FAQs

Have a question about the AFFIRC? Check out the FAQs below to find answers to our students’ most frequently asked questions.

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Contact us – we’d be happy to answer any of your questions!

How long is the Course?

This combined training and evaluation course is usually scheduled for 6 full days. For a Course at your Drop Zone, multiple factors, including the preparation of the candidates, aircraft availability, weather, and class size could warrant scheduling a different length Course.

The order and flow of each day is totally dependent on weather, meaning that if we have blue skies we will jump early in the Course, and if weather is not jumpable we will proceed with ground training.

Regardless of whether you are traveling to us, or we are traveling to you, it is always best to plan on arriving a day early in case there are travel complications and staying an extra day after the Course in case weather has been a major factor.

How can I prepare?

Make sure you meet the Course Prerequisites.
Complete all of the items on the AFFIRC Proficiency Card.
Belly fly, Belly fly, Belly fly. The best advice we can give you is this: get to the point where you can fly on your belly without thinking. Flying your body should be second nature for aspiring AFF-Is.
Work with students as much as you can! Nothing can replace real-life teaching experience with students.
Read through the Integrated Student Program section of the most recent Skydiver’s Information Manual (SIM) https://www.uspa.org/SIM, and the AFF-I portion of the most recent Instructional Rating Manual (IRM) https://www.uspa.org/IRM before the Course. This will help keep you from becoming overwhelmed by the volume of information that you will be given during the Course.
Make sure you have both a visual and an audible altimeter, as well as one or more jumpsuits that provides you with a large range of fall rates.

I'm unsure if I have the skills to take the Course, is it possible to make some try out jumps?

Yes. If you would like to know where you stand before signing up for a Course come and make a practice jump with us. Besides the cost of the jump tickets, there is no charge for this service.