Too rainy or cloudy to jump? Get your skydiving fix with these kickass, and sometimes super cheesy, movies featuring skydivers, dropzones and skydiving scenes.
The Skydive School | Skydiving Movies | Image courtesy of Wix
There may not be many movies that are dedicated to dropzone life and skydivers, but there are plenty of skydiving scenes and moments in movies, videos and even TV advertisements.
Skydiving is no longer reserved for James Bond spy movies, but it does tend to sway towards action adventure films (although some featured in this list lean toward unintentional comedy).
Whether it’s a rainy day at the DZ or just a lazy evening at home, these skydiving movies and skydive scenes are bound to inspire you to jump, or at least put a smile on your face.
Skydiving Movies To Binge Watch
1. Point Break (1991)
Point Break is not just about skydiving but it’s a favourite so it deserves more than just a mention in the skydiving scenes section. We think it’s fair to say that this super cool skydiving and surfing flick is responsible for many skydiving dreams and aspirations.
The skydiving scenes may be hyper-unrealistic, especially when Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) does his first skydive with zero training (we do not recommend this) and then in another scene, he follows Bodie (the late Patrick Swayze, who was a certified skydiver – that is really him in those skydiving scenes), out of the aircraft without a parachute (again, we do not recommend!).
Johnny, you’re about to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, how do you feel about that?
2. Cutaway
An undercover cop learns to skydive so he can get close to a bunch of skydivers suspected of running drugs via skydiving aircraft – that old chestnut.
This is a great rainy day at the dropzone movie (complete with cheesy skydiving music) that will produce heaps of laughs, groans, and eye rolls. You’ve been warned.
3. Freefly Chronicles
Back in the day, this series of three 20-minute skydiving edits were mainstays at dropzones and skydiver hangouts. The short skydiving films feature lots of freefall footage in baggy jumpsuits, party antics, skiing and snowboarding, cool tunes, and the infamous Freefly Clowns.
It’s safe to say, the skydiving clowns and the Freefly Chronicles skydiving films inspired a generation of skydivers, including our very own Chief Instructor!
4. Dropzone
Dropzone stars Gary Busey in another 90s skydive flick (he’s also in Point Break) and this time, his character gets some murderous air time. This is another drug-related, crime-filled action movie featuring baddies and skydiving as a main theme. Wesley Snipes also stars.
5. Terminal Velocity
Charlie Sheen, James Gandolfini and Natassja Kinski in a skydiving movie? Yes, indeed. Sheen is a bit of a cowboy who gets mixed up with criminal activity, Russians, and a beautiful secret agent. What more could you ask for?
Are you afraid of a night jump?
6. The Gypsy Moths
Yep, in 1969 there was a skydiving movie called The Gypsy Moths starring Hollywood greats, Burt Lancaster and Gene Hackman. The parachutes are round, the wingsuits look like something the original Batman would wear, and the gear is bulky af.
This is your go-to skydive film for classic parachute jumps when skydiving was considered something for the military, daredevils and loose canons.
Captures the drama and spectacle of the death-defying game called skydiving.
Skydive Scenes To Inspire and Entertain
1. Charlie’s Angels
When an inflight struggle continues out the door of a commercial plane (check out the near wing strike!) it takes Lucy Liu tracking out of a chopper to catch up to the falling duo to assist. With the bad guy in clutches, the angels expertly land on an awaiting jet boat.
I think you mean crazy bitch.
2. Mission Impossible 6 Fallout
It’s well known that Tom Cruise does his own stunts, even skydiving scenes. MI6 opens with Tom’s character, Ethan Hunt and the character named Walker gearing up to do a high-altitude night jump. Apparently, Tom did 250 skydives to prepare for this scene.
If you have a problem with my methods, you can always stay behind.
3. Austin Powers Goldmember
Another movie that opens with Tom Cruise skydiving is Goldmember, the third instalment of Mike Myer’s James Bond parody films (and the best). As Austin Powers, Tom Cruise tracks at speed to catch up to his driverless car. After deployment, he lands in the driver’s seat, cuts away, and hurries towards imminent danger.
4. 5. 6. James Bond Skydiving Scenes
There are skydiving shots in several old-school and modern-day James Bond movies. From ski-BASE in The Spy Who Loved Me to inflight confrontations in Moonraker and a Union Jack-themed canopy in Die Another Day, it seems the spy movies love to feature skydiving as a daring and dangerous plot-driver.
I prefer the term adventurer.
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