How to Get a Skydiving License: Training, Certification & Cost Guide
Table of Contents
What Is A Skydiving License?
Why Do Skydiving Licenses Exist?
How To Get A Skydiving License: Step-by-Step
How Long Does It Take To Get A Skydiving License?
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Skydiving License?
How To Choose A Skydiving School
Key Takeaways
Earning a skydiving license requires structured training, including ground school, AFF/AFP instruction, coach jumps, a written exam, a check dive, and at least 25 total jumps. In the US, licenses are issued by the United States Parachute Association to ensure jumpers meet established safety and skill standards before skydiving independently. Most students complete their A License in a few weeks to a few months, depending on schedule, weather, and consistency. While the average cost is around $4,000, it covers training, gear rental, and membership, making it an investment in both safety and the freedom to skydive solo.
Is getting a skydiving license worth it? ABSOLUTELY!! Adding a skydiving license to your list of accomplishments is HUGE and it’s a goal that many people strive for. Wondering how to get licensed to skydive solo? Read on!
What Is A Skydiving License?
Does someone gain a skydiving certification from doing a single skydive? No, it’s a lot more involved than that. A skydiving license is an official certification issued by a recognized parachuting organization, such as the United States Parachute Association (USPA), that verifies a skydiver has completed required training and has demonstrated the skills needed to jump independently. It allows the license holder to participate in solo jumps and more advanced skydives without direct instructor supervision (and it’s a whole lot of fun)!
Why Do Skydiving Licenses Exist?
The vast majority of dropzones in the United States opt to be Group Members of the USPA – including Skydive Cross Keys. This means that we instruct and train our students in accordance with USPA standards and regulations. The USPA offers four skydiving licenses: A, B, C, D. The first earned is the A License and the last (and most difficult to achieve) is the D License.
Skydiving licenses exist to ensure that jumpers meet internationally-recognized (yes, there are USPA International Affiliates!) safety and training standards before participating in increasingly complex and independent skydives. Licensing creates a standard that skydivers must uphold as they demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and experience required to keep safety at the forefront for themselves and others in the air and under canopy.
How To Get A Skydiving License: Step-by-Step
1. Start With Tandem Skydive
Tandem skydiving is not a requirement at all dropzones, but it’s generally a good idea to have at least one under your belt before going at it solo! Here at Skydive Cross Keys, we integrate three tandem skydives into our student progression. This allows ample opportunity to get familiar with each stage of a skydive, from boarding the plane and exiting into freefall to landing the parachute.
2. Skydiving Classes: Complete Ground School
How long does it take to be a licensed skydiver? It depends on many factors, such as resources, time constraints, and weather. However, ground school is the same length of time for everyone: approximately six hours.
Ground school is a comprehensive class that is given prior to someone’s first solo skydive. It teaches solo skydiving students about skydiving equipment, how to exit the aircraft and achieve stability in freefall, what to expect during canopy flight, how to safely land a parachute, and how to address parachute malfunctions using emergency procedures.
3. Begin AFF / AFP Training
AFF (Accelerated Freefall) is the most comprehensive training method that skydiving schools use. AFP (Accelerated Freefall Progression) is essentially the same thing as AFF, with each typically including 7-8 instructor-assisted jumps.The jumps in the beginning entail two instructors gripping either side of the student, followed by a single instructor as the student progresses. (In AFP, two-instructor jumps are replaced by training tandem skydives.) The primary purpose of these jumps is to ensure the student is able to gain stability in freefall, deploy their own parachute at the correct altitude, and fly a predictable landing pattern.
4. Coach Jumps & Solo Jumps
After passing AFF / AFP, students are required to jump with coaches (rated skydivers who have less credentials than instructors) and learn how to safely skydive with others. Coaches help students practice turns in freefall, tracking, and accuracy while landing. This stage of the progression also includes a few solo skydives and at least one skydive from lower altitudes, to emulate exiting the aircraft in the event of an emergency.
5. Learn To Pack
Learning to pack a main parachute is an integral part of earning a skydiving license. Packing classes teach students about essential gear and how to pack efficiently, maintain their gear, and replace closing loops. These courses also teach students how to inspect their gear for common wear and tear. Students are required to pack a main parachute unassisted in order to gain their A License and many students opt to jump their own pack-job.
6. Pass The Written Exam
Yes, skydivers give each other examinations, and yes, you have to study for them. The written exam includes questions about safety knowledge, regulations, and common procedures that every skydiver should know.
7. Complete The Check Dive
Almost there! The check dive is a skydive conducted with an instructor and it ensures the student is a ‘heads-up’ skydiver. The dive flow entails several maneuvers that may be present during a typical skydive. These include regaining stability in freefall, turning, tracking away, and deploying at the proper altitude. The canopy flight and landing of the student is also assessed to ensure they’re exhibiting awareness of their presence in the sky around others.
8. Reach 25 Total Jumps
A total of 25 jumps is required before applying for the USPA A License. Some skydivers show proficiency in all necessary skills prior to 25 jumps, while others surpass this number due to needing to repeat levels or skills, or becoming uncurrent (more on this next). Don’t fret, some of the most accomplished skydivers didn’t soar through their student progression with ease, but the determination and consistency they learned during the process proved vital to their advancement in the sport!
How Long Does It Take To Get A Skydiving License?
It depends! If you jump every single day, you could hypothetically earn your A License in a couple of weeks.. The more common scenario is someone who jumps on the weekends, and their progression will generally take 2-4 months.
Students must jump once at least every 30 days in order to remain current. Currency is one of the most critical safety factors in the sport, and although the rule is 30 days, the recommendation would be to jump as often as possible. Staying current helps with knowledge retention and muscle memory, making you a more well-rounded and responsible skydiver.
What factors affect how long it takes to earn a skydiving license? Weather, personal schedule, learning pace, instructor availability, and financial constraints all affect the length of time it takes to get licensed in the sport.
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Skydiving License?
The skydiving license cost sits around $4,000. Although this number seems big, it includes a lot. Invaluable knowledge and dedicated instruction from a professional instructor, 25+ skydives, gear rental, and USPA membership are included in the licensing cost.
Well, then how much does a licensed skydiver make? You don’t get compensated for earning your licence – skydivers choose to get a license for the freedom of the sky and membership in the international community of our sport. You can, however, earn different ratings – such as Coach and Tandem Instructor – that can enable you to earn a wage. For some, skydiving is a side gig; for others, it’s a career. Once you have the credentials, you can apply your skills in whatever way is most personally rewarding.
How To Choose A Skydiving School
Learning how to skydive solo is an individual decision and one that you should not take lightly. Top criteria when deciding on a dropzone should include:
- USPA Group Member status
- Instructor availability
- Aircraft availability
- Year-round or near year-round operations
- Gear rental options
Skydive Cross Keys is proud to offer all of the above and is passionate about fostering the next generation of skydivers. If you’re near the North East, Skydive Cross Keys is the place to be! Have questions? Get in touch! We’re always happy to talk skydiving shop. And if you want to dip your toes in our world to see if it’s for you, book a tandem skydive with us! Blue skies!