2024
Skydive Monterey Bay Names Top 10 USA Skydiving Destination Top Tours Names Skydive Monterey Bay as one of the Top 10 USA Skydiving Destinations.
America’s skydive history is uniquely intertwined with Skydive Monterey Bay’s story. Monterey’s Ford Ord was home to one of the first sport parachuting clubs in the United States, and the national governing body, the Parachute Club of America (now United States Parachuting Association) was headquarered in Monterey for more than a decade while the sport of skydiving grew exponentially.
Since the Skydive Monterey Bay trade name was established in the mid-1990s, the Marina skydiving operation has pioneered high-altitude skydiving for first-time jumpers, hosted X-Games events, and participated in national productions and demonstration events along with a handful of other cool skydiving projects.
This timeline documents the history of skydiving at Marina Municipal Airport and the Skydive Monterey Bay trade name. Different legal entities operated the business during portions of this history.
The current operator is Uninsured Skydive Monterey Bay Inc., doing business as Skydive Monterey Bay, which began conducting operations under the name on [CURRENT OPERATOR START DATE]. Historical references to the brand, location, aircraft, personnel, awards, or events do not mean that the same corporation owned or operated the business throughout the entire timeline.
Skydive Monterey Bay Names Top 10 USA Skydiving Destination Top Tours Names Skydive Monterey Bay as one of the Top 10 USA Skydiving Destinations.
Skydive Monterey become a Five Time Traveler’s Choice Winner Skydive Monterey Bay is awarded TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Award for the fifth consecutive year.
Black Daggers Skydive with Large US Flag into Pebble Beach The Black Daggers jump into the Monterey Bay Country Club at Pebble Beach for a Navy Post Graduate Foundation fundraiser. Screenshot
Monterey Skydiver Completes His 15,000th Tandem Instructor Skydive Long-time Skydive Monterey Bay skydive instructor Steve “Raff” Rafferty completes his 15,000 tandem skydive and eclipses the 17,000 total jump count.
Monterey’s First Centenarian Skydiver Patricia Mackenzie becomes the first 100-year to skydive in Monterey.
Skydivers Jump into 2019 Pebble Beach US Open PGA Tournament Skydive Monterey Bay performs demonstration skydives into the 2019 Pebble Beach US Open PGA tournament.
Skydive Monterey Bay Acquires The World’s Fastest Skydiving Airplane Skydive Monterey Bay upgrades to a faster, larger, 21-passenger Super King Air 200 designed to take large groups for high-altitude skydiving.
Skydive Monterey Bay Performs Exhibition Jump at California Salinas Rodeo We completed the first skydiving demonstration jump into the California Salinas Rodeo.
USA Today Names Skydive Monterey Bay as Best California Skydiving Location Skydive Monterey Bay is named California’s Best Skydiving Location on Central Coast USA by USA Today in 2018.
Skydive Monterey Bay, Square & Weebly Partner to Promote Small Businesses Skydive Monterey Bay partners with Square and Weebly to create video production highlighting thriving small businesses.
Monterey Skydiving Proposal Goes Viral Monterey Skydiving Proposal Goes National on ABC News.
Monterey Skydiver Completes 10,000th Skydive. Skydive Monterey Bay owner, Jackie Foust, does her 10,000th skydive.
John Salley, Three Time NBA Champion, Jumps at Skydive Monterey Bay Three-time NBA champion and The Car Show co-host, John Salley does his first skydive. At 6’11” he’s also the tallest person we’ve taken on a skydive.
Skydive Monterey Bay the First Skydiving Center in California to Offer World’s Highest Tandem Skydive Skydive Monterey Bay pioneers high-altitude skydiving for first-time skydivers. Skydive Monterey Bay becomes the first skydiving center to offer 18,000-foot jumps, the World’s Highest Tandem Skydives.
Monterey Skydivers Perform First Demonstration Jump at California International Airshow Skydive Monterey Bay jumpers perform the first skydiving demonstration jumps into the California International Airshow Salinas.
Skydive Monterey Bay Gets Airplane Upgrade Skydive Monterey Bay upgrades its aircraft to a Super King Air B90.
Summer X-Games Returns to Skydive Monterey Bay Summer X-Games Skysurfing Competition returns to Skydive Monterey Bay. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6Rx669UrGE
Skydive Monterey Bay Host Skydive Center For X-Games Freeflying and Skysurfing Events Skydive Monterey Bay is the host skydiving center for X-Games Skydiving SSI Pro Tour Freeflying and Skysurfing Events. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NznRe6w2YMs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muhGup9hfaQ
Monterey Sports Aeroplex Gets Renamed to Skydive Monterey Bay Monterey Sports Aeroplex rebrands to Skydive Monterey Bay.
Skydiving Center Opens at Marina Municipal Airport Monterey Sports Aeroplex begins skydiving operations at the Marina Airport. The skydiving center became the first general aviation business at Marina Airport.
Fort Ord Army Airfield Ownership Transferred to City of Marina The former Fort Ord Army Airfield’s ownership and governance are transferred to the City of Marina, paving the way for general aviation activities.
Ford Ord Army Airfield Closed The US Congress ordered the Fort Ord Army Airfield at Marina, California closed after 77 years of operations (1917-1994).
Parachute Club of America renamed to United States Parachute Association The Parachute Club of America (PCA) renames itself to the United States Parachute Association and relocates to Washington, D.C.
National Parachuting Association Moves Headquarters to Monterey’s Cannery Row The national association for parachuting, the Parachute Club of America (PCA) moves its headquarters on Cannery Row in Monterey, CA, representing more than 800 skydivers across the country.
Russ Gunby Completes First Parachute Jump and Later Founds Fort Ord Parachute Club Russ Gunby completed his first parachute jump in 1944 in the US Army. He later founded the Fort Ord Parachute Club to encourage sport parachuting in the area.