Tandem Jump in Arizona

Arizona jumps sit under some of the most reliable skies in the country. The Sonoran Desert spreads out below, the red rock near Sedona breaks the horizon, and mountain ranges stack up in the distance. Clear air and an arid climate keep the drop zones running most of the year, which is exactly why first-time tandem students and veteran fun-jumpers both point their travel here. The operations concentrate in the central and southern parts of the state, an easy reach from the major cities.

For a first jump, an Arizona tandem is hard to beat. Harnessed to an experienced instructor, you get to actually look: the desert floor, the saguaro forests, the far silhouettes of the Superstition Mountains or the Santa Catalinas. The stable air the state is known for tends to make for a smooth freefall and a calm canopy ride that shows off the ground in a way you rarely get elsewhere. Plenty of facilities build their whole operation around these intro jumps.