0
Avkrell

A-License Price

Recommended Posts

That sounds like about the right ballpark. I repeated a couple of AFF levels and did a canopy course before getting my A license. I guesstimate I spent about $20000 my first year between jump tickets, gear rental and buying my own gear. I live just across town from my DZ, so I was over there constantly. The biggest chunk of all that was my gear.
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest

That sounds like about the right ballpark. I repeated a couple of AFF levels and did a canopy course before getting my A license. I guesstimate I spent about $20000 my first year between jump tickets, gear rental and buying my own gear. I live just across town from my DZ, so I was over there constantly. The biggest chunk of all that was my gear.



...and that is before buying beers - don't forget that very important part of getting your license.

Spent 15 mins in the tunnel before AFF training to get stable position, turns, fall rate dialed in a bit; which I found to be a great help (one less thing to have to worry about in the air). My first minute in the tunnel was pretty useless and would have been a bit less comfortable in the air.
I was fortunate enough to block of 2 weeks vacation to go from ground training to A-license in 8 days. Benefit of this was that there was no time off to forget what you'd learned in the air/on the ground before, during and after each jump and perhaps no/less repeat jumps. By Euro prices, sounds about the same price range.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
rjblake


...and that is before buying beers - don't forget that very important part of getting your license.

Spent 15 mins in the tunnel before AFF training to get stable position, turns, fall rate dialed in a bit; which I found to be a great help (one less thing to have to worry about in the air). My first minute in the tunnel was pretty useless and would have been a bit less comfortable in the air.
I was fortunate enough to block of 2 weeks vacation to go from ground training to A-license in 8 days. Benefit of this was that there was no time off to forget what you'd learned in the air/on the ground before, during and after each jump and perhaps no/less repeat jumps. By Euro prices, sounds about the same price range.



Heh heh. It's because of the DZ I know that a 7 gallon keg of Sawtooth is $75 B|

I didn't even know about the tunnel until after my AFF 1. IIRC I did about 7 minutes between my AFF 2 and 3, and was sore for days afterwards. The instructors did see a difference in my flying, though. I did 2 or 3 more sessions down there while on coach status.

If I had a do-over, I'd do some more tunnel time before my first AFF jump, but I'm still not convinced how much it helps early on. The only person I know who had tunnel time prior to an AFF jump had about an hour in the tunnel and still ended up freezing up on her AFF 1. But she's done great on subsequent jumps and her instructors could tell she'd had tunnel time. I'd love to do a study with a control group but it would be prohibitively expensive and I think skydiving's really too random to get any useful data.

It IS very nice to have video of your early flying. The AFF newbies think us experienced skydivers are bad-ass (I still very clearly am not) so it's nice to be able to show them my early tunnel minutes and couple of AFF jumps I have video of so they can see I started in the same place they are.
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Avkrell

Just looking for an idea of what you all paid for your A-license. Right now for me, it's looking around 2500-3000 USD. Sound about right?

Thanks everyone:)



Yep, that sounds about the right ballpark to budget. But remember that's just the beginning - you'll spend at least that much again (and most likely more) to get your first set of gear. The "startup" costs in this sport are quite high, though they can eventually settle out to a more manageable amount (depending, of course, on what type of a skydiver/gear junkie you become :D:D).
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I spent just under $4,000 working towards my A-License, which included 3 attempts at level 4 and some tunnel time. Been renting gear for a couple of months, and just splurged on new custom rig (container, main, reserve and AAD) and jump suit, which cost me another $9,000. Then, as others have said, add in the cost of beer, gas, hotels, etc.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
This is sort of a reply to all that have answered, thanks for the information! I am in college right now so that's why I was wondering prices. I have the money to do it this summer and I was thinking I would do it during an 8 day break so I could get it done. I will hopefully get some tunnel time in! Thanks again

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
$2500 in the A-License in May, another $7K for my rig/AAD, a little over $4K for the 200+ jump tickets this season, probably about $400-$500 in beer dues, another $1700 in assorted things (audible, alti, first WS) and other assorted things.

Skydiving is a hole in the side of the plane that you just pitch fistfuls of dollars out of.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

You will save money if you can find a S/L coarse. i think i paid $1600-1700 for mine. I've seen AFF range anywhere from $2500 to $4000



Save money AND focus more on canopy piloting... AFF is great but it seems like IAD/SL gives a student better opportunities to really focus on piloting.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Here's another way to look at it.


From time there are questions regarding student retention posted in Parachutist and elsewhere. There seems to be many different philosophies, however I don't believe I have ever seen anyone address direct cost to the student. I recently thumbed through parachutist for prices of gear and contacted a nearby dropzone for the price of training up to an A license. In all cases I used the cheapest prices I could find for gear from the various advertisers in Parachutist, with one exception, the selection of a container, main & reserve. I chose the cheapest package price which included a Cypress II, rather than a cheaper price for a system that that did not include an AAD. Listed below are the results.

$2,750 - 25 jumps to A license, including FJC
$6,184 - Wings container, Sabre II, Pilot res. & Cypress II
$ 159 - Altimaster III
$ 195 - FX helmet
$ 175 - Brand X jumpsuit

$9,463 - TOTAL

Then you gotta figure in about $100 - $200 worth of beer for 1st calls & just being one of the guys, gas to & from the DZ, meals, lodging, etc. and we are looking at around $10,000 as a minimum to get his new sport started, (and I usta thing skiing was expensive.) Lets say this guy's girlfriend/wife also decides to join him & we got a good down payment on a starter home here. Just sayin....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0