How to Get a Skydiving Certification

Skydiving is the ultimate adrenaline rush. In this exhilarating sport, you freefall from the sky reaching speeds of 120 miles per hour. To participate in skydiving in most drop zones in the United States requires a license from the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Before signing up for skydiving licensing it’s recommended that you take a tandem jump with a certified instructor who handles all the equipment and procedures to see if the sport is for you. There are many skydive training programs from which to choose but the requirements for certification are the same throughout the U.S.

Instructions

    • 1

      Perform a tandem skydive to experience the sport for the first time. You will be harnessed to a licensed instructor who controls all aspect of the dive. A tandem skydive is required for all first jumps and is your gateway toward gaining certification.

    • 2

      Enroll in an Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) program for training and certification. It consists of six to eight hours of ground school to receive training in skydive procedures and safety. In ground school you will learn aircraft procedures, how to exit the plane safely, proper freefall body position, parachute deployment, how to pilot your canopy (chute) and landing procedures. Following ground school, you will progress through different training levels as you undergo a series of jumps.

    • 3

      Take your first three jumps accompanied by two jump masters that will hold your harness as you freefall. You will release your own parachute and pilot your canopy to the landing zone under radio supervision. At this phase you will practice parachute deployment, airport orientation from the sky and landing procedures. You will also learn relaxation techniques, hover control and how to maintain your headings.

    • 4

      Work under the supervision of a jump master. Learn to make 90-degree turns, how to propel yourself forward, visibility and cloud clearance and how to control your parachute. Additionally, learn 360-degree turns, stalls, aerobatics, how to recover stability and how to land in high winds.

    • 5

      Learn safety procedures, such as aircraft emergency procedures and equipment-packing principles.

    • 6

      Progress to more-advanced instruction where you will learn maneuvers, such as landing in high wind, group plane exits, gliding, flips and recovering from unstable body positions.

    • 7

      Execute a solo jump under instructor supervision and demonstrate that you are accomplished in all the required skydiving skills. These skills include: swooping, speed control, adjusting your fall rate, floater position, collision avoidance, backward and forward movement and full parachute control.

    • 8

      Complete more solo dives to practice your technique. After completing at least 25 dives and obtaining a signed proficiency card from your instructor you are able to obtain your USPA skydiving certification.