Air Capital Drop Zone | Our staff is the best you'll find, all USPA rated with over 10,000 combined skydives

STAFF

Martin Myrtle, Instructor made his first static line jump in 1990. Martin has made over 2500 tandem skydives, with over 3800 jumps total. Martin started working with students in 1995, and now holds USPA Tandem, Tandem Instructor Examiner, Static Line, IAD Instructor and IAD Instructor Examiner ratings. Martin also holds a Professional Exhibition Rating and jumps several demonstrations for local events each year. In 2002 Martin participated in an Iowa state record 43-way formation skydive, and in 2003 was in a 60-way formation. Martin holds a private pilot certificate. Martin is a Master Electrician, and works for the Wichita Public Schools in his spare time. He has written a few articles for other sites.
	Mark Follin, Instructor made his first jump in 1990 and it was a tandem. Well all this time and well over 3000 jumps later, he’s still doing it. Mark now holds a Tandem, Static Line, and Instructor Assisted Deployment Instructional ratings and is currently a USPA Safety and Training Advisor. He also has a Professional Exhibition Rating and is a Senior Parachute Rigger with over 500 reserve repacks to date. Mark has come a long way in this sport and put a lot of time and effort in the ratings he has earned.
Willie Sinsel, Instructor and Pilot made his first skydive in December of 1997. He has made over 2000 skydives, holds a USPA IAD Instructor rating, and is a USPA S&TA. He has over 1500 pilot hours with multi engine and instrument ratings, is a commercial pilot, and Certified Flight Instructor. He is an FAA certified Senior Parachute Rigger and a former DZ owner. Willie's wife is also a skydiver, and his daughters, Aimee and Morgan, love hanging out at the drop zone. When not at the DZ, he and his family can often be found taking advantage of breakfast fly-ins around the region. Willie owns and operates a full service auto and truck repair shop and parts store in Belle Plaine.
	David Poland, Instructor made his first jump (IAD) in April of 1998 at Skydive Wichita in Kingman KS. He thought doing the one jump would satisfy the need/curiosity about jumping, it obviously didn't. Over 2000 jumps later David is still just as excited about the next jump as he was the first. David has several Instructional ratings including Tandem, IAD, Professional Exhibition Rating (PRO), and he’s a FAA Senior parachute rigger. David works for Sedgwick County EMS when he is not out skydiving
Mike Bradfield, Instructor did a tandem skydive over Oahu, Hawaii in 2006. He did another tandem with Air Capital two years later, and now has over 750 jumps and is a USPA Tandem Instructor. Mike is an Aerospace Engineer for Hawker Beechcraft.
	Tim Frederking, Instructor made his first jump in 1982 at Sky Sports in Hutchinson, Ks on a round parachute. He took the first jump course again in 1993 at Oz Sport Parachute Center in Lyons Ks. (this time it stuck). Tim now holds the USPA Instructor Assisted Deployment Instructional rating. He has over 1500 skydives, including 150 camera jumps, and participated in the Kansas record formation skydive in October of 2000. He lives in Salina and is a partner in Dels Electronics a retail electronics company. Tim’s wife Kim is also an avid skydiver, this way they get to spend their weekends together!
Larry Moore, Instructor started jumping in June of 2004, and now has over 500 jumps. Larry earned his USPA Instructor Assisted Deployment instructional rating in 2006, and now has aspirations of earning his Tandem Instructors rating. Larry is also working toward his FAA Senior Parachute Riggers Certificate.
	Dan Schneweis, Instructor made his first jump at Cook Field (current home of Air Capital Drop Zone) in 1995. He didn't get serious about skydiving until 2005, and has since accumulated over 900 jumps. Dan is a USPA Coach, and Instructor Assisted Deployment Instructor. To support his skydiving habit he works as a Registered Nurse at a local hospital. “It's just that... I'm a single, successful guy.” Brad Hamilton, Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Chuck Powell, Instructor began going to the drop zone (Sky Sports in Hutchinson) in 1975. On May 17, 1978, he made his first jump. Chuck got his jumpmaster rating in 1984, his instructor rating in 1985, and his senior rigging license in 1994. He also holds a private pilot license and an airframe & power-plant mechanics license. He restored his 1946 Taylor Craft he now owns and enjoys flying. Chuck currently has over 1700 jumps with only four cutaways, zero malfunctions/cutaways in over 22 years (knock on wood.)
	Kelly Johnson, Coach Did her first tandem skydive in February of 2005 and was so hooked that she returned for the first jump course and started her student jumps in the dead of winter. Kelly now has over 500 skydives and is a USPA Coach, she loves working with our students! Kelly also very often answers the phone, greets our students, and pretty much runs the place when The Head Jumpin’ Bean’s not around.
Steve "Robe" Robertson, Coach did his first jump in 1995, then started and stopped his student training over the next ten years. He stuck with it for good in 2005, and now has over 600 jumps. In 2008 Robe participated in the 66 way Iowa state record formation skydiving attempts. He’s worked at Hawker Beechcraft since 1996. Robe’s alter ego is that of a world famous pro wrestler. It’s his harmless little fantasy, we generally choose to simply play along.
	Mark Wood, Pilot is a Commercial pilot, single and multi engine, Certified Flight Instructor, Multi Engine Instructor, Instrument Instructor, and Private Helicopter pilot with over 1700 hours flight time. Mark’s also flown aerobatic airplanes and trained aerobatic flight. He moved to Kansas for engineering work with Bombardier Aerospace. Mark made his first parachute jump in December of 2010 and has been fully infected with the skydiving bug!
Al Madero, Pilot Is a Commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor. Al’s day job is an appliance repair guy. He has a beautiful wife and two young daughters. After family, work, and flying, he enjoys spending time on his motorcycle. Al also plans to enter the ranks of those of us who really fly, obviously you have to leave the airplane to achieve actual human flight!
	Jason Rew, Pilot is a Commercial Pilot with multi-engine, single-engine, and instrument ratings. He has flown over 650 hours, with more than 415 of them as a search and rescue, disaster relief, and counterdrug pilot in the mountains of Colorado. He's had aerobatic training in the F-5, T-37, and CJ6A. Jason moved to the area from Colorado for a job as an aircraft design engineer, with hopes to move into a flight test position. Although he hasn't jumped yet, he is eager to make his first (but not out of necessity)!
Angie Myrtle has made 3 skydives. She made a solo skydive in March of 1998 and has made 2 tandem skydives since. Although she does not consider herself a ‘real skydiver’, Angie is very knowledgeable about the sport. If you call to make an appointment or ask questions you will generally talk with Angie.
	Kent Myrtle Kent loves to hang out at the drop zone, and is the unofficial small people ambassador to all the kids passing through with their parents. He’s in third grade (10/11) at Horace Mann Dual Language, so he’s learning in English and Spanish. He’s a smart friendly boy, he loves to play and make new friends.
Wade Myrtle is a very sweet (not so) little boy. He’s in first grade, and already learning to speak and be literate in Spanish. He loves to spend his spare time at the drop zone, playing with the kids, and helping his daddy when he can. He loves tools, and may grow up to be an airplane mechanic (brain surgeon, or fry cook).
	Place Holder Coming Soon
AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Jen Sharp made her first jump in 1989 at the age of 18, and became a drop zone owner (Skydive Kansas) in 1995. She’s an Instructor/Examiner Rating Course Director, Tandem Instructor Examiner, Accelerated Freefall Instructor, Coach Course Director, Safety & Training Advisor, Professional Exhibition Rating, FAA Master Rigger, with over 3000 skydives. Jen does not work at AC/DZ Jen is listed on our Staff Page in her capacity as a USPA Coach Course Director. She’s been instrumental in the training of our instructional staff. Air Capital DZ, and Skydive KS are “sister DZs.”