Kyle Salvato: DZO, Skydive City, Z-Hills Artwork

The 20 Minute Call - A Skydiving Podcast

The 20 Minute Call Podcast is a podcast about the dreamers, boundary pushers, rebels and champions of the skydiving industry. Each episode is a narrative journey highlighted by the highs, lows, and luck that the skydiving industry delivers told by the most influential people within the sport.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a skydiver, opening a DZ or becoming the next world champion, check out The 20 Minute Call hosted by James La Barrie

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The 20 Minute Call - A Skydiving Podcast

Kyle Salvato: DZO, Skydive City, Z-Hills

March 16, 2026 • James La Barrie • Season 3 • Episode 82

0:00 | 1:05:05

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About This Episode

Kyle Salvato shares the remarkable journey from maritime engineer to co-owner of Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Florida. This episode explores what it takes to revitalize one of skydiving's most iconic drop zones while honoring its deep legacy connected to names like Jerry Bird. Kyle brings a unique perspective with over 9,000 jumps, A&P mechanic credentials, commercial pilot licenses with 4,000+ flight hours, and hands-on experience in every aspect of drop zone operations. This is a story about passion, persistence, and the unrelenting commitment required to run a year-round skydiving operation.

Quotable Moments

"One jump changed my entire trajectory on this planet, and that's the passion I bring to this industry now."

"The vibe [on a dropzone] is the most important thing because if you don't have that, anyone can skydive. But if you don't have comraderie, safety, good culture and people enjoying being around each other, it's not gonna work."

"I used to trade my life for money. After my daughter was born, I decided that was no longer worth it."

"This isn't our drop zone, this is just our turn, man. It's been skydiving at this airport since the sixties."

"If you can dream it, we can do it."

"There's two reasons airplanes crash in our industry: bad maintenance and poorly trained pilots."

"The journey getting to DZO is much more fun than the arrival point."

"How do you make a million bucks in aviation? Start with two."

Connect With Kyle Salvato

📍 Skydive City - Zephyrhills, Florida
🌐 [Instagram | Facebook]

Presented by SSK Industries, CYPRES, Free Fall Films, SKYCRU and Burble.

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