How to become a skydiver

More often than not doing a tandem drop arouses the itch to do a course of one´s own. However, you do not necessarily need to do a tandem first. Instead you can start with a beginner course. Generally, the training will take about 10 days. The first two to three days will be theory. However, this is not only dry stuff as your theoretical training will always be related to practice. The duration of the theoretical training indicates that safety is one of the most important aspects of the training.

Having accomplished the theory, your first jump awaits you!

Surely, your heart will throb while you finally put on your jumping gear and remembering what you have learned in your theoretical lessons. The students and their teacher will go on board together. The first kick is when the airplane takes to the skies always knowing that the first jump is imminent. The door opens, the student steps on the wing and then he jumps. On your first jump the parachute will be opened automatically via a so-called automatic release. The parachute will be released from its "package" through a release line when the student jumps from the airplane. During your automatic jumps you will learn how to optimize your jump position and how to control your body position in the air-stream.

After the parachute has been automatically opened, the student manoeuvres the parachute on his or herself. Through his flight the trainer is always in contact with the student giving steering and landing instructions via radio link.

After at least 6 successful automatic jumps the actual thrill starts: the free fall! During this phase of the training the student will open the parachute on his or herself. The initial free fall time of 2 to 3 seconds (jump from ca. 1100m) will gradually be stretched up to 50 seconds (jump from ca. 3.500m) based on the gained experience and safety of the student.

If the student masters the "stable" freefall from full drop height, he/she now is trained how to move through the air (e.g. forward navigation, rotations, somersaults, etc.).

Of course, the practical part will always be accompanied by theoretical exercises. Skydiving clubs often offer advanced courses for those who have caught the skydive virus. The training can be continued on the following weekends. The student will then have the opportunity to gain more experience through additional jumps and individual mentoring and finally acquire the sky-dive license. The final examination includes a theoretical part and two jumps from different heights.