MFF Transition

[Deisel 35]

I know that USPA allows Military Free Fall course graduates to do a 1 jump transition to civilian equipment and will issue an A license upon successful completion of that jump. Does anyone know what reference/publication covers the transition of MFF qualified parachutists over to the USPA system? I've done a bunch of these but was never asked for anything in writing that allows it. And now that I look, I can't find anything in the SIM or IRM.

D

The brave may not live forever, but the timid never live at all.

[jumper03 0]

Deisel

I know that USPA allows Military Free Fall course graduates to do a 1 jump transition to civilian equipment and will issue an A license upon successful completion of that jump. Does anyone know what reference/publication covers the transition of MFF qualified parachutists over to the USPA system? I've done a bunch of these but was never asked for anything in writing that allows it. And now that I look, I can't find anything in the SIM or IRM.

D

We take their schoolhouse log book and transfer over the dates of the equivalent jumps to the A-card. It isn't so much an agreement, more than it is - the students DID the jumps for the A-license (plus a bunch) - we are just filling out the A card and doing an equipment familiarization jump with them.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[tkhayes 124]

Many military jumpers do not seem to have any official logbooks of their jumps, while some do. Which makes it nearly impossible to verify their records or experience. terminology is often different and the gear can be very different.

And ultimately that is what needs to be done, show us how many jumps you have, what freefall time, airplanes, gear, skills, etc. when you last jumped.

We have the luxury here of having the USSOCOM parachute team nearby who can often help verify what they have done and make recommendations on where to start , or they transition them for us.

[scottf1887 0]

It really depends what dropzone you're at and how familiar they are with military jumpers. I've seen it go both ways, but documentation is key. I took a printoff of my jump records from my unit which showed aircraft, altitude, dates, etc. I just had to do the math on my FF time. Still took about 3 coach jumps to get the license. Money well spent though. Big difference between the old MC5 used at MFF and a sport rig. Ultimately it is the instructors name blessing you off, so it is totally up to them. Also, which school did you go to or going to? The Navy school can do your license at the end of the course.

[Speer 0]

Since you're already doing them, you have the mechanics down... but short of an enquiry to USPA, you'll not likely get an official answer. As scottf1887 said, Tactical Air Operations (NAVY) set up for their grads to walk down the line and make the transition at the civilian DZ they share facilities with.

Really comes down to the instructor signing off on the card that the "student" is qualified as per the already developed skills the card is seeking to document. Usually, the greatest need of the typical transitioning student is to understand the difference in gear and prove they can safely dock. If they have passed the demanding MFF course, they're usually ready.

If you want some piece of mind without contacting USPA, you might try calling TacAir.

Regards,

Russ

Generally, it is your choice; will your life serve as an example... or a warning?