Nick Cerminaro | D-39810

Nick Cerminaro is a world-traveling skydiver who recently opened his own drop zone—Skydive NEPA in Factoryville, Pennsylvania. He grew up on Scranton dirt, then took a suit job in New York City for several years before cutting that life away to pursue his flying dreams. While starting his own DZ in 2022, Cerminaro also found time to skydive into the Great Blue Hole in Belize, the Great Pyramids in Egypt and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai all in the same year. Wherever you run into Cerminaro, you’ll find him putting his money where his heart is, pouring himself into his love for the sport.

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“Nick represents skydiving with the vibe the sport needs. He has that organic love of the sky as well as those around him.”—Brandon Mikesell, Parachutist profilee #262

Age: 33
Height: 5’10”
Birthplace: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Primarily investing and developing real estate in northeast Pennsylvania
Education: University of Scranton
Pet Peeves: I hate waiting in lines and arrogant people.
Pre-Jump Superstitions: I believe in karma; I like to make sure I wish everyone a good jump before they jump.
Hobbies: Golf, tennis, snowboarding, skiing, hiking and travel. I like cooking too but consider that a necessity.
Hard opening or line twists? I’ll take the line twists; It’s good prep for BASE.
Neat packer or trash packer? I like to keep it neat. I focus on symmetry—packing is my time to inspect my gear and catch anything out of order.
Container: A few different rigs, but my main set up is a Mirage G4.
Main Canopy: Performance Designs Spectre
Reserve Canopy: Aerodyne Smart
AAD: Advanced Aerospace Designs Vigil
Disciplines: My true passion is for movement—mainly wingsuiting and angle tracking—but I like to dabble in freeflying and belly. I like to be as well-rounded; I want to have the ability to get in on as many fun jumps as possible!
Year of First Jump: First tandem on my 18th birthday in 2008, then Cat A on my birthday again in 2018.
Licenses/Ratings: A-90996, D-39810; Coach, IAD and tandem instructor
Number of Jumps: 1,760-plus
  Wingsuit: 675
  Camera: 275
  FS: 150
  Demos: 133
  CF: 100
  BASE: 181b
  Cutaways: 3
Largest Completed Formation: 18-way sunset wingsuit jump over Skydive The Ranch in Gardiner, New York.

Any advice to skydivers out there considering opening their own DZ?
Opening a drop zone is just as stressful but can be just as rewarding as your first skydive. If you have a good DZ nearby, be thankful!

How did it feel to skydive in so many exciting and unique places in 2022?
I always knew that skydiving was the ultimate perspective for traveling and seeing the world. I felt grateful to have shared those experiences with great people. I even got to bring my dad with me to Egypt and Dubai.

Most people don’t know this about me:
I weighed over 300 pounds and lost over 100 pounds in eight months so I could make my first solo skydive.

What have been some of your favorite jumps?
The best tandem was bringing my mom on a skydive. She landed, said it was awesome, and convinced my dad to go, too, by telling him she’d go right back up with him. I did a demo jump out of a helicopter into a Fourth of July party at a beachfront resort. We stayed and partied like rock stars. There was also a demo over Niagara Falls, trailing a 450-square-foot American flag, which finished with a dead-center landing in a hotel parking lot in front of a large crowd, including friends and family. I especially love jumping into kids’ camps in the summer, and the smiles I get to see.

How long do you plan on skydiving?
For as long as it’s as fun as the first jump. I have a question I ask myself before every jump: “Is this exactly what I want to be doing right now?” If the answer is ever no, that’s when I’ll stop.

What is your perfect day like?
Wake up early, hike to the top of a big mountain to watch the sunrise. Jump and fly, land at a cafe for breakfast. Work during the day. Then do a sunset jump into my backyard, light a fire and cook out with friends, and then hit the hot tub.

What do you like most about the sport?
The freedom of human flight. The feeling of letting go as you push off.

Who was your skydiving mentor?
Tom Cavage. I either saw or spoke with Tom every day that first year I skydived. He (literally) took me under his wing and got me all the gear I needed. He was instrumental in every achievement I’ve had in the sport, including mounting up 340 jumps in my first year. Sadly, he passed away soon after that, but he was a mentor, a friend and the reason I’m living the life I am today.

What are your future goals?
To keep learning on every jump and hopefully grow the sport by growing Skydive NEPA.

What safety factor do you think is most neglected?
So many skydivers focus on working on their freefall skills and neglect their landing accuracy skills. After a bad spot or change of winds, landing accuracy can be the difference between missing the next load and missing the next three months (with a few hospital bills).

Any suggestions for students?
Appreciate every jump. Focus on the present and use each jump as a learning opportunity. Skydiving isn’t cheap, and every jump is precious.

Were you a hard child to raise?
Yes, always adventuring into new things and keeping my parents on their toes.

Most embarrassing moment:
Missing a church bingo target during a demo, leading to a humorous yet embarrassing moment, especially with friends and family watching.

The toughest thing to do in skydiving is:
Knowing your limits and making incremental improvements without overreaching.

What do you consider your most significant life achievement?
Climbing the Eiger in Switzerland and BASE jumping from it.

Suggestions for USPA:
Focus on bringing the community together and ensuring humility is a trait passed down from experienced members.

Best skydiving moment?
Flying over The Palm in Dubai, fulfilling a childhood fascination and sharing the experience with friends and my dad.

Greatest competition moment?
Beating one of my coaches, Matt Collins, in a tracking race. It was a moment of personal achievement.

Craziest skydiving experience:
My first cutaway happened during a wingsuit night jump on New Year’s Eve at Skydive City Zephyhills in Florida—on a demo canopy.

Explain Nick Cerminaro in five words or fewer:
Motivated to pursue passion!