Danny Smith

DZO Danny Smith had just 12 jumps under his belt and one thing on his mind after completing his military service: to jump a whole lot more. The closest dropzone to his Asheville home was in Charlotte. He commuted back and forth for a few years, finally making a permanent leap to the Queen City after college graduation to begin a 29-year career in banking – and to double-down on skydiving.

Between 1974 to 1981, Danny was the captain of the prestigious Firestone Parachute Team. They made demo jumps into Carowinds Theme Park every weekend and frequently flew into NASCAR races, festivals and grand openings to promote Firestone and Carowinds. Danny’s most memorable jump from those years was landing on the USS Yorktown in Charleston, SC, making him one of the first skydivers to ever land on an aircraft carrier.

In 1986 – 20 years after his first jump as a young Air Force NCO – Danny established Skydive Carolina in Chester, SC. Initially open only part-time, the skydiving center grew exponentially. In 1994, Danny retired from banking to fulfill his dream of being a full-time dropzone operator. Today, Skydive Carolina is an internationally-recognized skydiving center that sees more than 30,000 jumps per year.

Danny holds a parachute rigger rating, instructor ratings from the United States Parachute Association, and a private pilot rating from the Federal Aviation Administration. During his skydiving career, Danny participated in many skydiving competitions and earned several medals. His hobbies outside of skydiving include golf, racquetball and snow skiing.