First time skydiving? Tandem skydiving is our most popular option for first time jumpers.
On a tandem skydive you are attached to the instructor. Although, If you are interested in jumping solo the first time check out our Skydive Training page. Tandem skydiving is a great way to skydive with an experienced instructor.
Experience the Thrill of a Tandem Skydive near Springfield
Ready to take the leap? Your tandem instructor will be with you every step of the way. From climbing into the airplane to stepping out the door, and landing back at the airport, we’re here for you. This is a great way to experience skydiving near Springfield, attached to an experienced and certified tandem instructor. All of our team members operate as a community. We want to share this exciting adventure with people. We want to give you a view into our world. When you arrive you’ll become part of our skydive Springfield family. Your first tandem skydiving experience will become a lasting memory. The video and photos will help you relive the experience each time you watch them. All jumpers will need to be 18 or over and weigh less than 230 lbs. Before we can jump out of the airplane each jumper will go through training.
Skydive Springfield Tandem Training
Tandem training is simple but still important. We’ll practice on the ground until you are comfortable. The training starts with an overview of the tandem skydiving equipment that we’ll be using. The parachute system has a main parachute and a second reserve parachute. The main parachute can be deployed by the instructors’ left or right hand. There is also a backup Automatic Activation Device (AAD) that will deploy the reserve parachute automatically if needed. We’ll also cover how to exit the aircraft, freefall body position, canopy flight, and landing. Once we have completed the training, time to suit up and gear up!
Gearing up for the Tandem Skydive
Our official skydiving jumpsuits will help your freefall body position. We do have jumpsuits that you can wear but jeans and a t-shirt are also comfortable on summer days. The harness will fit over your clothes or jumpsuit. Your instructor will adjust the harness to fit you snuggly. We’ll walk out to the airplane and film an interview with you before we board. Be prepared to answer a few questions. Why are you skydiving? Who is jumping with you today? Who came out to watch you skydiving? We want everyone that watches your video to see your excitement. After the interview, we’ll seatbelt you into the airplane and taxi to the runway for takeoff.
Scenic Airplane Flight
The climb to altitude gives you some time to take in the view and prepare mentally. Above Bolivar, Missouri airport, you’ll see the beauty of the Ozarks. Stockton Lake is to the west and Pomme de Terre to the north. To the south, you can see the skyline of Springfield. You’ll also have time to think about your jump. Review everything in your head and know that You Got This! As we make the final turn back to the airport the time has come to exit.
Exiting the aircraft
You’ll move up to the door with your instructor and prepare for it to open. The pilot and instructor select the best position over the ground to exit the aircraft to make it back to the airport. The pilot then slows the airplane down and nods his head to signal the door. Your instructor will open the airplane door and a rush of air will fill the cockpit. Your instructor will brace his foot on the step outside of the aircraft door. Together you’ll lean forward and rotate out of the airplane. Your instructor will count off the exit, Ready, Set, Go! You are SKYDIVING!
Freefall Arch Position
Accelerating to 120mph takes fewer than 10 seconds. Body position is important because it keeps us stable during freefall. This gives us the best chance for clean parachute deployment. While we’re still on the ground one of our instructors will demonstrate the correct body position with hips forward and shoulders back. In the air, this will give us a stable freefall. Once your instructor taps on your shoulders you can bring your arms out into a more natural position. This will also be the position you’ll learn when you start jumping solo. Once the parachute has opened the experience changes from an intense adrenaline rush to a peaceful canopy ride.
Tandem Skydiving Canopy Flight
The canopy flight is an experience unlike any other. Freefall feels more like floating and the canopy ride feels more like flying. Each time the canopy does a turn it picks up speed and you feel the centrifugal force increasing. You can control how many turns you do and how fast. You can do exhilarating turns or just float taking in the view. The experience is completely different outside of the airplane. You can see more clearly. You stretch out your arms and feel the sun on your face as you look across the open sky. It’s such a new experience that freefall and the canopy flight can overload your senses. When adrenaline kicks in, your mind focuses on what’s right in front of you. Once we land back at the airport we’ll start reviewing the jump. This will help you remember the experience more vividly.
Tandem Skydive Review
What did you think about your jump? Was it anything like you expected? As you head triumphantly back to the hanger we’ll ask questions to help you think about what just happened. You jumped out of an airplane! The more you think about specific details right after you land the better you will remember it. Now you’ll understand why it’s so hard to explain skydiving to people who haven’t jumped yet. It’s always different than what people expected. You can’t put it into words. It’s an overwhelming experience that you can’t describe. The next step is jumping solo.
Ready for Solo Skydiving
It takes 25 jumps to get your skydiving license. Your tandem skydive counts as one of those jumps. Jumping tandem first makes you more prepared to jump solo. Your first solo jump includes a 4-5 hour ground school that covers everything you need to know. We cover equipment, exiting the aircraft, emergency procedures, landing, etc. Click here for more information on solo skydiving.
