Social Responsibility at Skydive Langar
We want everyone to feel comfortable in making a skydive - whether it’s just one or many more jumps - with a clear conscience. We believe that happens on three levels:
Global
We’re very conscious of the potential impact of the sport of skydiving on the environment - and we’re facing it head on, now and for the future.
Aircraft Fuel
There is no escaping the fact that skydiving (and aviation in general) is a consumer of fossil fuel. But by working with our aviation fuel supplier, we are planning to reduce this over the next 5 years by progressively switching to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) which produces 90% less CO2 per litre than conventional fuel.
Operating Efficiency
We have increased our load factor from an average of 12.4 skydivers per flight to 13.5 skydivers per flight over the last two years, which saves around 8% fuel burn per flight.
Electricity
All of the electricity supplied to Skydive Langar is 100% renewable. Our tariff with E.ON stipulates that they will produce “sufficient electricity from renewable sources to match Skydive Langar’s metered electricity consumption each year”.
Waste Recycling
Skydive Langar currently separates out and recycles the majority of the waste created through its business activities:
Skydive Langar Café has cut the use of single use plastics by 90% over the last two years by exploring alternative, more sustainable packing ideas for food products
Skydive Langar Bar has almost eradicated the use of all single use plastic completely by supplying most products in aluminium cans
Both the Café and the Bar recycle all aluminium cans (plus any glass bottles) with the profits being distributed to the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
Skydive Langar uses 100% recycled paper products where an alternative to paper is not yet available. All paper and cardboard waste is separated and recycled via Veolia
Land Use
Our land is a total of 1,250,000 square metres in size and the majority of that is still used by local farmers as arable, farmed land.
Thanks to our business’ presence, this land is protected for this purpose, rather than being sold for commercial or residential development.
Local
We are proud to have called Langar Airfield our home for the past 46 years and counting. Over the years, we have worked hard to integrate ourselves into our local community and that has led to a wide range of activities and initiatives with positive benefits for all.
Local Engagement
Our team is committed to local engagement through a variety of activities that keep us involved in the local community and enable us to understand - and respond to - any local concerns, queries and feedback.
These activities include:
- Local display jumps, parachuting into places including Bingham’s Butt Field, Muston’s Glebe Farm, Belvoir Cricket Club, Langar’s John Deere Factory, Grantham’s sports field, a Grantham school and more
- Local events and workshops, including the Grantham Aviation Enthusiast Group and the Rutland Aviation Enthusiast Group
- Young people events, including school visits and local scout and cub groups We also have regular staff social events at local establishments such as pubs, cafes and restaurants
We also provide our facilities for use by local organisations including Aly Greenway Workplace Training and the Belvoir Archery Club. If you'd like to enquire about using our facilities, please email info@skydivelangar.co.uk.
We have an allocation within our own budgets to support local causes, which have helped with local building renovations and initiatives . Please get in touch to find out more.
Buying Local
Where possible, we aim to purchase local goods to support local businesses.
Skydive Langar Cafe sources its produce from local shops and farms.
During our big events, we invite local vendors to provide food, such as the Cluck Bros, Pizza Pals, Simon and Tom’s, Gourmet Burgers and Who Said Pizza.
We encourage our visiting jumpers to use local eateries and local shops.
Local Jobs
Over 20 local people are employed by Skydive Langar in roles including management, skydiving instruction, customer service and ground support.
We also welcome school students for work experience where they can learn about the aircraft, the operation of the business, marketing and, of course, skydiving itself.
University Support
Our involvement with local universities spans almost as long as our history here on Langar Airfield.
We are proud to be the home of a number of university skydiving clubs including University of Nottingham, University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, University of Manchester and University of Leeds.
Through the university clubs, we support students in developing new skills, meeting new people and building networks which will serve and support them into their futures.
Future
While skydiving is about living in the here and now, we believe in keeping one eye on the future, for the longevity of our sport and for our planet.
Aircraft Engine Efficiency
We have continuously invested in the latest engine technology, whenever it’s become available, for our aircraft, which has reduced our fuel consumption by 10% per skydive. Our long-term objective will be to operate with electric aircraft, but the technology for this is still in its infancy, although we have been in discussions with the major stakeholders already.
Fuel Use
As well as our aircraft, we use various ground vehicles which we are looking at moving to electric power sources when it makes environmental sense to do so. We also encourage our visiting jumpers to use sustainable methods of transport wherever they can, and to consider their environmental decisions when visiting our centre.
Feedback
We’re always open to feedback and welcome any suggestions. Please feel free to contact us on info@skydivelangar.co.uk.