《TAIPEI TIMES》Thousands sign up for free skydiving in Taitung

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter

More than 10,000 people have applied for 80 available spots on free skydiving tours to be held in Taitung County later this month.

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The tours are to be part of the Taiwan International Balloon Festival, which started on Saturday. This would be the first time the extreme sport would be offered to domestic tourists.

The tours, organized by the Taitung County Government and Apex Aviation, are to be held at the Peinen Cultural Park from July 18 to 22 and on July 25.

A draw is to be held this week to determine the list of people joining the skydiving tours.

Apex Aviation chairman Wilson Kao （高健祐） told a news conference in Taipei that the company is a pioneer in offering skydiving to Taiwanese, adding that it has taken the company about two years to realize the dream.

The company on Thursday began taking applications for the free skydiving tours, Kao said.

The company is also to hold skydiving performances on July 16, 17, 23 and 24 on the Luye Highlands in Taitung County.

The performances would be executed by 11 skydivers from Ukraine, Russia and Taiwan, it said.

“We are committed to the long-term development of skydiving tours so that people interested in skydiving would not need to travel overseas,” Kao said.

However, there are legal barriers to overcome, he said.

“Currently, such sports are still prohibited by the Civil Aviation Act （民用航空法） and we need to apply for a special permission from the Civil Aeronautics Administration,” he said. “Through the skydiving performances and tours, we hope to show government officials that the sport is safe, and the qualifications of our coaches are certified by the US Parachuting Association. They can also see our parachutes are well-maintained and meet the safety standards.”

Asked when the company would begin offering skydiving tours to the general public for a fee, Kao said it has yet to determine a pricing scheme.

“What we can say now is that the price must be comparable with those in other countries. No international travelers would skydive in Taiwan if the price is too high,” he said.

Participants at skydiving tours must be 15 to 69 years old, the company said, adding that they would take off on a Tecnam P2012 Traveller before jumping from an altitude of 10,000 feet （3,048m）.

Apex parachuting division director Will Lin （林克臻） said people participating in the skydiving tour would need to pay NT$800 for an insurance policy.

Main and reserve parachutes are being regularly maintained to ensure the safety of the sport, he said.

A skydiving tour in Thailand and the Philippines, accompanied by a trainer, costs about NT$8,000 to NT$9,000 per tour, Lin said.

Taitung County Deputy Commissioner Wang Chih-hui （王志輝） said the county is seeking creative ways to attract tourists.

“We hope that skydiving could become another unique tourist attraction in Taitung,” he said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES