AFF training

[Hayden 0]

I've decided I'd like to do the Accelerated Free Fall program after recently doing my first tandem. I've done quite a bit of research on the different kinds of training that exist to get certified. And I've even made a list of questions to ask a few of the DZ's in my area related to their safety and training, but...

I wondered if anyone with much more experience in the field can tell me what kinds of questions I should be asking to make sure I pick well-trained, and safe company and DZ to learn from?

Any help would be immensely appreciated

[Bertt 0]

Asking questions at a DZ to pick a safe DZ is like asking the waiter if the roast beef is good today. Of course it is. You certainly want to ask about prices and schedules. You could ask how many AFF instructors the DZ has and how long they have been instructing. When you visit a DZ, just hang around a while and watch what goes on. They won't mind as long as you stay out of the way, and you might get a certain vibe that you like or don't like. That's all I've got right now, but I'm sure someone will come up with more.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Ask if your first canopy can be a Velo

[ManagingPrime 0]

I just started my AFF and while I'm not qualified to give any advise I can give a +1 to "vibe". It's important to be comfortable with the people you are working with. After debating a while about where to do my training, for me personally, it came down to where I felt the most comfortable. I'm happy with my decision.

From the start I think my first two concerns were price and schedule. In retrospect, the "vibe" outweighs the other two by a good degree.

Feel good about where you are doing your training so you can focus on what's important....your training. You will love it!

[Hayden 0]

I completely agree with you on that one. I think gut instincts may be just as important as the questions you ask!

[popsjumper 2]

Fill in your profile and we might be able to help you out with recommendations for a nearby DZ.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Manuel1 0]

Quote

I've decided I'd like to do the Accelerated Free Fall program after recently doing my first tandem. I've done quite a bit of research on the different kinds of training that exist to get certified. And I've even made a list of questions to ask a few of the DZ's in my area related to their safety and training, but...

I wondered if anyone with much more experience in the field can tell me what kinds of questions I should be asking to make sure I pick well-trained, and safe company and DZ to learn from?

Any help would be immensely appreciated

I am very new to this sport. 9 jumps this month so far, so I dont have much more experiance than you do. But I had thought the same thing you did on what to look for in the DZ that I would be trusting my life in. I first googled DZ's in my area and found feedbacks (on this site) on the two DZ's that I was looking at. I was confused as to what program to pick, either the AFF or the static progression program. I visisted both DZ's and watched the staff on how they interacted with the clients and each other. I observed the cleaniness of the business. If the instructors had a rapport with the clients and each other. I watched the flow of how everything clicked together to see if it was organized. Any obvious safety concerns to a lay persons perspective.
I then started to ask questions of the staff and my intentions. The differences in the two programs. Any written training outlines that I could look over. The "total cost" of the training program. Long term cost such as purchasing my own gear, cost to jump after the training program. Safety records. Aircraft maintenance. Pilots certifications. Instructors certifications. And both DZ's seemed very proud of their business and was glad to answer all of questions without any hesitations.

I really like both DZ's was my problem and had a hard time deciding. They both seemed to be well run business. My biggest conflict was which program did I want to enter for my training.

I am having a blast. This is such a fun sport and I am meeting some really amazing folks so fars.