Do AFF jumps count towards your A License?

[AStack75 4]

I plan on doing my AFF 1 jump next year. I'm contemplating doing the entire course and whatever else is necessary to get an A License.

My question is do the AFF jumps count towards the 25 jumps required for the AFF license?

Also, do people people usually get their licenses after 25 jumps or does the average person usually need to make more jumps in order to pass all of the requirements?

[wmw999 2,451]

AFF jumps do count towards your license, and it's very, very common for people to take longer than 25 jumps to get their A license.

There's enough "extra" jumps in there that it can be done, but it's common to take longer. And it's significantly more common for it to take more than 7 jumps for someone to complete AFF.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[AStack75 4]

Thanks for the quick response. Yeah I kinda figured that was under ideal conditions. As far as the AFF jumps go, I'm sure the front flips and back flips are the most nerve racking manuevers for an AFF student to make.

[Harmless 0]

Most nerve racking part? Stepping out of the airplane... and landing.

Everything in between is the fun part

"Damn you Gravity, you win again"

[skybytch 273]

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As far as the AFF jumps go, I'm sure the front flips and back flips are the most nerve racking manuevers for an AFF student to make.

Every AFF jump is nerve racking.

On the first one. you're jumping out of a freakin' airplane! WTF are you thinking? You could DIE doing that!

On the second one, you're jumping out of a freakin' airplane, AGAIN! You survived it once, wasn't that enough? Don't you EVER think?

On the third one, they're going to LET YOU GO! You could roll over or spin or... OMG, what ever made you think you could do this shit?

Front flips and back flips come around jump 6-7. A bit nerve racking because you are intentionally creating instability, but not nearly as scary as your first solo will be.

But by then, you're not a whuffo anymore. You're a skydiver. And if you didn't know it before, when you land after that first time being completely alone in the sky, you will.

[apogee77 0]

Flips are usually the easy part. Most people suck at falling flat and stable :)

[Mad_Jasper 1]

Agreed. A back flip... easy. A 45 degree turn... not so easy.

[BIGUN 1,317]

AFF is one of three methods of entry into the sport. It takes generally 7-9 jumps to satisfactorily pass on to the Category to be released for solo freefalls or working with Coaches who will assist you in dive and canopy skills to acheive the A license.

All jumps count towards the 25 jump minimum requirement for the A License, but not all points of performance may have been met in that 25 jumps or all categories.. It is important to work with your Instructors and Coaches before each jump along with your proficiency card to plan your dive, dive your plan and meet the objectives of that jump to ensure the proper sign-off.

As soon as you enroll, ask your Instructors not only for the logbook, but an "A" License proficiency card and read/download/buy a copy of the Skydiver Information Manual ( SIM)

Many have met the requirements in less than the requisite 25 jumps to achieve the A license and in my experience, those who have not met the requirements in 25 jumps were not working with Instructors/Coaches to follow the dive plans on the proficiency cards and suddenly find themselves at jump number 20 trying to compress the final components of the Proficiency card into a few jumps and do not meet the dive/canopy objectives resulting in a > 25 jump license completion path.

AND, that's OK. It's a a marathon and not a sprint. Some people also take longer with certain components and can finish most everything in 22-23 jumps and get stuck on one point of proficiency which carries them over the 25 jump benchmark. Who cares. It's not about numbers. It's about a commitment to learning and having fun while doing it.

Some of the best skydivers I know (as in national or world-class champions) were some of the worst students and in some cases thought about bailing on the sport, but pressed on. A couple didn't get their "A" License until ~40 - 50 jumps.

Have fun. Don't hold yourself to such finite milestones. Your Instructors and Coaches are motivated to assist you in achieving those goals. Some people cross the marathon finish line first, but everyone crosses the line at different intervals. - but they all cross the finish line.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[GLIDEANGLE 1]

All good advice above.

In my student experience, and observation of others, lack of landing accuracy often keeps folks from getting their license at 25 jumps.

Far better to learn it all well and slowly, than to barely meet the standard and get licensed at 25 jumps.

1. This isn't a race.
2. The price of some errors can be VERY high.
3. This is about having FUN.
4. Smile, Breathe, Relax.

The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

[AStack75 4]

Thanks everyone for the great feedback.

One more question... Any advice on how far apart I should space my jumps so that I best retain what I will have learned from previous jumps?

I plan on doing AFF 1 early in the season so that I have all year to do additional jumps.

[Harmless 0]

Really depends on you... but more than 3 or 4 jumps in one day when you are starting out can very exhausting (and your landings will probably not be the softest )

I did between 2 and 4 jumps every weekend till I passed AFF, and then up to ~10 every week for another month... then ~15-20 a week for a few months.

"Damn you Gravity, you win again"

[pilotdave 0]

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Any advice on how far apart I should space my jumps so that I best retain what I will have learned from previous jumps?

Don't try to finish in a day, but jump jump jump! Try to schedule your first jump for when your next bunch of weekends are going to be free. Jump every week if possible. It gets easier to do multiple jumps in a day as you progress.

Don't be like me and wait months between jumps. AFF took me a year.

Dave

[AStack75 4]

I just thought of one more question. I tipped my tandem instructor $20 after my two tandem jumps. Not sure if that is normal or not.

Is it customary to tip the AFF/A-License instructors after each jump also?

[sxc 0]

I didn't tip the instructors after each AFF jump.

But I would advise that you become very familiar with the beer rules and stick to them!
Being a newbie skydiver, almost every time you go to the DZ you will have a 'first', so just bring the stuff with you when you go!!

[icevideot 0]

While I will graciously accept tips, I would prefer you put the money toward making more frequent jumps in those ever important early days.

Sounds cliche but Currency Counts!

Nice of you to think of us though.

"... this ain't a Nerf world."

[kj126 0]

This thread owes beer

Its the first that has given sound advice without being cynical and mischievious.

Im impressed

I Am Sofa King We Todd Did!!

[timmyfitz 0]

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I just thought of one more question. I tipped my tandem instructor $20 after my two tandem jumps. Not sure if that is normal or not.

Is it customary to tip the AFF/A-License instructors after each jump also?

I have gotten quite a few tips while doing tandems but it's extremely rare when I have done AFF. Most of the AFF instructors I know are quite surprised when they get a tip. It is definitely not required or expected.

Keep your money for jumps. I have turned down tips from AFF students for this reason.

[Harmless 0]

I tipped my AFF instructor $10 for each jump...I figured whats another $70 on top of the $1200 Then I kept the beer fridge stocked with a couple cases every weekend for the next few months.

(Had access to the Class Six on base and living in Utah, good beer was gold)

"Damn you Gravity, you win again"

[azureriders 0]

I get AFF tips fairly often, however it is normally after a graduation jump of a student I have taken all the way through, or from the father of a daughter that I made feel safe, or some ofther similiar situation.

It is never expected and for sure not after each jump, as others have already said, we would rather you spend you money on more jumps.

[crazycableguy 0]

I only have 39 jumps, so from one newb to another. If the weather permits just GO JUMP. once you finally start AFF, the wind will pick up, low ceiling, or some other factor will prevent a willing student! GO JUMP any time you can.

I had lots of cash last summer, Lived at a small DZ bed and breakfast for 3 months. DZO and Pilot lived on sight too. I never refused a jump and only got 31 jumps all summer due to weather or some other factor out of my control.

the fastest way to get your A licence is to forget about the A licence and start jumping now! (remember this; an A licence is only a licence to begin learning)

at my 39 jumps I know just a little bit more than you know now, come jump, its fun!

[crazycableguy 0]

more info...

I started out in a different state on an IAD program and had 4 jumps.
stayed at the B&B DZ where they did AFF...

I did 3 tandems and then needed to do my 8hour ground course.
at that time the DZ had their annual boogie (skydiving party) they had no time to spend 8 hours in the middle of a 3 day party to spend 8 hours in a classroom with me.

so I did an addition tandem simply to :get my knees in the breeze"

total jumps to complete aff 11, on a 9 jump course (not including my additional tandem joyride)

total number of jumps to complete my A licence; 32