After the AFF course

AFF ends when you complete the programme and jump solo. For a lot of people that is the most disorienting moment of the whole thing: suddenly there is no instructor alongside, no next level to pass, and you have to decide for yourself what comes next. This is about what comes next.

The jumps right after the course

Early solo jumps after AFF are mostly consolidation. You jump a lot and you jump simple: a stable exit, altitude awareness, deployment on time, a considered landing pattern. There is no point rushing towards manoeuvres — this is the period where habits are built, and they stay for the rest of your jumping.

In practice that means regularity. A jumper who goes every fortnight makes progress. A jumper who goes twice a season starts each time by recovering what they already knew.

The licence

Finishing AFF is not the same as holding a licence. A licence is the next threshold and requires a set number of jumps and the completion of programme requirements — the exact scope is defined by aviation regulation and by the rules of the organisations skydivers belong to. Without one you jump under the dropzone's supervision; with one, jumping opens up at other dropzones, at home and abroad.

It is worth confirming the specific requirements with your dropzone before starting the course, because the details get updated. We will tell you how it works with us — write to us.

What it costs afterwards

After AFF the largest line stops being training and becomes the number of jumps. A single solo jump costs a fraction of a tandem — you are mostly paying for the lift to altitude. On top of that there is equipment: rented from the dropzone at first, your own later.

A complete rig of your own is an outlay comparable to a used car, and most people get there in stages, starting with a harness or a canopy. There is no reason to buy anything before the course — and several reasons not to, because what suits you depends on your weight, your skill and which direction you end up going.

Which direction you can go

• Formation work — several jumpers building shapes in the air.
• Freefly — orientations other than flat on your belly, head-down included.
• Canopy piloting — accuracy and flying the parachute itself.
• Wingsuit — after the required jump numbers and specific training.
• The instructional path, for people who want this to be more than a hobby.

Start with AFF or with a tandem?

If you are not sure whether jumping is for you, a tandem is the cheaper way to find out. If you already know you want to carry on, a tandem is not required — the AFF course can be started without one. The two routes are compared in a separate guide.

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