At Skydive Tennessee, we take your adventure to new heights aboard our beloved jump plane, Papa Mike! This de Havilland Twin Otter is the heart of our skydiving experience, and he’s been soaring the skies just for skydivers since 1986.
Papa Mike is built for fun, fast climbs, and smooth rides. With room for up to 23 skydivers (plus our awesome pilot), he gets us up to jump altitude—14,000 feet—quickly and comfortably. His massive 65-foot wingspan and powerful twin engines make him a true workhorse in the sky.
Whether it’s your first jump or your fiftieth, you’ll love taking off in Papa Mike almost as much as you’ll love leaping out of him!
Papa Mike isn’t just any plane—he’s a true classic with a history as rich as the skies he’s flown through. Born in 1966, he was the 14th Twin Otter ever built out of a total of 985. For two decades, he flew as a commercial airliner for Pilgrim Airlines, and his tail number still proudly carries the “PM” from Pilgrim’s IATA code.
After de Havilland Canada paused Twin Otter production in 1988, it looked like the end of an era. But in 2005, Viking Air stepped in to revive the legend by acquiring the Type Certificates and restarting production of the beloved Twin Otter. Thanks to them, this plane lives on, and Papa Mike continues to take thrill-seekers to new heights every day.