- 1Destination Queenstown lists skydiving among Queenstown's air adventures and describes jumping out of a plane at 15,000ft; our Viator catalogue lists a Queenstown skydive with a listed duration of 3 hours 30 minutes.
- 2New Zealand's Civil Aviation rules frame a tandem jump: the tandem master must be at least 18, hold a tandem-master rating and a current Class 2 medical certificate, and have passed a competency check within the preceding 12 months.
- 3Summer, December to February, is peak season with temperatures between 20°C and 30°C and light from as early as 5am to around 10pm, according to Destination Queenstown.
- 4The sources used for this guide state no age, weight or health limits for tandem riders, so check the operator's own limits and the full Viator listing before you pay.
01 / Short answer
A tandem jump pairs you with a qualified tandem master, and summer adds room to plan
In a tandem skydive you do not jump alone. Under New Zealand's parachuting rules a tandem rider wears a harness that is secured to a matching harness worn by the tandem master, who has control of the descent. Destination Queenstown lists skydiving among Queenstown's air adventures and describes jumping out of a plane at 15,000ft. Our Viator catalogue gives its Queenstown skydive product a listed duration of 3 hours 30 minutes. In this guide's reasoning, that makes it a half-day block to plan around rather than a quick stop. The sections below cover what the Civil Aviation Authority's rules say, what to check before you book, and what summer, December to February, adds to the plan. This is a planning guide, not a ranking of operators.
02 / The tandem master
What the rules require of the person you jump with
These points come from the Civil Aviation Authority's Part 105 and Part 115 rules, in the consolidations dated on the sources listed at the end. Rules can be amended, so check the CAA site for later versions.
- A rated, certificated professional
An adventure aviation operator must not assign someone as tandem master unless they hold a current commercial parachutist certificate with a current tandem-master rating from a parachute organisation.
- At least 18, with a medical
The tandem master must be at least 18 years old and hold a current Class 2 medical certificate.
- A competency check every year
Each tandem master must have passed a competency check within the preceding 12 months. It includes a ground-based procedure check and one or more tandem descents and landings, and it must establish that the tandem master can instruct tandem passengers on all aspects of the operation.
- Equipment upkeep
Maintenance on a tandem parachute assembly must be performed by the holder of a valid parachute technician certificate issued by a parachute organisation.
- A drug and alcohol programme
Applicants for an adventure aviation operator certificate must set up a programme for monitoring and managing the risks of drug use or alcohol consumption by, among others, a tandem master.
03 / The figures
Numbers in the CAA's parachuting rules that apply to tandem jumps
| Item | What the rule says | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tandem harness | The tandem rider wears a harness that is properly secured to a matching tandem-master harness | Part 105, 105.51(c) |
| Main parachute | A tandem master must activate the main parachute at a height of not less than 5000 feet | Part 105, 105.11(c) |
| Reserve parachute | Inspected, re-packed and certified as airworthy by a parachute technician within the previous 7 months | Part 105, 105.51(b) |
| Automatic activation device | Fitted to the reserve of a tandem pair, set to operate at a minimum of 2000 feet above the parachute landing area, or the height set by the manufacturer for that category of use | Part 105, 105.55 |
| Headgear | A tandem pair must wear protective headgear approved by a parachute organisation | Part 105, 105.57(d) |
| Equipment check | For tandem riders, the tandem master must inspect the equipment the rider is wearing | Part 105, 105.109(c) |
| Supplementary oxygen | Each person in the descent is equipped with, and uses, supplementary oxygen above 10000 feet AMSL when the descent is planned above FL130 | Part 115, 115.571(3) |
04 / On the day
Briefing and the sky both matter, and neither is yours to set
The rules put some of the day outside your control. Part 115 says an operator must make sure each passenger receives appropriate briefing or training in safety and emergency procedures before the operation, and must not carry a passenger who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or who shows behaviour that may endanger the operation or its participants. Operations must be conducted under day visual flight rules, and a person making a parachute descent must remain clear of cloud, apart from descending through cloud in class C or D controlled airspace with an air traffic control clearance. An operator must also restrict or suspend operations on becoming aware of a hazard. In this guide's reasoning, that means the sky and daylight, as well as your booking, decide whether a jump runs, so keep a spare day. The sources do not say how often this happens.
05 / Why summer
Summer brings the longest days and the warmest range of the year
Destination Queenstown describes summer, December to February, as peak season, with temperatures between 20°C and 30°C and, at 45 degrees south, dawn as early as 5am and dusk around 10pm. NIWA's 1991 to 2020 averages give a mean daily high of 20.2°C in December, 22.0°C in January and 21.8°C in February, with mean lows of 8.5°C, 9.9°C and 9.5°C. Because the rules require day visual flight rules, in this guide's reasoning the long daylight gives a wider window in each day in which a jump could be scheduled, though the sources do not say how operators use it. In this guide's reasoning, these are figures for the town, not conditions at jump height. Destination Queenstown advises warmer layers for early mornings and evenings, plus sunblock and a water bottle, and names skydiving among summer's adrenaline activities.
06 / Before you book
Six checks before you pay for a tandem jump
- 01Leave slack in your dates
Summer is peak season, per Destination Queenstown. Given the day-flight and clear-of-cloud rules, in this guide's reasoning it is sensible to keep a spare day rather than pinning the jump to your last afternoon.
- 02Read the whole listing
Our catalogue lists the Queenstown skydive at 3 hours 30 minutes. Open the Viator listing for what that time covers and the terms before you book.
- 03Check the operator's own limits
The sources used for this guide state no age, weight or health limits for tandem riders, so check the operator's own limits.
- 04Ask about height and oxygen
Destination Queenstown describes a 15,000ft jump. Rule 115.571(3) requires supplementary oxygen above 10000 feet AMSL when a descent is planned above FL130, so ask the operator how oxygen applies to the jump you are booking.
- 05Arrive ready for the briefing
Operators must give each passenger appropriate briefing or training before the operation, and must not carry a passenger who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- 06Dress for the ground, ask about the air
Use Destination Queenstown's advice on layers, sunblock and water for the town, and ask the operator what to wear for the jump itself.