Tandem Skydiving at Centro Nacional de Paraquedismo, Boituva

Tandem skydiving at the Centro Nacional de Paraquedismo in Boituva, Brazil's leading skydiving dropzone about 120 kilometres west of Sao Paulo, involves a freefall jump from 12,000 feet harnessed to a certified tandem instructor, followed by a canopy descent to landing near the Boituva airfield. No skydiving experience or particular fitness is required, since the tandem instructor controls the entire jump, though operators set a minimum age, typically 18, and a maximum passenger weight for safety reasons. The jumpsuit, harness and parachute system are provided by the dropzone; participants should wear closed athletic shoes and can add an optional in-air video and photo package. Boituva's dropzone hosts established tandem operations such as Sao Paulo Paraquedismo and Sky Company, staffed by instructors certified by Brazil's parachuting confederation with large numbers of logged tandem jumps; before the flight, all participants attend a ground safety briefing covering exit position, freefall body position, the deployment sequence and emergency procedures, including the reserve parachute system carried on every tandem rig. The half-day outing includes an aircraft climb to altitude, about 45 seconds of freefall and a 5-7 minute canopy descent, and while jumps run year-round, they are weather dependent and postponed in high wind, low cloud or rain, most common during the summer wet season from December to March.