Diving into the wild blue yonder and pulling the ripcord on time are the things adventure is made of. Some think about it, but some try it -- and Illinois, with its flat, wide-open terrain, is a good place to dive. The region with most of its land dedicated to agriculture presents landing spots in soft fields and pastures. There are a number of well-equipped and reliable skydiving centers in Illinois where you can learn to dive. Most are located within an hour of major urban areas.
Reputable Centers
Skydiving is dangerous but need not be careless and with safety left to chance. The United States Parachute Association is an association that standardizes the skydiving industry and certifies instructors. For a skydiving school, membership in the organization means that trained and rated instructors work at the school, and that it uses approved training procedures and modern, square parachutes. Make sure when selecting a school that the instructors are licensed. A way to know you are choosing a reputable center is to check the membership roster of the USPA.
First Jumpers
When you take your first dive, you will first recieve a 20-minute instructional session with a qualified instructor. Then you will board the aircraft and climb to a height of between 4,000 and 18,000 feet. You will take a tandem jump with the instructor. This means you will drop together, but you will pull the ripcord and use your own altimeter. Gear will be provided by the school. The instructor will guide you as you drop for up to 1 1/2 minutes. After that, you may take more tandem dives and proceed to solo dives.
Considerations
Deal directly with a skydiving center when you book your reservations. Do not use an agency or book through a website that is not the website of the center. Before you purchase or give a deposit for a skydive, make sure you know the physical address of the skydiving center. There are some skydiving centers that use instructors who aren't certified. When booking a jump, read the brochure carefully and ask as many questions as you wish, especially about pricing variables and personnel credentials.
Cost
Skydiving costs can vary widely and can be somewhat confusing to understand. There are many variables involved in figuring pricing. Tandem jumps for beginners are priced higher than jumps for more experienced divers. The price of a jump for beginners and experienced jumpers varies according to the height of the jump and the kind of plane used. The cost of gear rental, such as the rig, altimeter, goggles, jumpsuit and helmet, may be extra. Parachute packing may not be included in the base price. Other variables include the kind of dive, that is, tandem, solo, free fall. and jumps with a static line.
Options
Skydive centers vary in size and services. Skydive Chicago Inc., for example, is the largest center in the Midwest and calls itself a resort. It has hosted the USPA National Championships. The center is open seven days a week. It has coaching services and indoor rooms for parachute packing as well as team rooms, a bar and restaurant. Skydive boasts the fastest aircraft in the Midwest. Parachutes Over Carmi, on the other hand, is a small center that is family-oriented. You can jump on weekends year-round, but you need an appointment on weekends. Here, too, are heated indoor packing areas.
USPA Illinois Member Centers
Skydiving centers that USPA listed in Illinois area found in the major urban areas: Chicago, St. Louis, Champaign/Urbana and Springfield. Arch Skydiving Center is 60 miles east of St Louis, and the Greater St. Louis Parachute Club is 45 miles east of that city. An hour from Chicago you will find the Chicagoland Skydiving Center, and Skydive Chicago Inc. is 70 miles southwest of the city. The Illinois Skydiving Center is only 10 miles from Champaign/Urbana. Mid-America Sport Parachute Club is found 25 miles southeast of Springfield. Parachutes Over Carmi is located in North Carmi, Illinois
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