Want to make a jump?

Find a BPA Skydiving Centre near you

How safe is sport parachuting/ skydiving?

Asthma and Skydiving
Skydiving is one of the most exciting sports of modern times. Dynamic and colourful, it offers both men and women total mastery of the air and the freedom to make the skies their own.

Enjoyment, exhilaration and limitless challenge are available to even the absolute beginner, while at its highest level, skydiving is a highly competitive sport which requires finely tuned skills, intimate knowledge of the air and perfect body control.

One of the latest growing adventure sports in the UK today, more people than ever are discovering for themselves the pure joy that freedom of the sky can bring.

The majority of skydiving is done for fun. It offers not only the freedom of the sky but unlimited opportunities to meet with friends and enjoy a wide range of social activities.

As experience grows many skydivers join display teams, entertaining the public throughout the summer by jumping into fetes, fairs and shows; although the ultimate display was into the Seoul arena at the opening ceremony of the Seoul Olympic Games, 1988 by a team trained and led by a British skydiver.

There are four ways you can make a first jump:
1 Static Line Rounds

The most widespread, least expensive and most traditional way of making that first jump. In static line parachuting, the parachute opens automatically as soon as you leave the aircraft. You make your first jump after completion of a training course of at least 6 hours.

Your first jump is made from an aircraft flying between 2,200 and 3,500 feet. The parachute is round with very little forward speed, giving a sensation of complete peace and tranquillity.

2 Static Line Squares (RAPS)

A modern version of the above, the development of RAPS (Ram Air Progression System) means you can now jump a square canopy on your first jump, contained in a so called piggyback system with main and reserve parachutes in one neat pack on the back.

This system offers softer landings and more control under canopy plus continuity of equipment and drills if you decide to take the sport up.

3 Accelerated Free-Fall (AFF)

An intensive course, more expensive but allowing rapid progression in skydiving.Your first descent is from 12,000 feet accompanied by two highly specialised instructors who will guide you in freefall by way of hand signals and under canopy with radio communication. You will experience 40 - 45 seconds of freefall before you open your own, ram-air canopy at 5,000 feet. This is the real sport!

Your first AFF jump is part of a week’s course of 8 - 10 jumps which will qualify you as a skydiver in your own right. If you know you want to take up skydiving, this is probably the quickest and most motivating method by which to do it - although of course it is not cheap!

4 Tandem

Tandem parachuting offers a quick and easy introduction to free-fall using a dual harness system.


You are securely attached to an experienced tandem instructor takes charge of vital functions such as opening the parachute and landing safely. Your preparation for the jump takes only 15 minutes. Freed from responsibility, you can relax and enjoy the skydive knowing there is someone more qualified than you who will deal with all the eventualities.

Weather permitting, you will exit the aircraft from around 10,000 feet, experiencing 30 seconds of freefall, which is quite a rush! At 5,000 feet, the instructor deploys a huge ram-air parachute designed for two. You can have your choice of a gentle or thrilling flight to the ground, where you should have a soft landing. Tandem parachuting allows many disabled people to experience the thrills of skydiving. From Tandem you move on to either AFF or Static Line jumping.


Whichever method you choose for your first jump, there is an organised structure for you to learn about the sport and advance at a safe pace. If you like the experience of either rounds or RAPS, and want to do more, it is only about £25 a time for further jumps. You will be assessed by BPA instructors on each one, they will progress you to the next stage when you are ready. The two systems are identical, only your equipment differs.

Your first freefall can be as early as your sixth jump and will usually be a five second delay. The time you spend in freefall will be gradually increased and you will start to learn body flying skills like turns and forward movement. About 30 jumps and you can qualify as a fully fledged skydiver. From here, all the different avenues of the sport are open!

Where?

There are around 25 parachute clubs/centres approved by and affiliated to the British Parachute Association. These are spread throughout the UK and range from full-time professional centres to weekend clubs run on a voluntary basis. They offer a variety of standard courses for student and provide facilities for experienced parachutists. Most centres can offer video or stills of your skydive.

When?

All courses follow standard British Parachute Association procedures, and are conducted by BPA approved instructors. They can be undertaken at any time of the year, although parachuting can only take place when weather conditions are suitable.

 What Next?

Whatever way you decide to do your jump, enjoy it! To really taste the experience you have to try it for yourself. Sport parachuting is a highly skilled sport which offers many and varied challenges to participants whether jumping purely for pleasure or with a competitive edge. Either way the sky is the limit.

Progress

Students initially progress within the sport from beginner to complete parachutist via one of two category systems depending on how you make your first jump. Static Line Jumping takes you through a category system from 1 to 10 while AFF takes you through a level system 1 to 8. As you progress you can also qualify for the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (the World Air Sports Federation) licences A to D.