Accelerated Freefall Course
Your instructors will coach you through the specific jump assignments, and will exit the aircraft and be with you during the 45 second freefall, helping and communicating with you during the skydive! The sky becomes the ultimate classroom! Once you have deployed your parachute, you get to take complete control and pilot yourself to the landing area, landing under radio supervision by your instructors. The video of each jump is then carefully scrutinised during the debriefing/briefing session, improvements made, and the next jump is tackled!
Requirements:
- 16 years (parental consent)
- Maximum 100kg (220Lbs)
- Good physical Condition
Ground Training Theory:
This is an all day affair, and should culminate with your first jump (weather depending). You’ll be introduced to all the key survival information, theoretical and practical regarding both the freefall and the canopy (parachute) flight part of the jumps. This concludes with a written exam to identify exactly what your instructors need to revise!
Levels 1-3:
Learning the basic skills common to all skydivers! Falling ‘down the tube’ in a neutral relaxed body position, monitoring your height (altitude) and deploying (opening) your parachute. We also very importantly focus on the skills required to manoeuvre and land your parachute (canopy) safely, both by using comprehensive canopy flight briefings, and overseeing the process by using a radio receiver attached to your helmet. By Level 3 you should essentially be able to do this without the assistance of your instructors, meaning that you may now progress to the next phase of the course needing only one instructor…
Levels 4-6: Mastering the control of heading (direction) by learning how to start and stop directional turns, perform 360 degree turns…and even how to move forward thru the air to your instructor!
Levels 7 and 8:
Now the real fun starts! Learning how to do back-loops and recover from any instability and uncontrollability, as well as how to delta/track (super fast forward motion!) By now your instructor should be merely an observer/videographer, but always close enough to provide help and a few reminders. What this all means is that you next jump will be SOLO!
Jumps 9-25 and beyond!
Gap filling time! We maintain the steep learning curve as well as consolidate on the skills just learned. You will be taught different types of aircraft exits, how to safely exit stable at lower altitude (hop n’ pop) and deploy the parachute. We will also introduce you to a modified (newer) freefall body position, how to use your legs as a primary propulsion unit for turns etc, flat (super) tracking, and learn comprehensive parachute packing techniques (Packing Licence). Most importantly, you will continue to learn canopy flight techniques by following our Canopy Flight Program. An option during this phase is that you may wish to start our Formation Skydiving skills program with our instructors. In fact we just may also introduce you to a little vertical formation basics as well! (Head-up or sit-flying)
NZPIA International ‘A’ Parachutist Certificate:
By now you will genuinely be amazed at the skills gained and the amount of information you will have learned! This now enables you to take the New Zealand Parachute Industry Association ‘Parachutist Certificate’ Exam (Online) and to be able to apply for the International ‘A’ Licence!
