UK Parachuting has invested in a Cessna 208B to perform aerial jumps for a military contract. The company purchased its first C208 in 2008 when it was operating out of Old Buckenham airfield. Having moved the operation to Beccles Heliport in 2010, a parachute centre came up for sale at Sibson Airfield, so UK Parachuting purchased a second C208B. “Since then we have been operating one aircraft from each location,” explains owner Jason Thompson. “In Dec 2017 we purchased our third C208B with a Blackhawk conversion as a spare aircraft to facilitate servicing schedules for our two locations. In Dec 2018 we purchased our fourth C208B, as we secured a military contract for this aircraft. So to date we have three C208Bs and one C208.

“The new purchase is a great jumpship at this time, and is currently at our Sibson location where it operates Thursday through Sunday all year round.”

As well as Beccles and Sibson, UK Parachuting is also active at Weston on the Green in Oxfordshire. Thompson says that the latest addition will provide some flexibility: “We will be able to balance our current commitments and long term contracts, so fingers crossed each location will never be without a platform to facilitate a skydiving programme.

“Our company is continually on the up, and in the not too distant future we have plans in place to open up our own ATO to facilitate in-house training on our fleet of Caravans, as at times finding pilots is an issue.”

UK Parachute Services has a 40-year history in sport Skydiving within the UK. It was once located at Ipswich Parachute Centre but was forced to close there to make way for a housing complex, leading to a move to Old Buckenham Airfield. Directors Jason Thompson (retired Parachute Regiment) and Grant Richards (retired PJI in the Royal Air Force) purchased the business in 2003.