Accelerated Freefall - Full Course
From Zero to Hero
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High intensity course
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Freefall from up to 15,000ft from the very first jump
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Deploy, fly and land your own parachute from the first jump
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Be cleared for unsupervised freefall in as few as seven jumps
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The fastest way to become a fully qualified skydiver
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British Skydiving issued and internationally recognised license
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AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) is the fastest way to becoming a qualified skydiver and be part of the skydiving world. You will receive an intensive course with tailored instruction to your specific type of learning and needs. During this course, you will be taught all the necessary skills required to become a safe solo skydiver. AFF is termed ‘Accelerated’ because the learning process is three to five times faster than any alternative training programs. Vertical Wind tunnel training can be augmented onto your course prior to departing from UK and in some case at the chosen Drop Zone destination.
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The course provides the individual with immense satisfaction and personal achievement. The people you will meet along the way and the experiences that only a few will ever be exposed to is very rewarding too. The AFF course is accredited by British Skydiving, recognised throughout UK and abroad. Once completed, you can jump anywhere in the world and continue with your progression, taking up any of the various skydiving disciplines.
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A full day of ground-based training with one of our highly experienced instructors will be completed prior to jumping phase. This will cover all aspects of skydiving and canopy control which will enable you to cope with the rigors of 50 second freefall at 120 mph, controlling your body and performing a set routine of drills, followed by deploying your own parachute at 5,000ft. Ground-based training will also equip you with the knowledge and skills required to fly and ultimately land your canopy safely in the parachute landing area.
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The objectives of AFF is continuous exposure to freefall and the opportunity to correct problems efficiently through in-air instruction and coaching. We incorporate the latest teaching techniques with state-of-the-art equipment to ensure rapid progression and maximum safety standards.
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Please note that Parabellum Skydiving is one of the very few companies in the UK who carried out FULL Risk Assessment of its AFF courses! The Risk Assessment is available on request and referenced during ground training.
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Parabellum Way
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Parabellum Skydiving specialises in one-week long residential skydiving expeditions abroad to complete the full AFF course. Our destinations range from best locations in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia to sunny locations in the USA. The main criterias when considering locations are weather conditions, Drop Zone quality and suitability for student jumpers. Ease of logistics and availability of other activities so you get the most out of your trip are also a factor. We do not run full AFF courses in the UK for the following reasons:
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Intensive training over a week-long period provides for the most effective way for a rapid progression and qualification.
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Stable weather conditions suitable for consistent daily student jumping. In the UK the weather is notoriously unreliable making learning to skydive a frustrating experience due to a lot of waiting instead of jumping. This makes progression slower, which results in more repeat jumps and regular (sometimes long distance) drives to the Drop Zone. As a result, reaching a full qualification takes longer and is more costlier, than a residential course abroad.
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All your relevant instruction and jumps until you complete the course will be with the same instructor team, providing for a consistent approach and a more effective learning experience and progression. As opposed to a different instructor each jump as you will find in UK commercial centres.
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Courses will be run in small groups, where the instructors will be dedicated only to the group with full undivided attention.
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To book your place on one of our courses please visit our Upcoming Trips page.
About The Course
The AFF course is based on eight levels of achievement (normally one skydive per level) and is designed to take place over a full week. Provided good weather at our chosen destination, the course can often be completed in as little as three days. Subsequently, the course is followed by further ten consolidation jumps, guided by your instructors, in order to practice the skills you have acquired. Upon completion of the consolidation jumps, you will be awarded ‘Category 8’ – your first International Skydiving License.
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The course commences with a full day of ground-based training with your instructor, normally a few days before the trip while still in the UK. This covers the theory and practice of skydiving and the use of your parachute system. You will learn safety procedures, how the equipment operates, how to exit the aircraft with your instructors, how to maintain control and communicate in free fall, how to initiate the opening of the main parachute, and how to steer to the landing area and land safely.
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Before jumping, you will practice all the procedures for both, the skydive and the parachute descent, until your instructors are completely satisfied with your abilities.
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Upon arrival to the chosen Drop Zone abroad, you will receive a thorough Refresh training before you board the aircraft to complete your first skydive! At around 13,000 to 15,000 feet, with one instructor at each side, you exit the aircraft and put your new skills to the test!
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With the maximum amount of time in free fall and highly experienced instructors next to you, you will have your senses overloaded, adrenaline flowing…and a new passion is born!
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Upon arrival to the chosen Drop Zone abroad, you will receive a thorough Refresh training before you board the aircraft to complete your first skydive! At around 13,000 to 15,000 feet, with one instructor at each side, you exit the aircraft and put your new skills to the test!
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With the maximum amount of time in free fall and highly experienced instructors next to you, you will have your senses overloaded, adrenaline flowing…and a new passion is born!
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Once you have deployed your own parachute, you will fly it safely back to the landing area by yourself, then meet your instructors for an informative debrief and a training session for your next skydive. We will provide you with a radio for each jump so we could communicate with you from the ground if required during your parachute flight.
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After your first AFF Level 1 skydive, because you are building on what you have already learnt in the initial ground school, the training for each of the new AFF levels takes less than an hour and so you can now make several jumps per day, weather permitting.
After completing the eight levels (the course), you are qualified as a Level 8 AFF student allowing you to jump out of an aircraft on your own, under supervision of a qualified Instructor.
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The next step to achieving a full qualification is to complete ten consolidation jumps. Each jump is structured to enable you to practice and hone the skills you have already learnt, as well introduce new drills, such as different exits, freefall positions and canopy work. Upon completion of the above jumps plus a Canopy Handling (CH1) question paper, you will receive an “A” License skydiving qualification.
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There should be enough time during the trip (weather dependent) for you to complete consolidation jumps, however, it will be up to you to decide whether you would like to carry on with them on the trip or at a later stage when you return to the UK.
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If you fail a level it must be repeated before you can progress. A level can be failed due to lack of altitude awareness or not achieving an objective during that particular skydive. You significantly reduce the likelihood of a repeat jump by going on a residential course abroad, as the course provides much needed consistency with jumping due to stable weather conditions.
What Each Level Entails
Level 1
You will jump with 2 instructors. You will follow a planned sequence to demonstrate good body position and altitude awareness, along with 'practice pulls' to locate your deployment handle. You will pull your own parachute and fly back to the landing area, with guidance from your instructors by radio.
Levels 2 and 3
On these levels you still have 2 instructors, but we expect to see an improvement in body position and awareness. On level 3 you should be able to demonstrate control so that both instructors can release you, maintain close proximity.
Level 4
Now that you have demonstrated that you have the required control in freefall, on level 4 you will have just 1 instructor jumping with you, but still with a linked exit. On this jump the objective is to start and stop controlled turns in either direction.
Level 5
This level reinforces the turns, with any improvements from the previous jump. Your instructor may add other freefall exercises depending on your performance.
Level 6
For the first time, you will be jumping out of the aircraft without an instructor holding onto you. This is your chance to demonstrate you can regain stability by performing a back loop with recovery and then practice tracking, an important skill that allows you to move forwards which is essential once you start jumping with other people.
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If all goes to plan your instructor will not need do hold onto you at all during this jump, but they will be right there just in case you need a hand.
Level 7
This level is about putting everything together. You will demonstrate a full sequence of solo exit, backloop, tracking and turns. During the jump you will need to demonstrate altitude awareness and control throughout. Once you are proficient in these areas and your instructors are satisfied with your performance, you can be cleared to jump solo without an instructor with you in free fall.
Level 8
A solo skydive from 5000ft with just a short delay before opening your parachute completes your training. This skydive is to simulate an unplanned low altitude exit.
What Is Next?
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What happens after you get your license? There are so many different disciplines in the sport, and we have the coaches and instructors to get you started on any of them. From formation skydiving, freeflying (flying in different orientations, rather than just belly-to-earth), wingsuiting, canopy piloting. You can do thousands of skydives and still have barely scratched the surface!
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