About Us

Learn about the story behind Piedmont Skydiving, and why we do what we do!

Our Story

Piedmont opened in 2010. Jim, our founder, was tired of making an hours-long commute every weekend to skydive. He wanted a beautiful place to jump, and he wanted it to be closer to his Charlotte home–so he decided to take matters into his own hands and open a new dropzone on Rowan County Airport. Its close proximity to Charlotte, its views and its friendly people sealed the deal.

Jim did a great job building the facility and the skydiving community at Piedmont. We’re really grateful to Jim for kicking off the Piedmont phenomenon and getting us started off on such a great foot. In 2015, when Jim was ready to take off on a new adventure, he sold the dropzone to its current owner–his skydiving buddy, Dan McNulty.

Dan has been an active sport skydiver since 2004. He first came to North Carolina that same year, while serving in the Marine Corps. He spent five years of that service–from 2004 to 2009–at Camp Lejeune, with the 2nd Recon Battalion and 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion.

Dan had always planned on opening up his own DZ someday, and Jim was instrumental in helping Dan start his first dropzone–Skydive the Wasatch, in Utah. Dan proudly opened Skydive the Wasatch in 2014. It was such a success–the perfect fulfillment of a lifelong dream–that Dan immediately wanted to expand to other areas. He was secretly thinking of North Carolina, as that was a natural choice. After all, he’d been living there on and off for a decade.

One day between jumps, Jim jokingly asked Dan if he wanted to buy another DZ. Jim was a little surprised when Dan pretty-much-instantly said yes, but it meant that the DZ would stay among like-minded friends. Jim can still be found at the DZ on most weekends, flying one of our four Cessna 182s. He might even be your Tandem Instructor.

The Piedmont story is still being written! We’re growing every year, and we perform thousands of safe skydives annually. We’d love for you to be a part of the cast of characters.

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  • Kelly Rowland Avatar
    Kelly R.
    I did my first jump at Piedmont Skydiving in 2019 as a form of therapy after a personal tragedy. Little did I know that this growing North Carolina Drop Zone, the staff of extreme athletes, & Jerry, our everyday pilot would play a major life role in my healing & life story. The staff is top notch & show intense professionalism while also showing extreme love & support. The staff follows safety regulations, precisely, & I am one hundred percent confident in putting my life into their hands. I am now an Accelerated Free fall student and wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It's an ultimate life highlight. I highly recommend this specific DZ. The camaraderie is equally as rich as the jumps.
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    3 years ago
  • Liz Alex Avatar
    Liz A.
    It was absolutely amazing. Great staff. Quick service. Close parking. Bathroom facility. Seating area. A blast from above and beyond!!!! Thanx Allen!! He was calm, encouraging and a great and inviting smiLe! He put me at ease about it all!!!! Whoooooooooooooooh!!!! I may go at it again...
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    3 years ago
  • Don Shang Avatar
    Don S.
    I've visited over a dozen DZs during my jumping career, but never found one as friendly or more fun than Piedmont. Manifest, packers and pilots are all top-notch, and the tandem instructors really go out of their way to make sure their passengers have a great experience. And the fun jumpers are very inclusive and bring a great vibe to the place. I'd rank it 6 stars if I could.
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    3 years ago
  • Joseph Yates Avatar
    Joseph Y.
    I had an amazing time skydiving. Everyone was very nice, helpful and knowledgeable. Darcey was my instructor and he did an awesome job, he made me feel very comfortable. Can’t wait to go back!!
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    3 years ago
  • S V Avatar
    S V.
    After a long waited time I finally got to make the jump and Piedmont Skydiving was perfect. They made my experience super relaxed and easy. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for an awesome jump and smooth landing.
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    4 years ago