Fly Free Skydiving, St. Louis

Every single member of Fly Free Skydiving's large staff has gone skydiving before, even the pilots, and the most experienced instructors boast upward of 7,000 jumps. They all remember the feeling of being a beginner, though, and they cater to first-timers with their tandem-jump programs. 

Such experiences begin before the plane's tires ever leave the runway. Instructors describe the experience in great detail: how the plane flies at 80 miles per hour, how maximum free fall speed is 120 miles per hour, and how, after jumping, the transition between the two speeds happens so gradually it feels like floating. Afterward, instructors and skydivers head to a Cessna 182 aircraft and zip up to higher altitudes. Once there, instructors and students, who are strapped together, take the plunge and freefall for up to 40 seconds before the teacher deploys the parachute. Because the teachers control the descent, students can simply relax and enjoy the views of the rolling hills and Mississippi River or focus their energy on trying to high-five any passing birds.