Tandem Jump GET READY TO FLY!
If you're just after that once-off thrill of a lifetime, or you're not quite sure yet whether this skydiving thing is for you, then a tandem jump is what you want to try. No comprehensive ground school is required for a tandem skydive. A Tandem Instructor will brief you on the do's and don'ts prior to the jump. You will be told what to expect and how to get the most from your tandem experience. You will wear a strong passenger harness, with which you will be securely connected to the front of a highly qualified Tandem Instructor. The two of you will exit the aircraft at 11000ft AGL and freefall at 200
kph down to 5000ft AGL. During this freefall, no verbal communication is possible between passenger and Tandem Instructor, due to wind noise. The freefall will feel like you are suspended on a thick cushion of air it will almost feel as if you are freefalling by yourself as you will be weightless. After 40 seconds of falling straight down at 200
km/h, the Tandem Instructor will deploy the main parachute at an altitude of approximately 5000ft AGL. At this stage, everything slows down a whole lot. As the two of you drift gently down to earth, you will be able to talk to each other, enjoy the ride and the magnificent view. The canopy ride down to earth will last around 5-8 minutes, after which you will touch down gently in front of the club house. An experienced camera man will video the entire event, from your briefing until shortly after the landing. The exit and actual freefall is expertly filmed by the camera man who will fly a few feet in front of the tandem. You will receive a video or DVD edited with music and slow motion shots of the action parts before you go home. This will be an awesome reminder which you will watch over and over in years to come. (
Forget those old holiday videos guys...check out my tandem jump!!!)
AFF GET READY TO FREE FALL! Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) is the fast track way to the real deal.The AFF student is required to attend ground school training with particular reference to free fall. An AFF instructor will perform this training. The AFF student will need to successfully complete 8 levels – each level relates to a skydive, except Level 8 which consists of 3 separate skydives (
Levels 8, 9 & 10). Levels 1-3 have two AFF instructors jumping with the student, and coaching the student throughout the freefall part of the skydive on what was taught during the ground school. Levels 4-7 have only one instructor, and Level 8 sees the student doing three solo skydives.Before each level, the AFF instructor will teach the student what is expected of him/her on the level. Once the jump has been completed, the AFF instructor(s) will de-brief the student and deliver a pass/fail verdict. The student then either repeats the jump or advances to the next level. The AFF program can be completed just as fast as what the student can successfully complete all 8 levels. However, it is not recommended that the student race through the levels, as this is not conducive to maximizing the learning experience.
Static Line GET READY TO JUMP OUT OF A PLANE!
The First Jump Course takes anywhere from 6-8 hours, depending on the size of the class. A qualified static line instructor will present the class, which consists of a number of lectures covering everything from equipment to emergency procedures, to landing safely.The first jump course is run at the dropzone every Saturday from 7:45 to around 15:00. Classes are kept relatively small in order to ensure personal attention, so booking is essential. After completing the
ground school......it's time to jump!Simply completing the ground school does not guarantee that the student will do the static line jump. The student must
demonstrate a sufficient level of
proficiency on the course material, as well as satisfy the instructor the he/she is able to perform the static line jump safely and correctly.The jump will usually take place on the
Saturday after the training has been completed. An instructor or
jump master will accompany students in the aircraft.The student will exit the aircraft at an
altitude of 3500ft AGL. The static line will deploy the parachute, and the student will perform certain checks and controls described during training. The student will then fly the parachute down to the drop zone, where they will
land gently, before letting out an almighty scream of joy!!! The actual parachute ride will take around
3 or 4 minutes.
Stuff to know 1 Minimum age 16 years (parental consent required if below 21 years old). 2 A non-refundable deposit is required before bookings are accepted. 3 Since sport skydiving requires both mental and physical fitness, even the slightest physical defect could pose a threat to safety. A qualified medical practitioner's note is required, stating that a student's physical defect will not interfere with their safety during a skydive. The Chief Instructor can overrule the note from any medical practitioner.
4 Maximum student weight is 100kg – no exceptions.
5 A certificate will be issued on successful completion of the first static line jump.
6 Successful completion of the first static line jump qualifies the jumper to perform further static line jumps, or convert to Accelerated Free Fall (AFF), at Johannesburg Skydiving Club.
7 The cost of the course includes the first jump, PASA membership (Parachute Association of South Africa) until "A" License status, and JSC membership until the following March.8 Course bookings are essential.
