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Tandem Skydive
A tandem skydive is a great way to explore the exciting world of sport parachuting. It allows you to experience the incredible sensation of free fall and canopy flight while under the direct supervision of an experienced instructor. All of our instructors are United States Parachute Association (USPA) certified and licensed to make tandem jumps. Located at the scenic Knoxville airport, our dropzone is less than forty five minutes from Des Moines.
We are a club owned skydiving operation with a reputation of fun, friendly, down to earth skydivers. As a club we work collectively to offer the safest, most exemplary skydiving experience in Iowa. Every year hundreds of people from across the nation make their first jump with the Des Moines Skydivers. We’re excited to have you join us—whether for a day or more! Book your skydiving adventure on our website and take the leap from a perfectly good airplane.
Aircraft Options
We own a Cessna 182, which accommodates up to 4 jumpers and takes about 30 minutes to reach 10,500 ft. A tandem skydive from our Cessna 182 offers roughly 30 seconds of freefall.
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Throughout the season, we lease turbine aircraft 12–14 times, each accommodating up to 12 jumpers and reaching 14,000 ft in 15–20 minutes. These jumps provide about 60 seconds of freefall. On three to four of those occasions, we bring in a larger turbine aircraft that can hold up to 22 jumpers.
PISTON AIRCRAFT
Jump Altitude
10,500 ft.
Passengers
4 (up to 2 tandems, or 1 tandem with video)
Pros
​More availability
Cons
Not great for groups, Lower altitude
TURBINE AIRCRAFT
Jump Altitude
14,000 ft.
Passengers
12 (Caravan)
Pros
Great for groups, Higher altitude, Longer freefall
Cons
Limited availability
TURBINE AIRCRAFT
Jump Altitude
14,000 ft.
Passengers
22 (Twin Otter)
Pros
Great for groups, Higher altitude, Longer freefall
Cons
Limited availability
Safety
In 2024, there were 9 skydiving-related fatalities in the United States out of an estimated 3.88 million skydives. This translates to a fatality rate of 0.23 per 100,000 skydives. This includes all of the high-risk skydives taken by highly experienced jumpers under aggressive canopies. A tandem or accelerated freefall skydive is by far much safer than these numbers, which include experienced, high-risk sport jumpers. Des Moines Skydivers have never suffered a fatality. We remain committed to safety; we stay updated on all the newest safety practices and equipment protocols within the industry to ensure our safety record remains unblemished. Check out the statistics at USPA.
USPA Recognized Dropzone
Des Moines Skydivers is a USPA affiliated dropzone. The USPA is an FAA recognized body overseeing the safety of skydiving. We encourage all of our visitors to investigate your dropzone before participating in the sport of skydiving.