The day starts with a minimum 6 hours of ground school where you will be taught everything you will need to know to successfully perform your first ever solo jump. The type of things you can expect to cover are: exiting the aircraft, body position, controlling your canopy, landing your canopy, emergency procedures and (don't get scared!) a small written examination. The ground training is a mix of theory and practice so you can expect to be suspended in a training harness at the end of the day to simulate your parachute decent and practice your emergency procedures. After successful completion of the training you will go and make your first jump from 3,500ft (Providing the weather is suitable for jumping). Where it is not possible to jump straight after training you can come back at a later date to make the jump, but be warned, wait too long and you may be required to pay for a refresher course! Training usually takes place on a Saturday and we highly recommend that you come back on the Sunday to make your jump (or even better camp overnight!). If you intend to make more jumps it is important that you either receive refresher training from an instructor (free) or actually jump about once a month. If you go for three months without either of the above you can expect to pay for an extended refresher course.

Student exiting with the
static line attached

Like every jump your first will start with a quick briefing and an equipment check by an instructor. Once everyone is checked and comfortably fitted in the equipment you and other parachutists will board the aircraft ready to fly to around 3,500ft to make your jump. As you exit the aircraft your parachute will automatically be deployed for you by a static line attached from your parachute to a strong point inside of the airplane. This deployment method allows you to concentrate on your good stable arched body position learnt during training whilst the parachute fills with air and opens. Once open the fully controllable modern square parachute will give you the manoeuvrability to test the canopy flight skills you have learnt and make a tiptoe, on-target landing in the middle of the drop zone.

A student landing on their
first ever jump

With the RAPS training method you can be free falling in as little as 6 jumps (and therefore responsible for opening your own parachute!). Once you reach this stage the next few jumps will have you exiting the aircraft from higher and higher altitudes and you will then begin to learn flying skills such as: 360 degree turns, tracking/forward movement, unstable exits, dive exits and back loops. Once all these techniques have been mastered you will perform a graduation dive (where you will demonstrate all the skills you have learnt). Upon passing this final test you will become a qualified skydiver. This can all be achieved in as little as 18 jumps. Once you are a qualified skydiver (Category 8 ) provided you have also demonstrated to your instructors a good level of skill whilst flying your canopy, then you are eligible to receive your 'A' Licence. This is quite literally your passport to skydive anywhere as the British Parachute Association is well respected throughout the world. At this point the fun really starts: learning how to jump with friends, visit dropzones in other countries to jump, jumping a parachute that you've learnt to pack yourself! Should you not believe us then come on down to a club meeting on a Thursday night and ask somebody who's done it. Should you not be able to make a club meeting then please email a member of the committee for further information or to organise a one to one meeting during university hours.

First jump students boarding the
aircraft.