Matt Harvey

Name

Matt Harvey

What are your PRIMARY roles at the DZ?

• Tandem Instructor
• AFF Instructor
• Team Fastrax
• S&TA
• Coach

How many years in the sport/industry?

14

When you were a kid, were there any early activities that might indicate you’d one day become a skydiver?

I was always adventurous and drawn to the sky! I was rock climbing at an early age and used to build ziplines and forts in trees. It was common to find me on the garage roof, wishing I could be higher.

What was the circumstance that led you to make your very first skydive?

Honestly, a friend asked me to go and I thought, “Hey, something to check off of my bucket list!” I went and it became my passion. It totally changed my life!

What made you want to continue skydiving after your first jump?

From the first jump, I was hooked!!! I remember finding out people did this for a hobby and I instantly started saving to get my license.

What’s the best/most memorable skydive you’ve ever made, and what made it so remarkable?

Jumping with a 1,000-square-foot flag over Normandy for the anniversary of D-Day as a member of Team Fastrax. We flew in at dusk, low over the long beach and thick hedgerows and I got chills imagining what a soldier felt during this world-changing event. We performed for more than 75 veterans who were involved in the invasion and it was a most remarkable experience, to say the least! The stories were incredible. I was so grateful to meet them and for the experience.

If you have one, what’s your personal motto/philosophy as it relates to skydiving?

Any jump where you land safely is a good jump!

What three words would your colleagues/students use to describe you as a skydiver?

Fun. Safe. Thorough.