Static Line:
The static line progression is the most time-honored introduction to parachuting. On your first jump, your parachute will be opened automatically by a tether (the 'static line') attached to the airplane. You will receive extensive instruction on how to fly the parachute, but you will also have a ground-to-air radio, so your instructor can guide you safely to the ground.

Your first jump will be made from 3500 feet, and you will experience a free fall of three to five seconds. If you choose to continue your skydiving training, you will make at least four more static line jumps, perfecting your body position and your control of the parachute. You will then move on to true freefall jumps, from higher and higher altitudes, experiencing longer and longer periods of freefall. Your 'graduation jump' will be from 9000 feet, giving you 45 seconds of freefall time. The entire program of training typically involves about 25 jumps.

Accelerated Freefall (AFF):
AFF is the most advanced program of skydiving instruction in the world. AFF Instructors are the most competent skydivers in the world--only the best even attempt the week-long Instructor Certification Course, and fewer than half pass the course and earn their rating.

For the student, this means that AFF is the most intense, the safest, and potentially most rewarding way to enter the sport of skydiving. You will enjoy the complete skydiving experience from your first jump. You will exit the aircraft at 11,000 feet, with two AFF Jumpmasters holding on to either side of you. During freefall, you will monitor your altitude, watch the horizon, and perform basic maneuvers. At 4500 feet, you will pull your own ripcord and fly your own parachute to a safe landing. An instructor on the ground will guide you down by talking to you through ground-to-air radio.

The entire course of AFF instruction consists of seven levels. Some people spend only one jump per level, but students are sometimes asked to repeat a level in order to perfect their skills. On Level II you will learn how to inspect and put on your gear, and to perform turns in freefall. On Level III your instructors will release you in freefall--you'll be flying on your own! On Level IV you will learn how to turn toward an instructor and dock on him or her. By Level V you will be jumping with only one instructor, and will perform more radical turns and maneuvers in freefall. On Level VI you will dive out of the aircraft alone (!) with your instructor diving after you. Level VII is the 'graduation dive', on which you will dive out alone, perform front and back flips, an fly away from the instructor before opening your canopy.

Tandem Skydiving:
Tandem Skydiving is an exciting and revolutionary development in the sport. After two decades of testing, parachute manufacturers have developed modern gear that pairs the student and instructor in a dual harness, under a single parachute. This system allows you to share your skydiving experience with a highly trained and qualified instructor (theTandem Master), from take-off to touch-down.

After less than an hour of training, you will jump with the Tandem Master from 10,000 feet (or higher!), and freefall for 45 seconds or more. When the parachute opens at 5000 feet, you will experience a sense of peace and serenity, high above the sunlit lakes and green countryside. With your Tandem Master's guidance, you will help steer the canopy to a landing.

A Tandem Skydive and Video make an excellent birthday, anniversary, or graduation gift!

Video:
Your first skydive is something you will remember forever, and something you will want to share with your friends and family. At FTSPC we can video your tandem or AFF skydive, from start to finish. A trained videographer will capture your training, your plane ride, and will jump with you to capture your freefall experience.

Contact us via e-mail, or call Jim Burriss at (864) 246-1651!