Until the cargo door opened at 12,000 feet, I did not believe it was going to happen. Then a customer somersaulted into the endless air, and Luther Kurtz and I scooted to the door. Our feet dangled into space. There were clouds below us.
He shouted in my ear to be heard over the wind. “Are you ready?”
Jump Sites
I met Kurtz at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) in 2025. He had recently joined the association’s Access Committee and spoke at the convention about making presentations to airport directors – which he has done for 20 years as the CEO of iSkydive America.
“The hardest thing about the skydiving business is the airport access piece. It’s a big part of my job.”
Luther Kurtz Founder, iSkydive America
“The hardest thing about the skydiving business is the airport access piece,” said Kurtz. “It’s a big part of my job.”
Kurtz runs the nationwide business out of Charlevoix, in Northern Michigan, just across the bay from where he made his first jump as a dropzone owner at 24 years old. He now has more than 10,000 tandem jumps. Hearing that, before we jumped, I felt a little more confident.
“Come out and jump with us,” he said. “If you want to do a profile on iSkydive America, we have two PAC-750s, nine Cessna 182s and 10 jump sites across the country.”
Although Kurtz fell in love with skydiving at 21, he had dreamed of running a business even earlier. In 2001, he and a buddy would drive his Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera to a landing area near Harbor Springs, MI, sign up customers under a tarp and drive them to the airport. They did 160 jumps that first summer.
Weeks after returning from NBAA-BACE in 2025, iSkydive opened its newest location in Charleston, SC. Luther and his wife Mary Kurtz, who is the CFO, visit all 10 locations at least twice throughout the year. They oversee operations and safety, with Luther flying a Piper Meridian between sites.
“We can literally fly [to the drop zone in Dallas or New York] , take care of something at the site and be back home at night.”
Mary Kurtz CFO, iSkydive America
“To get from our front door to the drop zone in Dallas or New York, it’s two hours and 20 minutes,” said Mary. “We can literally fly there, take care of something at the site and be back home at night.”
Skydiving and Airport Access
Flying in the Meridian also helps Luther get in front of airport directors to request access at new locations and explain how skydiving is safe, responsible and good for community relations.
“Working to get us on the airport, that’s what I consider my specialty within the company,” he said. “I value promoting good relationships with airport managers and other users for maintaining access.”
"We are delivering general aviation to the public," said iSkydive America CEO Luther Kurtz.
As a longtime member of the United States Parachute Association (USPA) and now the NBAA Access Committee, he has also helped other operators gain access and develop good relationships at airports. Central to his pitch is that skydiving belongs at the airport – rather than a distant landing zone.
“The FAA and USPA, we all believe it’s safer to have skydiving on the airport, and that pilots are most alert when they’re in the terminal area of an airport,” Luther explained. “Parachuters can see and avoid too. We’re looking down, we can see traffic in the pattern.”
In fact, the professionals who tandem jump with new customers are called ‘instructors’ for a reason. On the canopy ride back to Earth, they give a first lesson on steering a parachute – how to aim for the drop zone, scan for traffic and land safely.
Delivering GA to the Public
“Ready!” I shouted, and we tumbled into the open sky. It was terrifying – for about three seconds. Then we leveled out, the Everglades stretched below us, the Florida Keys, the Miami skyline on the horizon. More instructors had jumped out and were smiling back at me across the air. It was beautiful and surprisingly peaceful.
We were in freefall for about 45 seconds. After the canopy deployed, Luther began teaching me to pull on the yellow handles. He had given me a first lesson on the ground, now I was steering us back towards the airfield. As Luther sees it, offering this experience to the public turns airport neighbors into airport users.
“Most of the people who live around this airport are never going to step foot or see inside it, unless they do something like skydiving or a scenic flight,” he said. “And so we are delivering general aviation to the public. Almost anybody can come out, do a skydive with us, and participate in the airport.”
Moving Between Drop Zones
Just under 150 people work with iSkydive. These include approximately 70 tandem instructors, 12 pilots, and about 50 drivers, riggers and customer service agents (some working remotely).
The company’s chief pilot and operations manager were also there to greet us on Dec. 1. An hour south of the city, iSkydive operates out of Miami Homestead General Aviation Airport (X51).
“We’ll move planes between drop zones, loading rigs, spare tires and oil, and fly it across the country.”
Drew Newton PAC-750 Pilot, iSkydive America
While walking to the office, we passed a room with mats on the floor and sewing machines along the back wall. Riggers knelt, carefully packing parachutes.
It was winter, so both PAC-750 turboprops were here in Miami. Seasonally, iSkydive moves personnel and equipment across the country.
“We’ll move planes between drop zones, loading rigs, spare tires and oil, and fly it across the country,” said Drew Newton, a PAC-750 pilot.
Before every flight, iSkydive America instructors perform a safety check with customers as part of their standard procedures.
A Procedure for Everything
Before we headed onto the tarmac, Luther made sure to secure my harness, inspecting each buckle and strap. “Check, check, check.” As we walked onto the airfield, he had his hand on my shoulder.
“Everybody does a safety check before they jump,” Luther explained. “Before every flight, iSkydive America instructors perform a safety check with customers as part of their standard procedures.”
The hand on my shoulder ensures that customers stay clear of the props. These are all formal safety procedures followed by every instructor at every iSkydive site.
“Luther is a really motivated businessman, and he likes to do everything by the book. No cutting corners.”
Imre Bucsanyi Chief Operations Officer, iSkydive America
“We have a procedure for everything,” said Chief Operations Officer Imre Bucsanyi. “Luther is a really motivated businessman, and he likes to do everything by the book. No cutting corners. We have procedures for how we load the plane, how we pack gear, how new pilots are trained, everything.”
New pilot training is a major undertaking. Pilots join iSkydive for one-year contracts, after which they often move on to another operation. That means Chief Pilot Rudy Reyes oversees hiring, ground school, training flights and check rides for 12 new pilots every year.
Pilots Building Careers
“We recently created a 60-day [follow up] flight brief for new pilots,” said Reyes. “I’ll come in after they’ve been flying for us, and go up with them. We talk about airplane nuances, emergency procedures, issues with maintenance and anything we can do better.”
The leadership team understands that skydiving is a stepping-stone for pilots, who then move on to cargo, charter or Part 91 flight operations.
“We provide them with the training they need to do the job, and usually they stay with us until they’re at about 1,000 hours,” Mary said. “We understand that after about a year, they’re going to move on to bigger airplanes, and we support them in that. It works out well for them, and works out well for us.”
Earning a Place at the Airport
Under FAA regulations, skydiving is a recognized aeronautical activity at public airports – but gaining access at each airport depends on education, trust and long-term relationships.
“I’ve negotiated access at two dozen airfields, and every story is different,” said iSkydive America CEO Luther Kurtz. “We just opened a location in Charleston, SC. They welcomed us. Oxnard [OXR], in Southern California, it took 15 years.”
The first time Kurtz approached Oxnard Airport authorities in 2010, the answer was no. “And then, every time there was a new airport director, I would come in, do my whole dog-and-pony show, talk about skydiving, why it belongs at the airport,” he said. “And the answer was no, no and then, no.”
After joining the NBAA Access Committee, Kurtz shared what he had learned with other operators. He always emphasized professionalism. “Helping people put their best foot forward and have a good relationship with the airport is something I really enjoy,” he said.
Then, in 2024, Oxnard hired a new airport director, who told Kurtz he believed in airport access for all aeronautical activities and added, “I want to work with you on this.”
After 15 years, Kurtz finally made his first jump at Oxnard. “It was worth it,” he said. “You’re right on the coastline. You can see LA, the Channel Islands, Catalina. It’s amazing.”
Snapshot
Aircraft: Two Pacific Aerospace PAC-750s, nine Cessna 182s and one Piper Meridian
Bases: Locations in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Baltimore/DC, Philadelphia, Detroit, Charleston, San Diego, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Phoenix, Northern Michigan and more
Personnel: 12 pilots, Luther Kurtz is the CEO, a pilot, parachute instructor and flies the Meridian between locations.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.
