Goodyear, AZ Outdoor Activities

Desert Skydiving Center carries people into the air in Cessna 182 and 206 planes and then sends them gleefully careening toward the ground. The center offers static parachuting, tandem jumping, and accelerated freefalls alongside experts. Participants can work with an instructor for 30-minutes to eight-hours, depending on the type of jump, before pulling on a parachute and jumping from two miles high. The ground grows rapidly as divers freefall with the wind whipping their faces before they pull the parachute cord and float to the ground or attempt to land on a passing goose.

Since 1969, the FAA-certified instructors at Arizona Soaring have placed their faith in powerful breezes instead of manmade engines. Their fleet of 15 single- and two-person sailplanes catch thermals¬—which are a daily occurrence at the fair-weather desert location—to soar over the sun-drenched Sierra Estrella among airborne hawks and bounce houses filled with helium. Teachers train new and experienced pilots in the art of gliding or launch crafts skyward with riders in tow. Demonstration rides treat thrill-seekers to mellow basic rides or aerobatic adventures that set hearts pounding like ocean waves before a thunderstorm or after a moon implosion.

Phoenix Area Skydiving’s professional staff specializes in training and instilling confidence in first-time skydivers. They accompany these novices into compact aircraft for up to 120-mile-per-hour tandem free falls over the expansive Arizona desert landscape. Once up in the air, they field visitors’ questions about flight mechanics and often let them control the parachute, granting a more effective hands-on skydiving experience than wrestling with a ceiling fan. They also prepare visitors for solo flights with an accelerated free-fall program, and safeguard each diver’s safety with a technique briefing and gear check before every flight.

Part of Southern California-based Boat Rentals of America, Tempe Town Lake Boat Rentals' fleet spans motor-, pedal-, and paddle-powered watercrafts. At its headquarters near Tempe Beach Park, boating enthusiasts outfit guests with vessels such as pontoons, kayaks, pedal boats, hydrobikes, and standup paddleboards. Tempe Town also sell fishing gear. For frequent water recreationalists, Tempe Town's team members organize the gold club, which gives clients access to boats without the hassle of feeding and grooming them each day.