Skydiving Club at Georgia Tech Reaches New Heights

Pushing themselves to new heights is commonplace for Georgia Tech students, but the Skydiving Club at Georgia Tech takes the challenge to the skies.

In April, six members of the organization - Victor Batistela, Jack Broadhead, Alex Broering, Beck Bruch, Yiming Guo, and Brandon Yu - set state collegiate records for the highest exit altitude with a jump at 14,300 feet and the largest formation. The accomplishment was published in Parachutist Magazine.

The club, which dates back to 1969, had been dormant for several years before skydiving enthusiast Jack Broadhead, now an electrical engineering alumnus, arrived on campus in 2019. After finding his passion for skydiving working at a jump site in high school, Broadhead and a classmate revived the club, seeing an opportunity to introduce a new generation of Yellow Jackets to the thrill-seeking hobby.

"The freedom is a huge part of what makes skydiving so exciting. Through the club, we meet people from other schools, and while we may be studying different things, we all come together over this shared experience of jumping out of planes and taking a break from the stress of schoolwork," he said.

The record-breaking jump, which originated at Skydive Atlanta in Thomaston, Georgia, took place during finals week. Broadhead said the club members saw it as the perfect way to clear their minds.

In addition to the adrenaline rush often associated with skydiving, Broadhead, who now has over 400 jumps under his belt, was initially drawn to it through the eyes of an engineer - a point of view that he feels other Georgia Tech students can relate to.

"I was initially interested in the equipment, so my first jump wasn't necessarily for the thrill or the adrenaline. It was more about wanting to see this incredible equipment in action. Like so many, I had the impression that parachutes were thrown together by skydivers, but the engineering that goes into them is truly special," he said.

The club is open to all members of the Georgia Tech community, and no prior experience is required. The organization has around 25 members, and while a core group participates in each jump, events are geared toward all levels of interest, like indoor skydiving activities and movie nights. Broadhead is proud to have had a hand in reviving the club, whose list of alumni features multiple skydiving hall of famers and world record holders.

"Skydiving seems crazy, but there is interest, and it fills a unique niche of connecting with new friends and blowing off steam at Georgia Tech," he said.

Students thinking about joining the club are encouraged to follow its Instagram account for information on upcoming events, including an interest meeting to be held early in the fall semester.