The U.S. began seeing the effects of COVID-19 in late February 2020, and Illinois was no exception. 

You’ve been on the hunt for somewhere to skydive near Chicago. While there are a few dropzones known for their freefalling experiences in the area, it’s time to start asking some tough questions to narrow down your choices.

The Chicago area is packed with tons of things to do, places to go, and people to see. That’s why it’s one of the country’s top vacation destinations. 

You’ve made the decision to go skydiving — now the hard part is choosing which dropzone to trust.

If you're skydiving, you're probably just looking for a quick ride in an airplane. Typically, jumpers are focused on the freefall ahead, but rarely give much thought to the person in the cockpit. At many dropzones, few jumpers even know the pilot's name.

Some say jump pilots are the unsung heroes of skydiving. I'm not sure about that, but we certainly have to manage a lot of variables from the lonely front seat.