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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  • Marilee Boothe Avatar
    Marilee B.
    The BEST experience and I can’t wait to do it again. Top notch operation from the pilot, plane and DAKOTA!! Thank you for making this a dream come true!!!!
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    1 year ago
  • Zachary Brown Avatar
    Zachary B.
    My first dive was something I'll never forget! My instructor, Matt, was very professional but at the same time he made the experience incredibly fun. There is a sense that the staff absolutely loves what they do, which makes a big difference. I could tell they had experience dealing with the nerves of a first jump. I suggest spending a little more for the photos and/or video! Definitely won't be my last dive here.
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    5 years ago
  • ciara mari Avatar
    ciara m.
    Wow today was my first time ever skydiving and the experience was more than amazing! I have little words to describe the feeling I felt when we jumped out of that plane other than fearless! Kai *professional jumper who I was attached to* was such a kind person with such positive energy! I highly recommend this place to anyone in the area interested in skydiving. The staff was very kind and knowledgable about how to safely jump, land, and the overall experience. Thanks again to the great staff at Piedmont Skydiving!
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    3 years ago
  • Keenan Keenutz Middleton Avatar
    Keenan K.
    Where do I begin. I’ve been toying with the idea of skydiving for a minute. So, I kept seeing an ad pop up here on Facebook and decided to check it out. Glad I did. Piedmont Skydiving made it so easy and totally delivered on an incredible experience. Great staff. You can tell they really enjoy what they do. They want you to be comfortable and have a great experience. I did the high altitude. Loved it so much that I purchased another jump and went a second time the same day. It’s addictive. Don’t think, just do it. Highly recommended. Props to Derek and Kai(hope I spelled that right) for keeping me safe. 👊
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    3 years ago
  • Shea Clack Avatar
    Shea C.
    First time skydiving and it was a blast. Henry did an amazing job with us and made it fun and exciting. Definitely going to be back again.
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    2 years ago