Location

crystal coast skydiving

2024 World Skydiving Championships will take place at Crystal Coast Skydiving in Beaufort, North Carolina. Named by Travel & Leisure as “America’s Favorite Town” among other accolades, Beaufort was established in 1709, and is a quaint coastal town located on the Beaufort Inlet, a channel leading south to the Atlantic Ocean. The third oldest town in the state, Beaufort has a residential population of about 4,000 with a high influx of visitor traffic during the warmer months.

Crystal Coast Skydiving is located at Michael J Smith Field, which is a public airport in the City of Beaufort and is approximately 250 kilometers to the south east of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina and 160 kilometers to the north east of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina.

The town of Beaufort, along with the entire Crystal Coast tourist area, would like to encourage event participants to explore what there is to offer before or after the FAI event including but not limited to the following options:

  • North Carolina Seafood Festival

  • Amusements: speedway, arcade, escape room, mini golf, etc.

  • Tours: pirates, light house, ghost, wild horses, etc.

  • Sport Fishing anda Boat Charters

  • Scuba Diving

  • Rentals: kayak, bike, boat, surf, kites, electric bikes, etc.

  • Art Galleries

  • Spa, Fitness & Wellness

  • Beaches

  • Aquariums/Museums

  • Breweries

  • LIVE Music

Transportation

  • Airports

    There are two international airports within a reasonable driving distance to Crystal Coast Skydiving, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Wilmington International Airport (ILM). Crystal Coast Skydiving is located about 160 km or 2.2 hours drive from Wilmington International Airport, and about 250 km or 3 hours drive from Raleigh-Durham International Airport. There is very limited or no rail transportation servicing the area near Crystal Coast Skydiving.

  • To competition venue

    Both of these international airports offer car rentals from most major car rental companies, including but not limited to: Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.  

  • Provided transportation

    Competitors are responsible for their own transportation to and from the dropzone. There are many car rental companies that operate out of Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington airports, and an Enterprise car rental is located in Beaufort, North Carolina. Turo is also a widely available car-sharing app.

    The Organizing Committee will provide rental cars for the judges and staff related to the event to share. Rental cars will be assigned two to three people per car.

Accommodation

Discounts near Raleigh-Durham International Airport for arrival days:

Holiday Inn Express RDU Airport: 1014 Airport Blvd Morrisville NC 27560

Hampton Inn RDU Airport: 1010 Airport Blvd Morrisville NC 27560

Staybridge Suites RDU Airport: 1012 Airport Blvd Morrisville NC 27560

Holiday Inn RDU Airport: 930 Airport Blvd Morrisville NC 27560

Within 7 km of the Drop Zone for event days:

Beaufort Hotel (252) 728-3000 beauforthotelnc.com
Pecan Tree Inn (252) 728-6733 pecantree.com
Inlet Inn (252) 728-3600 inlet-inn.com
Beaufort Inn (252) 728-2600 beaufortinn.com
Langdon House B&B (252) 728-5499 langdonhouse.com

The average nightly rate per room with two queen beds is approximately $130 US for the close boutique hotels or $105 for slightly further away chains such as DoubleTree, Hampton Inn, or Holiday Inn.

There are also many options available on the home-sharing app AirBnB and vacation rentals available on various websites.

Competitor Discounts available:

Beaufort Hotel

Palm Suites

  • (252) 247-6400 or www.palmsuites.com

  • 20% off

  • Call: 252-247-6400 and press option 1 to speak with reservations. You will need to mention that you have the special corporate rate: FAI World Parachuting Championships to receive the rate. You will then need to provide the dates of check in and out.

Hotel Alice

food

Few experiences stir the senses like dining on freshly caught seafood along the ocean’s edge. Beaufort’s long history of fishing combined with North Carolina’s rich culinary culture has created a landscape of restaurants with roots as deep as the waters.

on the dropzone

Check out the food options for the dropzone below.
Check back regularly for updates!

  • Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    Limited availability of additional food options on the airport.

  • Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    Limited availability of additional food options on the airport.

  • Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    My Nacho Shack - 10am to 4pm
    Off the Hook - 11am to 4pm
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    Lunch provided for judges and officials on-site. Limited availability of additional food options on the airport.

  • Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    My Nacho Shack - 10am to 4pm
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 4pm
    Off the Hook - 11am to 4pm
    Lunch provided for judges and officials on-site.

  • Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    My Nacho Shack - 10am to 4pm
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 3pm

    Lunch provided for judges and officials on-site by Moores BBQ: TBD

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by TLC Catering: Sauteed Fish and Shrimp Tacos, mango salsa, guacamole, sides, etc

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    My Nacho Shack - 10am to 4pm

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by Icehouse Catering: Baked Ziti with salad and bread.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    My Nacho Shack - 10am to 4pm
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day
    Konlee's Kones - all day

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by Icehouse Catering: Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 6pm

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by Sagebrush Steakhouse: Steakhouse burger, buffalo jack hoagie, or chicken caesar wrap with chips and a cookie.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 6pm

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by Sagebrush Steakhouse: Fajita bar- grilled chicken or steak with sauteed peppers and onions.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day
    Konlee's Kones - all day
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 6pm

  • Lunch provided for judges, officials, and competitors on-site by Beaufort Grocery: gourmet sandwiches, salads, and sides.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day
    The Burger Bus - 11am to 4pm

  • No official food is provided.

    Boardwalk Brews - 6:30am to 11am
    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day

    Beach jumps available into Mollys Beachside Bar and Grill

  • No official food is provided.

    Gullah Q Low Country BBQ - all day

Drop Zone Maps

weather

October weather on the east coast of North Carolina provides some of the most sought out weather conditions in the country. With the coastal breeze and sunny days past the heat of summer, these weather conditions make it very enjoyable to spend time outdoors. Sunshine hours will be from 07:04 to 18:46 on October 4, 2024 to 07:10 to 18:36 October 11, 2024 allowing for over 11 hours of daylight each day.

opening ceremony

Opening Ceremonies will be at Fort Macon in Atlantic Beach, NC about a 15 minute drive from Crystal Coast Skydiving.

Parking is limited, please share rides if able.

4:30 to 4:45pm- Competitors arrive for parade line up
4:45 to 5:00pm- Spectators arrive
5:00pm- Opening Ceremony begins
6:00pm- Team Captains meeting to receive draw
6:30pm- Everyone departs

Due to the quick nature of the event, there will be no food or drink served at Fort Macon.

closing ceremony

Closing Ceremonies will be at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City, NC about a 15 minute drive from Crystal Coast Skydiving.

Banquet begins at 7:00pm.
Detailed schedule to be posted at a later date.

Food provided by Sagebrush Steakhouse.

Drop Zone and Event Briefing

Beach Jumps

Crystal Coast Skydiving will be offering skydives landing onto Pine Knoll Shores beach next to Molly’s Beachside Bar & Grill for drinks and food on Saturday, October 12 for interested licensed skydivers after the official event conclusion.

Jumps will be $80 and include transportation from the beach back to the drop zone, about a 19 minute drive.

Jumpers will be able register on-site any time before October 12.