The Team
Who We Are
Ian Bell
Owner
Meet Ian Bell, the passionate owner and operator of Skydive South Dakota. With 18 years of skydiving experience since his first tandem jump in 2007, Ian is dedicated to sharing his love of the sport. As a private pilot and certified instructor in various skydiving disciplines, he thrives on teaching new students and exploring the thrill of wingsuiting.
​Fun Fact: Ian has never landed in a helicopter, biplane or a hot air balloon despite flying in each.
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605-939-1398
Finn Weyrich
Tandem Instructor
Meet Finn, who started skydiving in 2018 at Skydive Fargo, with a couple of crazy friends. After falling in love with the sport, he got his license and never looked back. He focuses primarily on freeflight and formation skydiving and loves to teach new skydivers how to make it happen. His favorite part of skydiving is the freedom of it, for one minute at a time nothing else matters. In addition to being a Tandem Instructor, he is also a USPA Static Line Instructor.
Eli Badje
Chief Pilot
Eli has been flying since 2018 and currently works as a flight instructor during the week. On weekends, he enjoys serving as the jump pilot at Skydive South Dakota. He and his wife, Kate, recently welcomed their first son in May. Outside the cockpit, Eli loves spending time outdoors—whether it’s hunting, fishing, or hiking in the Black Hills.
Kyle Rasmusson
"Meat Missle"
My name is Kyle Rasmusson my roles and responsibilities at skydive south Dakota are packing the parachutes, manifest, and general upkeep of the hanger. I have been skydiving off and on since 2010. A fun fact about myself is I am in the top 1% of skydivers for my size. I have been referred to as a meat missile.
Dustin Coleman
Pilot
Dustin has been flying since 2022 but has been an aviation enthusiast his entire life. He holds a commercial pilot license with single and multiengine ratings, as well as an instrument rating. He supports jump operations at Skydive South Dakota and flies both a Cessna T310R and a Citabria. Outside of aviation, Dustin owns a manufacturing company in Rapid City, serves on the South Dakota Aeronautics Commission, and enjoys hunting and competitive long-range shooting in the Black Hills. Most of all, he loves spending time with his wife and their four kids.
Fun Fact: Dustin’s first plane was a 1980 Piper Saratoga named Whiskey Girl.
Cole Steffen
Pilot
Hello, my name is Cole Steffen! I am a commercial-rated pilot with a passion for sharing the wonder of flight with others. I grew up on a small Nebraskan farm with dreams of flying and am grateful for the opportunity to have made them a reality. Fun fact about me is I am a brand new dad! Let’s have a safe and fun flight together.
Instrument-rated, CPL 450hrs
Troy Lutz
Media Director
Since an Early Age Troy has always had a fascination with Flight, Photography, and Videography. Born and bred in Milwaukee, this 6 year Air Force Veteran who started flying drones professionally for Colorado Springs Utilities in 2015, also volunteered for Chaffee County Colorado Search and Rescue and assisted them in launching their SAR drone program. He most recently assisted the Fire Department of La Pointe, WI in setting up their drone program. He started Big Water UAV Solutions in 2017 after acquiring his Part 107 Certification. He started flying FPV Quads professionally in 2021. Big Water UAV Solutions specializes in FPV Cinema Videography, Aerial Videography/Photography and Video Editing.