The History of Tandem Skydiving

Table of Contents 

• A Quick Overview of Skydiving History 
• When Did Tandem Skydiving Start? 
• Who Invented Tandem Skydiving? 
• Tandem Skydiving Today: Ever-Evolving 

Key Takeaways 

Tandem skydiving transformed the sport by making first-time jumps accessible without extensive solo training. While parachuting dates back centuries, modern skydiving truly evolved through 20th-century innovation. In 1983, Ted Strong and Ricky Meadows completed the first jump using a purpose-built tandem system, launching a new era for the industry. Pioneers like Ted Strong and Bill Morrissey refined tandem equipment and training programs, helping establish tandem skydiving as the most popular way people experience their first jump today.

Skydiving has become one of the most exhilarating experiences millions of people around the world do each year, but it wasn’t always accessible to the average thrill-seeker. Enter: tandem skydiving – the revelation that transformed how people begin their skydiving journey. The history of tandem skydiving is a special one, so let’s start at the very beginning. 

A Quick Overview of Skydiving History 

How was skydiving invented? By regular people just like us! The yearn for human flight was driven by curiosity and imagination, and – like every sport – the beginnings of skydiving were humble. We feel so lucky that these innovators went before us to make the sport possible for us to enjoy today! 

Early Days: Where It All Began 

What country is famous for skydiving? The idea of jumping from heights with a parachute goes back centuries. And although early parachute concepts appear as far back as the 1100s in China, the Chinese didn’t push it far enough to claim the glory. If anyone deserves the recognition, it’s Leonardo Da Vinci who came up with a round parachute design around 1495. 

Who was the first skydiver? The first recorded jump with a parachute (from a balloon, not an aircraft, which brings debate on if this counts as a skydive) was performed by André-Jacques Garnerin in 1797. Two years later, Jeanne-Geneviève Labrosse, Garnerin’s wife, took the balloon leap for herself!

Middle Days: Constant Progression  

Modern-day skydiving evolved through the 1900s. What started as something to improve military operations, has developed into a sport that millions of people participate in for fun and fulfillment. As harnesses, canopy designs, and freefall techniques improved, more people began to leap from aircraft just for the joy it brings.

Nowadays: Notable Advancements 

The 1970s saw the transition from round canopies to modern-day rectangular canopies. In the 80s, Bill Booth changed the fate of skydiving by inventing the three-ring system – three interlocking metal rings that connect the parachute to the container. If the main canopy experiences a malfunction and must be released, the cutaway cable disengages the three-ring system quickly and efficiently, separating the parachute from the harness and creating a clear path for the reserve parachute to deploy safely. It was and continues to be a game changer.

When Did Tandem Skydiving Start? 

In 1983, tandem skydiving became the talk of the town. Even though earlier attempts at two-person jumps had occurred, tandem skydiving as a structured, instructor-led experience really took off in the 80s, once specialized harnesses, drogue systems (for controlled descent), and safety regulations were in place.

On January 15, 1983, Ricky Meadows and Ted Strong jumped with the first ever dedicated tandem skydiving system. It was revolutionary for the industry and the sport because it made the thrilling experience of skydiving accessible to a much wider range of people, including those who had no interest in taking up the sport but were keen to try it as a one-time novelty. 

Who Invented Tandem Skydiving? 

Ted Strong, an innovator in parachute design, is widely credited with engineering one of the first practical tandem systems designed specifically for sport skydiving. One year after his famous jump with Meadows, Strong Enterprises introduced the Dual Hawk Tandem System, which achieved an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration for tandem jumping. This catapulted the tandem skydiving world into motion (literally!) and transformed the way people are introduced to the sport today. 

How did Ted Strong get his inspiration? Word on the street is that Gloria Mabry convinced her husband, Peter Chase, to take her on a make-shift tandem jump. They used seatbelts from the airplane to fasten one another together (wow … and also, yikes!!). The story goes that Chase told Bill Morrissey about his wild (and somehow successful) ride with his wife, and years later Morrissey convinced Strong to craft a parachute system that could allow two people to jump at the same time under one parachute.

It was a game of “telephone” with a massive payoff – Strong took on the challenge and eventually brought Morrissey on board to train first-time tandem students, certify new instructors as an examiner, and oversee the company’s tandem program as director. 

Tandem Skydiving Today: Ever-Evolving 

Technological advancements and new innovations in the world of tandem skydiving are never-ending. People have even begun tandem BASE jumping – which is when jumper(s) leave from a static object, like a cliffside, instead of an airplane – AH! 

Without the brains and spirit of early inventors, entering the sport of skydiving would be much more difficult, a lot less fun, and a lot more stressful. Tandem skydiving presents the opportunity to do something new and exciting without excessive training or expertise on the students’ part – opening the sport to almost anyone. Are you ready to join us in the skies? Book your skydive today!