Tandem Jump in Massachusetts

Massachusetts hands you a choice of horizons. Jump in the east and the Atlantic and Cape Cod Bay spread out blue beneath the canopy; head west and the ground rises into the Berkshires, folded in hills that catch fire every October. Drop zones across the state run tandems for first-timers and licensed jumpers alike, and the terrain does the heavy lifting on the view: coastline one direction, rolling hill country the other, and New England's changing color in between.

The tandem is the usual first step. Clipped to an experienced instructor, you get freefall with almost no training, and the scenery underneath tends to be the memorable part: the Boston skyline off in the haze, the Connecticut River winding through, the broad flat sheet of the Quabbin Reservoir. Most drop zones run spring through fall, chasing the good weather and the turning seasons. The whole thing is built around safety, solid instruction, and a first jump you won't forget.