Christian, you grew up in Grindelwald and now own Skydive Interlaken—how did your personal story in the Bernese Oberland lead you to create a helicopter skydiving experience at the very heart of the Swiss Alps?
I learned to skydive in the military in 2004, and I’ve loved this sport ever since. For me, though, it’s even better to be able to share this experience with someone else. So I became a tandem instructor in 2012, and in 2019 I had the opportunity to take over Skydive Interlaken GmbH.
For someone who has never jumped before, can you walk us step by step through a typical day at Skydive Interlaken—from arriving at the hangar in Wilderswil to landing back on the ground—and explain what makes doing this over Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen so unique compared to other skydiving locations?
We meet our registered guests at the designated time at our base in Wilderswil, Lauterbrunnen, or at the agreed-upon pickup location. After filling out the registration form and, if applicable, booking photos or videos, all guests receive a safety briefing. Then the first guests are fitted with their harnesses, as well as a jumpsuit, gloves, etc., if necessary, depending on the season. We fly with two guests per helicopter; even the climb is an incredible experience. Depending on the flight, you’ll see the glacial landscape up close, fly over the summit of the Eiger, over the Jungfraujoch, or enjoy a unique view of Interlaken with its two lakes. At ~4,000 meters, it’s time to jump! We experience free fall for about 45 seconds before the tandem instructor opens the parachute. While descending by parachute, we have time to admire this beautiful landscape one last time before landing safely and gently.
Our helicopter skydives offer a unique 3-in-1 experience. The scenic flight to altitude is a highlight in and of itself, followed by an amazing freefall with a backdrop of the Swiss Alps, and then a parachute flight in this unique landscape. The only place you can fly past glaciers and waterfalls on the way up and on the way down.What certainly also sets us apart from others are the following points.
- We offer unique experiences not available anywhere else in the world. We have Europe’s (and possibly the world’s) highest tandem helicopter skydive available to the public. We also have the world’s first tandem mountain swoop – a high altitude skydive followed by a highly technical parachute flight along and
- Any Google search will tell you that this is a great place to skydive. Our
- And finaly our Team, as soon you arrive or get in touch with us, you will feel our passion. Everybody is super professional, very focused on safty and wants to share the best possible experience with you
You’ve been skydiving since 2004; from your perspective as an instructor and owner, what are the key psychological moments first‑time jumpers go through during the scenic helicopter flight, the 45 seconds of freefall at up to 180 km/h, and the canopy ride, and how do you and your team guide them through these emotions?
I think the biggest hurdle for most guests is actually signing up. Once they’re here with us, they feel comfortable and in good hands. During the briefing and as we get to know each other, most of their nervousness disappears. Even during the ascent in the helicopter, the beautiful view serves as a great distraction (yet another advantage of the helicopter… :-). Of course, this changes as soon as the door opens, but even here, the helicopter offers a huge advantage: we don’t feel any stress when jumping out. Once in freefall, everyone’s fear has vanished anyway, and they can enjoy the whole experience. So having a good team that radiates calm, safety, and fun is definitely key.
Operating over such an iconic and fragile alpine environment, how do you reconcile offering an adrenaline‑filled aerial experience with environmental responsibility, and can you explain concretely what your myclimate partnership and carbon offset efforts look like behind the scenes?
We are all very aware of the responsibility we bear in this regard. That is why, since 2022, we have reduced the number of guests we welcome each day and are conducting significantly fewer jumps than before—but of higher quality. This decision was made to ensure greater quality for our guests and employees, to enhance safety, and, of course, to reduce aircraft noise and environmental impact. Since January 2020 we have been carbon off-setting every single skydive with a donation of CHF 6.40 to myclimate. Myclimate supports many climate protection projects around the world.
Projects that we are helping to fund are projects of education, sustainability and effective protection of the environment, both local and globally.Skydive Interlaken believes in quality over quantity. This motto accompanies us in all of our actions, and being a small business means that we have the space to make this priority.
Helicopter skydiving from over 4,000 meters in high‑mountain conditions presents specific safety and logistical challenges—weather, terrain, air traffic, tourist expectations. What are the most demanding aspects of running daily operations here, and how have you refined your procedures to keep both safety and the “wow” factor at the highest level?
Yes danger doesn’t take a day off, so we make sure we have the best procedures in place when it comes to safety, training and equipment maintenance. We employ an in-house ‘master rigger’, the highest parachute repair and maintenance qualification available, check our gear thoroughly every jump, and have
monthly all-staff safety meetings.The safety culture that is practiced within the company is absolutely crucial to this. This is certainly where our commitment to quality and our highly professional team come into play once again.
Looking ahead, how do you imagine the future of skydiving experiences in the Swiss Alps—whether in terms of sustainability, technology (equipment, aircraft, training), or new types of adventures you’d like to develop around Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen?
I think we’re on the right track—quality over quantity, and that will remain important in the future as well. That’s why we’ve developed new products, such as the High Altitude Skydive, the world-unique Eigerswoop, and the additional flight time before the jump. This trend is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the tourism industry, so I think people will appreciate all the more in the future that this isn’t our goal. However, an electric helicopter certainly won’t be a realistic option for a long, long time—unfortunately.
For readers who might be intrigued but still hesitant about jumping out of a helicopter over the Alps, what honest, experience‑based advice or message would you share to help them decide whether this is the right adventure for them—and how should they choose a trustworthy operator?
Many people have the wrong idea about skydiving and think it’s only for adrenaline junkies. In fact, almost anyone can do it, and everyone who tries it enjoys it. The feeling of freefall is very positive—it means you’re truly rewarded for the courage you muster, not punished. That’s what I think is great about skydiving.
I’d generally check out their website and compare what other guests have experienced there. Reaching out personally is definitely always a good idea, too. I think that way you can figure out pretty quickly how reputable the provider is and get a good gut feeling about it. You just have to be able to feel comfortable there.
Learn more: https://www.skydiveinterlaken.com