Bordeaux is situated on the Garonne River, right in the Gironde department in southwestern France. It is a port city and the 9th largest in France. The greater Bordeaux area is called Communauté Urbaine de Bordeaux and is the fifth largest urban area in France behind Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Lille. It is the prefecture of the Gironde department and the capital of the Aquitaine region. Bordeaux is the biggest wine industry capital in France.
Bordeaux is famous for many other things than wine. One of them is the big sporting activity. Mimizan lies at about 1 ½ hours drive in the southwest of Bordeaux, near a beach. In Mimizan Airport you can make the dream of flying come true. Skydiving is only one of the options there and is an amazing experience.
The Mimizan airport is quite easy to find. It is a small private airport with strict rules but normal atmosphere with 20.000 jumps per year to its credit. The airport is opened from February to October. It is a day trip from Bordeaux, so make sure you will have the whole day available. Once you reach at the airport, the next step is to receive a small briefing which is mandatory for all divers, experienced or not!
After that you put on your equipment, all provided by the school and some additional instructions before your take off. After that, everything is running fast. You will get on the aircraft which has a capacity of 9 people per flight and after a 9 or 10 minutes -depending on the season and the aircraft, you reach at 4200 m /13779 ft above the ground, then one last check on the equipment and jump off the plane!
For the next 50 seconds to a minute, you will experience the absolute freedom of the free fall while reaching crazy velocities! At about 900 m / 2953 ft high and before touching the ground, the gigantic parachute is being launched while you soar silently over the magnificent view of the sea, Estuary Mountains, forests, the beach and the town of Mimizan. Then you will land safely on the landing field.
The landing area where hook turns are allowed, has sand, grass, mud, water, concrete or snow depending on the season and the exact spot. The size of the area is like the size of several Stadiums with a few emergency clear spaces. On the landing spot, there are also some hazards as trees, turbulence’s, rocks, animals and electric wires. The place and the facility are excellent and will provide you an unforgettable skydiving experience.
