Skydiving Swiss Alps

Commercial tandem skydiving operations began here in 1991, three years after the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation lifted altitude restrictions for civilian freefall zones in mountainous terrain. The airfield's single grass runway runs east-west, aligned with prevailing thermal winds that funnel through the valley each morning. Exit altitude for standard tandem jumps is 4,000 metres — high enough to frame the Eiger North Face, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau in a single panorama during the 45-second freefall. Skydiving Swiss Alps tours depart from this site because the topography compresses three climate zones into a single descent. You exit above the snowline, where air temperature hovers near -10°C in summer. Freefall brings you through alpine pasture at 2,000 metres, then into deciduous forest before the parachute opens at 1,500 metres. The canopy flight lasts five to seven minutes, depending on wind speed, and follows the Kander River north toward Thun. Instructors trained under the Swiss Parachute Association's tandem certification programme conduct a 20-minute ground briefing before each jump, covering body position, harness mechanics, and emergency procedures. The briefing is mandatory under federal aviation law and cannot be shortened. Helicopter skydiving Swiss Alps departures use a Eurocopter AS350, which climbs to 4,500 metres in eleven minutes — three minutes faster than the standard Pilatus Porter turboprop. The helicopter option costs an additional 150 CHF per person and allows a steeper exit trajectory, adding five seconds to freefall time. Weather windows are narrow. Clouds above 3,000 metres or valley winds exceeding 25 km/h ground all aircraft. Morning slots between 08:00 and 11:00 offer the highest completion rate, with 87 per cent of jumps proceeding as scheduled during the April-to-October season. Afternoon thermals increase turbulence, and operations cease entirely after 18:00 due to airspace curfews. The Reichenbach site has recorded zero fatal accidents since 2010, a record attributable to the Swiss Parachute Association's biannual equipment audits and the mandatory reserve parachute inspections every 180 days. Tandem rigs use a drogue chute to slow freefall to 180 km/h, reducing the opening shock when the main canopy deploys. First-time jumpers must be at least 16 years old and weigh under 95 kilograms. Weight limits exist because tandem harnesses are rated for a combined load of 230 kilograms, leaving margin for the instructor and safety equipment.