Learn to Skydive Solo | AFF, IAD & TP Training

The curriculum for learning to skydive solo is pretty standard across the globe. The particular courses may go by different names, but you’ll most frequently see Accelerated Freefall (AFF), Tandem Progression (TP), and Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) programs on offer at skydiving centers all over the map.

AFF skydiving student in freefall learning to skydive with two instructors on either side

Accelerated Freefall

The accelerated part of the Accelerated Freefall program (AFF) doesn’t refer to the speed of the skydiver, it refers to the pace at which you learn to skydive. Contrary to other methods, the AFF skydiving program lets the student get sky high, fast – on day one, in fact, if time and weather permit after ground school!

Though the syllabus may differ from one DZ to another, all AFF programs encompass multiple levels. Typically, students jump with two AFF instructors by their side, then with one, and then they go solo with in-ear guidance from the ground. Students must demonstrate mastery of each level before they can advance to the next. After successful completion of the curriculum, students are eligible to pursue their skydiving license.

The Advantage of AFF

A major advantage of the AFF program is that students can tackle the curriculum at their own pace. Learning to skydive requires an investment of time and money, so the opportunity to stagger the expenditure of both makes learning to skydive accessible to most. As long as students stay current, AFF can be accomplished in a few short weeks or more than a year.

Tandem skydiving student and instructor exiting an airplane

Tandem Progression

Tandem Progression (TP), sometimes called Accelerated Tandem Progression (ATP), begins with a series of “working tandems” that deliberately incorporate learning opportunities throughout each skydive. With TP, you begin your skydiving lessons by achieving curricular milestones with your instructor, rather than alongside your instructor.

Once you demonstrate understanding of the basics, such as how to use the altimeter and ripcord, and the foundations of canopy flight, you are cleared to begin a student program like AFF. First you participate in ground school, and then you begin making solo jumps.

The Advantage of TP

If a tandem skydive is like dipping your toe in the water, and AFF is diving in head first, then TP is like wading in up to your waist before going all in. You have the advantage of hands-on learning with a built-in safety net: if you don’t pull the ripcord, your instructor will. TP is a great way to truly test your appetite for learning to skydive and, like AFF, you can progress through the program at your own pace.

Skydiving student smiling for the camera while in the door of an airplane

Instructor Assisted Deployment

Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) is a modern-day take on Static Line training. Static Line, which was first made popular by the military, tethers the pilot chute to the plane causing the parachute deployment process to begin on exit. With IAD, the skydiving instructor begins the deployment process by throwing the parachute clear of the door as the student exits the plane. Essentially, the instructor fulfills the role of the line, eliminating the need for special equipment as well as the potential for line twists.

From the first IAD skydive, students skydive solo and are guided down via radio by their coach on the ground. As students gain competence and confidence, they receive less in-ear instruction and more time in freefall before deployment is initiated.

The Advantage of IAD

IAD students jump from a lower altitude than AFF and TP students, typically between 3,000 and 4,000 feet (900 - 1200 meters). As you progress through the IAD curriculum, you gain more freefall time and more altitude. By course conclusion you are an A-License candidate - unlike with AFF and TP, which requires you to first earn solo status. Some say that IAD empowers you to teach yourself to skydive, while with AFF you are taught to skydive.

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