Canada : The Canadian Sport Parachuting Association UK : The British Parachute Association Australia : The Australian Parachute Federation
The vast majority of people choose to make a tandem jump. This involves jumping out of the plane while attached via a harness to an instructor who wears a parachute big enough for both of you. It requires very little training and you can just “sit back and enjoy the ride” while the instructor handles all the technical parts of the skydive. Another type of jump called an AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) Level One jump is offered at most drop zones. The training for this skydive involves a ground school course taking approximately 5-6 hours followed by a jump with your own parachute. On this type of jump, you will have two experienced instructors holding onto you during your exit from the plane and subsequent freefall in order to assist you with proper body positioning as well as initiating the canopy opening. You will also have the assistance of an instructor on the ground who is in communication with you via radio to assist with your landing pattern and proper “flaring” for landing. One additional option you may encounter is a “static line” jump. This jump includes the same training as an AFF Level 1 jump however upon exiting the plane, your parachute is automatically deployed by a “line” attached to the aircraft. Static line jumps have generally decreased in popularity in recent years, and most first-timers end up making either a tandem or AFF Level 1 jump. The remainder of this article describes steps related to making a tandem jump which is the most common first time jump.
