When you arrive at Skydive Arizona, you’re stepping into the world’s largest skydiving operation—and it shows.
Skydivers are piloting their canopies down from the sky—some of them reaching wicked high speeds before dramatically swooping across the landing area. The constant hum of aircraft on the ground and in the sky. Skydivers touch down on wide grass landing areas, grinning, high-fiving, and heading back for another jump. There’s a steady rhythm to our drop zone—active, energetic, and unmistakably alive.
Before you check in, you get a clear sense of what happens here every day: people jump out of airplanes, and they have a blast doing it.
Arrival: A World-Class Skydiving Campus
Skydive Arizona is one of the largest and most well-known drop zones in the world.
The campus spans a massive footprint in the Arizona desert, with three expansive grass landing areas, a full-service restaurant and bar called The Bent Prop, and even a pool where jumpers and spectators relax between loads. There’s also SkyVenture Arizona, an indoor skydiving tunnel located right on site.
Skydive Arizona operates a fleet of Twin Otters, along with Skyvans and even a Huey helicopter, supporting a high-volume, professional operation that runs smoothly throughout the day. Experienced jumpers from all over the world travel here to experience the difference.
Everything here is built around skydiving.
Check-In and Training: Clear, Friendly, and Professional
After checking in at manifest, you’ll be welcomed by a staff that works with first-time skydivers all day, every day. The process is efficient, friendly, and well practiced.
You’ll start with a short training video that covers:
- What to expect during your tandem skydive
- How to position your body
- What freefall and canopy flight feel like
The goal is simple: make sure you feel prepared and confident before heading to the plane.
Next, you’ll be fitted into your tandem harness and introduced to your tandem instructor and videographer. They’ll usually grab a few photos and a short interview before the jump. From here on out, they’re with you every step of the way.
If you’re feeling nervous, that’s completely normal. For most people, that nervous energy is really just excitement kicking in. Your instructor understands and will help keep things relaxed and focused. Just remember that you’re here to have fun!
Boarding the Aircraft: The Build-Up Begins
When it’s time to jump, you’ll take a short ride to the loading area, hop on the trailer, and climb aboard one of Skydive Arizona’s aircraft—most commonly a Twin Otter, or a Skyvan if you’ve chosen that option.
You’ll be seated with your tandem instructor and videographer, often alongside experienced fun jumpers gearing up for their own jumps. As the aircraft climbs, your videographer will keep filming, capturing the anticipation and the views as the desert stretches out below.
The ride to altitude is part of the experience—time to take it all in before the main event.
The Exit and Freefall
At altitude, your tandem instructor will connect you securely to their harness and perform final checks. Everything is calm, deliberate, and professional.
When the door opens, you’ll move toward it together. You’ll cross your arms, put your head back, and place your feet outside the aircraft. After a short count—you’ll be skydiving!
Freefall is fast, powerful, and unforgettable. The wind rushes past, the horizon opens up, and your videographer is right there capturing the moment.
Canopy Flight: Calm, Scenic, and Hands-On
At around 5,000 feet, your tandem instructor deploys the parachute. The sound drops away, the videographer continues falling for a moment, and the experience shifts into something calm and scenic. And that’s when it sinks in: you did it.
You’ll spend the next five minutes gliding over the Arizona desert, taking in the view. If you’d like, you can even take the toggles briefly for gentle turns or a few spins—just let your instructor know before boarding the aircraft.
As you descend, your instructor guides the canopy toward one of Skydive Arizona’s tandem landing areas. Most tandems finish with a soft, stand-up landing.
Experience You Can Feel
Skydive Arizona holds its tandem instructors to an exceptionally high standard. Every tandem instructor here has:
- A minimum of 1,000 skydives
- A tandem instructor rating
- Often several thousand total jumps
That experience shows in every part of the skydive—from smooth exits to controlled canopy flight and confident landings. Our instructors work here because Skydive Arizona is known for operating at the highest level in the sport, and they want to operate at that level too.
After Landing: Take It All In
After landing, your videographer captures the moment and your first reactions. You’ll be released from the tandem harness and have a chance to relive the experience right away.
From there, take your time. Grab food or a drink at The Bent Prop Saloon & Cookery, watch more skydivers land, or check out SkyVenture Arizona. If the jump sparked your interest in learning to skydive, the skydiving school can walk you through next steps, including indoor training or the Accelerated Freefall program that leads to your first solo jump.
And don’t forget to scan the QR code at manifest and leave us a review! We love hearing from you about your experience at Phoenix & Tucson’s premier drop zone—Skydive Arizona.
Plan to Make a Day of It
Skydiving is weather-dependent, and while Arizona offers some of the best conditions in the country, it’s smart to plan on spending at least half a day at Skydive Arizona.
That time is part of the experience—relaxing on campus, watching world-class skydiving, and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the most iconic drop zones in the world.
Book Your Tandem Skydive at Skydive Arizona
Skydive Arizona is known worldwide for its scale, professionalism, and unforgettable skydiving experiences. Whether you’re jumping for the first time or buying a gift for someone special, this is a place where everything is built around doing it right.
Book your tandem skydive at Skydive Arizona and experience why jumpers call us the best drop zone in the country.