Tandem Jump in Michigan

Michigan hands skydivers the Great Lakes as a backdrop. Most drop zones sit in the southern Lower Peninsula, an easy drive from Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Ann Arbor, and from altitude the view runs from stitched-together farmland into dense woods. On a clear day, depending on where you jump, the shine of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, or Lake Erie sits on the horizon.

For most first-timers, the tandem jump is the way in. An instructor handles the gear and the flying while you get the freefall, after a thorough briefing and with modern equipment. From the rolling ground near Marshall to the flatter country around Tecumseh, the state gives a beginner plenty to look at on the way down.