AJ_Stuyvenberg 0 #1 July 13, 2009 Sorry! Complete newbie here. I made a tandem jump on my 18th birthday, and now I can't stop thinking about the sky. I'm leaving for college in september, and I'd like to get an A license before I leave if possible. Could I achieve this with S/L? How often does the average DZ let you drop in a day? If I can't get the A license before I leave, how long can I put my progression on hold? I'm under the impression I need to jump every 30 days to stay current. Sorry if this has been asked over and over, I've poked around and came up empty. Thanks! AJ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 14 #2 July 13, 2009 All it takes is money. Depending on the DZ, you could make 2-5 jumps a day as a student/novice. A written test, packing lessons, and accomplishing certain skills goals will get you your A license at 25 jumps. All the requirements are posted on the USPA website. If you do have to take a big break in your training, most DZ's will work with you to get you in the air again, without backtracking too much. Talk to your local DZ. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dks13827 2 #3 July 13, 2009 some colleges have parachute clubs ( at least in the old days they did !!! ) Get you logbook, USPA card all in order, etc. IMO your new DZ will help you finish up, no problem. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cutaway68 4 #4 July 13, 2009 A lot of your progression time-line will be based on the weather and if you spend every hour of every weekend at the dropzone. As for the weather, that will depend on your location. As a student you will be more restricted with different weather conditions. I would contact your local DZ and talk with the Instructors about your particular situation. Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!! The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can." Be fun, have safe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
captain_stan 0 #5 July 13, 2009 Thank God for newbies who bring fresh enthusiasm with them.Having said that, I hope you're not setting yourself up for disappointment by expecting too much too soon. Even if your personal schedule and budget are unlimited, there are other factor that will be. Weather and the availability of staff, gear, and aircraft are things you cannot control. Your learning curve will indeed ramp-up nicely if you can jump frequently, but the inconvenience and expense of recurrency after seasonal layoff is minimal. Being a skydiver means tempering your enthusiasm with patience. Although DZ student programs vary, the USPA permits a student to make unsupervised solo FF jumps after category E. This permits a student to earn a degree of independence even before achieving the A license. I remember how well this motivated me when I reached this point before the end of my fist season. It didn't seem so bad to do a recurrency the following spring and quickly complete my A license. My best advice is: (1) Do all the skydiving you can and let everything else fall into place. (2) Focus more on enjoying the ride and a little less on reaching the destination; you will get there. And oh yeah, welcome to the sport! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kmills0705 0 #6 July 13, 2009 QuoteSorry! Complete newbie here. I made a tandem jump on my 18th birthday, and now I can't stop thinking about the sky. I'm leaving for college in september, and I'd like to get an A license before I leave if possible. Could I achieve this with S/L? How often does the average DZ let you drop in a day? If I can't get the A license before I leave, how long can I put my progression on hold? I'm under the impression I need to jump every 30 days to stay current. Sorry if this has been asked over and over, I've poked around and came up empty. Thanks! AJ Congrats!! Tell us where you are jumping. Are they a weekend only operation? Also pick up a USPA SIM or go on line and look at the requirements to get an A license. The minimum is 25 jumps but there is a progression card that needs to be completed and it often takes more than 25 jumps to complete it. There are so many factors that this question is near impossible to answer. It will differ based on each student, location, etc. Good luck!Kim Mills USPA D21696 Tandem I, AFF I and Static Line I Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AJ_Stuyvenberg 0 #7 July 13, 2009 Thanks for all the help guys (and gals!) Money will be an issue (college is expensive these days!) but to be honest, this is something I want more than anything else I can think of. I have to sell my motorcycle to make some cash for school anyway, so I may as well spend some of that money skydiving. I'm leaving a message with my local skydiving school this afternoon after work, and I'll see what the hours are, and how they operate. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruudwas 0 #8 July 15, 2009 good luck and have fun ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
