All Instructors, Videographers and Coaches – wash hands prior to and after each customer interaction.

  • All Instructors, Videographers and Coaches – wear a buff or other lower face mask or covering when speaking with and harnessing students – and should request students to do so.

  • All Instructors – offer each student hand sanitizer.

  • Tandem students are not to be offered the use of a jumpsuit.

  • AFF students should wear a jumpsuit – using the same jumpsuit and helmet all day.

    • All jumpsuits are laundered after each day of skydiving. 

​

Manifest safety and responsibilities:

  • Place barriers between hand and items to prevent direct contact. Barriers may be glove, sleeve of shirt or other piece of cloth or paper.

  • Wash hands frequently.

  • Manifest: Direct persons to wait outside when 2 people are already close to manifest desk.

  • Periodically, manifest will read the signs about hand washing and risks over the loud speaker.

  • Direct tandems students to watch the Tandem video outside of the hangar at the designated location.  All students are required to maintain social distancing.

​

Loader safety and responsibilities:

  • At the start of each day, and on shutdowns, the loader shall use disinfectant as described above to swab the interior of the airplane.

  • At the start of the day, loader will clean the metal on each seat belt, including pilot seatbelts.

  • Prior to each load, loader will clean the ladder sides, bar and the sides of the door.

  • Loader should ensure that six feet of distance be maintained between persons when loading, except that all instructors will hold the harness of students (AFF or tandem).

  • Loader will not permit anyone to enter the aircraft without a face mask.

  • No fist bumps, high fives, or elbow bumps shall be exchanged while loading.

​

Jumper Precautions:

  • Fun jumpers take precautions consistent with this document and government guidance, e.g. 6-foot distancing, wear face masks in loading area, hangar and plane.

​

DISTANCING

  • During Cessna weekends, spread out on the packing mat to allow social distancing.

  • Dirt Dive with virtual, distanced touching.

  • Manifest should advise spectators to be outside of the hangar.

  • Boarding Area: Keep 6 feet of distance while boarding the airplane.

​

AIRCRAFT

Government guidance is ambiguous. Differences in comfort with social distancing vary. Phase 1 federal guidelines recommend 6 feet of social distancing –except if social distancing is impractical, precautionary measures should be observed. The State of Iowa defines a limit of 10 people to a “gathering”, thus during 182 weekends, we’ll follow the legal opinion drafted by Steve Lawyer and hold the number of jumpers to 10 at a time, including the pilot.  Of those 10 people mentioned, instructional rating holders have higher priority over fun jumpers to ensure instructional rating currency. 

​

There will be no turbines running while the 10 people to a gathering in in place in Iowa.  There will be no tandem jumping except for recurrency jumps during this time.

​

The Des Moines Skydivers will be able to support a turbine aircraft when Iowa is able to move to Phase 2 of the opening process as described the federal administration limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people.

Precautionary measures in the aircraft:

​

  • A barrier will be in place between the pilot and the cabin.

  • The door may be opened at safe altitude to encourage air circulation.

  • Skydivers and students MUST wear a neck buff pulled up over mouth and nose, or other face mask, in the boarding area, in the aircraft (and on exit if exits are in tight proximity – tight exits should be avoided).

  • A cloth, sleeve or other barrier is recommended to fasten seat belts.

​

AFTER JUMPING PROTOCOLS

  • Jumpers and staff should go directly home after jumping without making a stop.

  • During the limitation of 10 jumpers while the 182 is flying, the day will be split into two with two groups.  Jumpers will need to leave at their assigned end time.

  • One person will be assigned to take all student helmets out and sanitize, wash all jumpsuits that students wear, etc.

  • They should launder their clothes and wash thoroughly so as not to introduce any inadvertent contamination into the broader community.

​

SIGNAGE & BARRIERS

​

Plexiglass placed as a barrier between customers and manifest.

​

Sign at Front Door:

​

Re-opening for licensed skydivers:

  • LIMITED OPENING – LICENSED SKYDIVERS ONLY OR STUDENTS THAT ARE ACCOMPANIED BY AN INSTRUCTOR

Re-opening for tandems:

  • LIMITED OPENING – SKYDIVERS, STUDENTS ACCOMPANIED BY AN INSTRUCTOR AND TANDEMS WITH RESERVATIONS ONLY

​

Signs in Various Locations throughout hangar:

​

NOTICE: SKYDIVING IS A CONTACT SPORT - BY SKYDIVING AND BEING AT DES MOINES SKYDIVERS, YOU ASSUME THE RISK OF COVID-19 INFECTION

 

You are not safe from COVID-19 infection here. No amount of care or caution can assure your protection. We have taken reasonable precautions to protect your health, but make no guarantees or representations. You must take your own precautions. If you cannot accept that risk, please do not skydive or be at Des Moines Skydivers.  

 

As a condition of being here:

 

YOU AGREE THAT YOU ARE NOT ILL AND HAVE NOT BEEN KNOWINGLY EXPOSED TO COVID-19

​

Signs on Manifest desk:

  • NO MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE AT MANIFEST DESK AT ANY ONE TIME. 

  • ENSURE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

  • SPECTATORS PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS.

  • ONLY PERSONS JUMPING MAY BE AT MANIFEST.

​

Sign at aircraft loading:

  • IF YOU MUST TALK TO THE PILOT, COVER YOUR MOUTH

​

Water Dispenser Sign:

  • Use paper towel, gloves, or other barrier between the water dispenser control and your hand. 

​

Spectator Sign:

  • SPECTATORS: We normally enjoy engaging with spectators.  If we do not talk to you it is due to maintaining social distancing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Children should not be here. Avoid interacting with others.

​

Signs in bathroom stalls:

  • Use paper towel, gloves or other barrier between your hand and faucets, flush levers, and door level.  Please spray Lysol on these surfaces prior to exiting. 

​

* Thanks to Skydive City for the basis of this document

bottom of page