Tandem jumping requires less effort from students because they are harnessed to an instructor, called a tandem master. The passenger and tandem master each wear a harness. They jump out of a plane at 10,000-13,000 feet. Only the master wears a parachute. Students get 4-6 hours of ground training, depending on the drop zone.
Students experience about two to three seconds of falling as the parachute opens.
During AFF, students free fall for 50 seconds on their first jump. Jump masters help students execute stable falls, perform practice ripcord pulls and monitor altitudes. Students pull their own ripcords at about 4,000 feet. Napoleon Airport, eight miles southeast of Jackson. More than 300,000 Americans skydive for the first time every year, according to the U.S. Parachute Association.