Our Team

Micheal has a profound passion for teaching within this sport and is enthusiastic and dedicated to maintaining a high standard in the AFF, Static Line, IAD, Tandem and Coach instructional programs. "I thoroughly enjoy teaching instructors how to instruct skydiving," he says poignantly. With his extensive military training background and years of instructional experience in both skydiving and the military, he has the experience needed to prepare candidates for success, regardless of the discipline they choose.
Micheal has over 15,000 skydives with over 34 years of skydiving experience ranging from 4-ways, big ways, USPA instructional courses and in all realms of USPA student skydiving operations. He is a goal-oriented and focused professional with more than 20 years of experience building and leading integrated training and management operations for the U.S. Army MP Corps in the United States and abroad, as well as a certified US Army Master and Senior Instructor and skilled public facilitator. He possesses comprehensive and successful management qualifications in professional instructor development training programs within the USPA instructional realm. His areas of USPA expertise and qualifications include the following:

• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (Masters -Homeland Security pursuant)
• U.S. Army Retired MSG/E-8 (20 Years)
• U.S. Paratrooper (10 years)
• U.S. Army Certified Master & Senior Military Instructor
• U.S. Army Certified Training Courseware developer
• Diversified certified military "Training Evaluator" with over 10 years of experience in evaluating major comprehensive military training exercises as well as evaluating courseware, content, applicability and methods of instruction
• Proven track record of success in project management and training & development in both the U.S. Army and the civilian USPA skydiving instructor sector. Well versed and comfortable in any training environment
• Seasoned skydiving professional with more than 20-years of USPA membership and experience in student training, developing student programs and drop zone management
• Seasoned DZ General Manager with over 5 years experience running a large turbine Drop Zone
• Thousands of instructional student skydives (Static Line, IAD, AFF and Tandem)
• Tandem Instructor since 1997: Rated Strong Enterprise Systems and UPT Relative Workshop
• Conducted and participated in numerous USPA Instructional Rating Courses for over 15 years
• USPA North Central Regional Director since 2014
• USPA Static Line Instructor since 1995, PRO Rated since 1996
• USPA AFF Instructor since 1996 and accumulated over 3,400 actual AFF instructional jumps
• USPA Coach Course Director and Static Line Instructor Examiner since 2002
• AFF Evaluator & AFF Designated Evaluator since 2004
• USPA AFF, IAD, Static Line, Tandem, and Coach Course Instructor Examiner
• USPA Strong Enterprises Instructor Examiner
• USPA Tandem Instructor Examiner for Vector and Sigma System - United Parachute Technologies
• USPA Safety & Training Advisor
• Prior Drop Zone Owner – Skydive Door County, Sturgeon Bay, WI
• Chair of the Safety & Training Committee as North Central Regional Director, USPA Board of Directors since 2014

Mercedes is the lovely woman, whom candidates talk to in regards to coordinating fees, registering, scheduling and answering questions, and more. She is the driving force behind the scenes handling critical aspects of our business management. 
As she says about her husband Micheal, "Behind every successful man is a good woman telling him what to do...." Her qualifications include the following:

• Graduated from Methodist College: Business degree
• 7 years management experience in business Retail and Management
• Manager of 2 national notable jewelry stores: White Hall Jewelers and Littman's Jewelers
• A-Licensed Skydiver
• Former Owner Operator of Skydive Door County, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
• Co-Owner Xcelskydiving

Ron started his skydiving career as an Army paratrooper in 1992. "I never thought at that time that I would pursue a lifetime career in skydiving," Ron recalls, "but as life would have it, I made my first civilian jump in 2002 and fell in love with skydiving all over again." He has always loved teaching, and in 2007 he combined the two when he earned his first rating as an AFF Instructor. Soon after, he earned his Tandem Instructor rating, sold his company, Bell Custom Builders, and moved to Skydive Spaceland in Houston, Texas, to skydive full time. Since then, he has dedicated himself to making the next generation of skydivers smarter and safer than the ones who came before. With more than 13,500 jumps, Ron has worked extensively with AFF, Static Line, IAD and tandem student programs, and brings years of experience and knowledge to every candidate.

Experience and qualifications

• 13,500+ jumps since 1992
• USPA Director of Safety & Training since 2018
• USPA Board of Directors, Pacific Regional Director, 2017-2018
• USPA AFF, Tandem (UPT and Firebird) and Coach Examiner since 2012
• USPA PRO Rating
• FAA Senior Rigger and Private Pilot
• USPA AFF Instructor with 2,500+ student jumps
• Tandem Instructor (UPT Vector and Sigma) with 7,500+ student jumps
• Thousands of instructional student skydives (AFF, STP, AFP and tandem)
• Seasoned skydiving professional with 26 years of experience in student training
• Developed student training programs for Westside Skydivers in Minneapolis (2011-2012) and Skydive San Jose (2016-2018)
• U.S. Army paratrooper (6 years), including a tour in Iraq
• Owner and operator of Bell Custom Builders (15 years)

A native of the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and Colorado, Ray says his passion for skydiving started "when my first airplane ride was my first jump."
A 21 year retired veteran of the US Army, Ray jumped from 1200 feet in Ft. Benning, GA in 1981 at the US Army Airborne School. After "Jump School" he continued his skydiving career in Girdwood, Alaska while being stationed at the Airborne Infantry Unit in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1983, he joined the US Army Special Forces and after graduating Special Forces was assigned to a Military Free Fall (HALO/HAHO) Team for 18 years. He continued to pursue his civilian skydiving career during his Military Service. He recalls, "My favorite Jump was a 32,000 foot High Altitude/High Opening (HAHO) over the countryside of Germany."
As a member of USPA since 1982, he has accumulated over 16,600 jumps and earned many awards, wings and ratings. Over the years, he has competed on a 4 and 8 way team, a CRW team and the "Big Way" circuit but the most enjoyment he gets is from certifying new AFF, Tandem Instructors and Coaches. When time permits, he organizes "big ways" at boogies across the country.

• Jumps 16,600+
• Master in UW, GW and FID Studies, Pineland University
• U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired) MSG/E-8 (21 years)
• U.S. Army Certified Master Military Trainer
• Graduate of the U.S. Army Special Forces Command Language School (Arabic)
• AFF Examiner 4,000 combined AFF and AFF Evaluation jumps
• Tandem Instructor 6,800+ jumps
• USPA Coach Examiner
• USPA PRO Rating
• Big Way Load Organizer and POPS Record Holder
• USPA Regional Director (Mountain) and Secretary 2013 to 2016 and since 2019
• Airline Transportation Pilot (ATP) Certification with 17,200 + Flight Hours
• Instructor Pilot in the Citation XL and XLS Twin Jet
• Certified in various Jump Aircraft such as the CASA 212, Twin Otter, Supervan and King Air
• Mountain Regional Director and Secretary, USPA Board of Directors, 2013 to 2016 and since 2019

Kazu started skydiving in the summer of 1993 right after high school and, as he puts it, "immediately I was hooked." He trained with the tandem progression program that was offered at Lake Wales and quickly earned his A license. He has mainly jumped in Florida and spent most of his time in Pahokee, Clewiston, and Sebastian. After a few years, he began shooting video and pictures for fun jumpers to gain experience. In 2009, he transitioned from a corporate job to full-time skydiving and college. He earned his Coach, AFF and then Tandem shortly afterwards. He elaborates, "I realized a passion for teaching and thoroughly enjoy the academic environment that the IE rating has to offer as well as what we offer instructor candidates." He is presently an Evaluator for Coach, Tandem and AFF and is pursuing those I/E ratings. Kazu says, "I am looking forward to working with new candidates and eventually participating as an I/E."  He currently holds the following qualifications:

• Jumps: 6,000+
• FAA Master Rigger
• USPA Coach Examiner
• Chief AFF Instructor - Skydive Midwest
• Tandem Examiner (UPT)
• Videographer
• Safety & Training Advisor
• 500+ AFF student Jumps
• 1,000+ Student Jumps
• Tandems 2,000+
• AFF Designated Evaluator

After graduating high school from St. Peters, Missouri, Noah enlisted in the Marine Corps where he served for 11 ½ years. His last duty station was Ft. Benning, GA where he became an Airborne School instructor. While working at Airborne School, he was the second Marine in history to be a part of the Fort Benning Command Expedition Parachute Team, The Silver Wings. This is where he started his career as a demonstration parachutist.

In 2007, he tried out for the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. After passing their selection program as a Marine, he left the Marines and joined the Army and reported to the team on December 29, 2007 as a demonstrator for the Gold Team. During his GK career, he has been on both the Black and Gold Demonstration teams and is currently the Assistant Team Leader for the GK Tandem Section. As the head Examiner and Safety and Training Advisor for the team, Noah says, "I like to think of myself as being a student of learning and one who loves to share doctrine and techniques with others."

His extensive and memorable demo jump experience includes venues such as the New York Yankee’s Stadium, St. Louis’s Busch Stadium, flying through the Gateway Arch, and landing onto the North Shore Beach of Chicago, Illinois. He has landed on a floating trampoline, and as Noah recalls, "the privilege of landing on the USS Bataan, which so happened to be the ship I deployed on after 9/11." His most memorable tandem experiences have been in Nepal as part of the High Altitude Tandems for Everest Skydive, going with the U.S. Ambassador to France, Charles Rivkin during an anniversary of D-Day in Sainte-Mere- Eglise, France, and of course, "the excitement of taking my mom on a tandem." He has also taken TV personalities such as Kelly Pickler and Good Morning America’s Ginger Zee on tandems that aired on network television shows.

Noah's specialties include Tandem Instruction, Pro Rating and Canopy (accuracy) Control, Advanced Teaching Techniques, and Transitioning from Military Rating to a USPA equivalency.

• USPA AFF Instructor Examiner
• USPA Coach Examiner
• USPA Tandem Examiner (UPT)
• USPA PRO Rating
• USPA Instructor Examiner Rating Course Director
• USPA Safety & Training Advisor
• FAA Senior Rigger
• FAA Commercial, IFR Pilot
• Jump Pilot (C182, C206U)
• Demonstration Jump Pilot (C182, C206U)
• Videographer
• Military Static Line Jumpmaster
• Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster
• Military Combatant Diver (nice for water training)

Matt began skydiving in 2004 while attending college and was immediately hooked.  He moved to the DZ to pack parachutes and organized fellow college students to paint the DZO's house in exchange for his AFF training. He has been working part time in the skydiving world ever since.
Matt has advanced degrees in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security and has been an active practitioner in that field since 2011. When not performing those duties, he is also an Infantry Officer in the United States Army's National Guard component.
While stationed in California from 2012-2017, Matt served as the Safety and Training Advisor for the United States Naval Postgraduate School Foundation. He has extensive experience conducting crossover training for military members for their USPA licenses and ratings. He has held an "at large" Safety and Training Advisor position for the entire New England Region from 2017 to present.
Matt founded the USPA Examiner Working Group, which aims to improve the instructional rating programs of the USPA by presenting expert opinions and recommendations from the field to the Safety and Training Committee and also aims to increase standardization in the rating process.
Matt founded the Female Leadership in Skydiving Scholarship (FLISS) which awards recipients with a complete tuition waiver for an instructional rating course.
A bit of trivia about Matt is that he hates to run. Despite this, he has completed numerous endurance events for charity, raising over $50,000 in the process. He has run 6 marathons, including 5 Boston Marathons and one carrying a 35-pound rucksack. He also ran an additional ultra-marathon distance (51 miles) in one day as a competition with one of his best friends over a $100 bet.

• USPA AFF Examiner
• USPA Coach Examiner
• USPA Tandem Instructor (UPT and Strong)
• USPA IAD Instructor
• USPA Regional Achievement Award recipient for "supporting and advising instructors in the Northeast Region and for enhancing safety and professionalism in the USPA instructional rating program".
• Videographer
• Safety and Training Advisor, United States Naval Postgraduate School 2012-2017 and Northeast Region at large 2017-present
• Infantry Officer, United States Army
• Founder of the USPA Examiner Working Group
• Founder of the Female Leadership in Skydiving Scholarship (FLISS)
• Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice
• Master of Science, Criminal Justice
• Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, Homeland Security

With over 3,000 skydives, Thomas Wells is not just a master of the skies; he is a Jedi Master, bringing the wisdom of the Force to the world of skydiving. He has joined the elite Xcelskydiving team, ready to share his knowledge and passion as an AFF Examiner, guiding his Padawans with precision and care. Thomas's strength is not just derived from the Force, but also from his loving family. His life partner and queen of his heart, Heather, stands by his side, while their three children and a youngling grandchild fill their home with joy and laughter. When he's not flying through the skies or wielding his lightsaber, Thomas is a leader at General Electric, overseeing the startup and commissioning of new power plants across the galaxies of North and South America. His leadership is a force to be reckoned with, ensuring the balance of power and progress. Thomas's journey with the Xcelskydiving team is a new chapter in his epic saga. He brings not only his skydiving prowess but also the calm and focused demeanor of a Jedi Master. He is ready to mentor the next generation of skydivers, helping them find their path in the Force and soar to new heights.

• Jumps 3,000 since 2005
• USPA Coach since 2008
• Tandem Instructor since 2008 (expired)
• Static Line & IAD Instructor since 2010 (expired)
• AFF Instructor since 2016
• USPA AFF Examiner since 2023