KevinMac 0 #1 April 28, 2009 I was planning to get my A license this summer from skydive new england (skydivenewengland.com) and at first i thought it only cost about 1200, as opposed to 2200, could someone explain to me the benefits of taking an AFF program through your solo graduation, compared to getting your A license? please and thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragon2 0 #2 April 28, 2009 You have to do a skydiving course, which is either AFF, StaticLine, IAF, tandem progression or a combination of these. 1200 for AFF sounds about right. After the course, you'll work towards your A license and further licenses. ciel bleu, Saskia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wormly81 0 #3 April 29, 2009 As a current student I'll share the following advice: The AFF course I did is comprised of 13 levels. they include 3 tandem jumps, 5 instructor jumps, a solo jump, and 3 coached jumps. That leaves 12 solo jumps necessary to get the A license. The AFF course gains you the opportunity to jump as a student through your A license. 1200 for AFF sounds reasonable and another $50 bucks a jump for student solos equals something like 1700 for the jumps through your A license. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
I3uller 0 #4 April 29, 2009 Quote As a current student I'll share the following advice: The AFF course I did is comprised of 13 levels. they include 3 tandem jumps, 5 instructor jumps, a solo jump, and 3 coached jumps. That leaves 12 solo jumps necessary to get the A license. The AFF course gains you the opportunity to jump as a student through your A license. 1200 for AFF sounds reasonable and another $50 bucks a jump for student solos equals something like 1700 for the jumps through your A license. That is one weird ass AFF progression right there... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NiteQwill 0 #5 April 29, 2009 Why the hell did you "have" to do tandem? I jumped out with JM and reserve side on day one. I have NEVER jumped a tandem."Fail, fail again. Fail better." -Samuel Beckett Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sgoltry853 0 #6 April 29, 2009 QuoteWhy the hell did you "have" to do tandem? I jumped out with JM and reserve side on day one. I have NEVER jumped a tandem. Lots of places (probably mostly smaller DZs) do a sort of tandem progression instead of the traditional AFF course. The tandems are "working" tandems where the student works on body position, turning, and canopy control... but with the instructor right there the whole way through. After the three tandems, you go straight to AFF cat C with one jumpmaster. Although I did the regular AFF because I started my training while I was out of state for the summer, my home DZ does tandem progression... partly because it seems to help develop good canopy control right away (it's hard to ignore/not hear your instructor when he's literally talking in your ear and explaining things to you as you experience them), and partly because we only have one active AFF instructor doing student training. ...to the OP: The AFF program is one step in the direction of getting your A. It's not an either/or kind of thing. (Although you could choose to do another training method like IAD or static line instead of AFF to get to solo status.) If AFF costs $1200, the additional $1000 is probably an estimate of how much you will spend in between graduating to solo status and completing all the requirements for your A license. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wormly81 0 #7 April 29, 2009 Quote That is one weird ass AFF progression right there... They refer to the program as IAF (Instructor Assisted Freefall). Following the 3 tandems and a CJC you enter at AAF 4 with a single instructor. The program has been super fun and, even if the experience would have been better through the traditional AAF I won't ever know. What I will say is that it was very nice having seen first hand two separate TI's fly the landing pattern and land the canopy. Solo canopy flight was, for me, the only aspect of my student progression that has caused any anxiety. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andrewwhyte 1 #8 April 29, 2009 So from reading this thread you should all realize that their are many different programs. There is nothing "weird ass" about tandem to AFF transition programs, nor are static line/IAD to AFF transition programs, or strait AFF, or strait static line/IAD to solo freefall "weird ass." The difference between a solo program and an A license program is that the solo will let you jump solo at your drop zone and the A license program will let you jump solo anywhere in the world. Ask them to clarify at the DZ. I think you will find the A license program has some additional savings compared to taking the solo program and working on your own toward your A license. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jsreznor 0 #9 April 29, 2009 QuoteWhy the hell did you "have" to do tandem? I jumped out with JM and reserve side on day one. I have NEVER jumped a tandem. It's an IAF tandem progression. The idea of the three tandems is of course, to make $$$, but mainly to focus on altitude awareness, canopy control under supervision, and overcoming door anxiety. I did it that way. I probably would have freaked the F out if I said I wanted to get my license and then they threw me out with two AFF-I's on my very first jump. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
