Learn to Skydive at RMS
Learn to Skydive in Colorado
I Want to Jump On My Own, Where Do I Start?
So, you took a tandem skydive and decided it wasn’t enough? Or you’ve just always dreamt of flying through the sky on your own? For some of us, skydiving isn’t just a one-time experience; we long for the freedom to jump by ourselves, to take control, and to fully immerse ourselves in the exhilaration of solo flight. At Rocky Mountain Skydive, we understand that skydiving can become a passion, a way to push your limits and achieve something extraordinary.
Our Student Program at Rocky Mountain Skydive is designed to help you learn to skydive in Colorado and meet and exceed the requirements set by the United States Parachute Association (USPA) to obtain your first skydiving license. We’ll provide you with expert instruction, state-of-the-art equipment, and a supportive community to ensure your success and safety as you embark on your solo skydiving journey. Join us and experience the ultimate adventure in the breathtaking skies of Colorado!
280+ Successful Students
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So, you took a tandem skydive and decided it wasn’t enough? Or you’ve just always dreamed of flying through the sky on your own? For some of us, skydiving isn’t just a one-time experience; we long for the freedom to jump by ourselves, to take control, and to fully immerse ourselves in the exhilaration of solo flight. At Rocky Mountain Skydive, we understand that skydiving can become a passion, a way to push your limits and achieve something extraordinary.
In order to skydive solo, you must obtain a skydiving license issued by the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Here are the basic requirements to achieve your USPA A-License, the first level of skydiving licensure:
- Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old.
- Training: Complete a certified USPA training program, such as the Accelerated Freefall (AFF) program, which includes ground school, tandem jumps, and solo supervised jumps.
- Jumps: Accumulate a minimum of 25 jumps, including tandem and solo jumps.
- Skills Demonstration: Demonstrate mastery of specific skydiving skills, including stable freefall, controlled turns, tracking, and accurate landings.
- Written Exam: Pass the USPA A-License written exam to ensure you understand the principles of skydiving, safety procedures, and emergency protocols.
- Coach and Instructor Endorsements: Obtain endorsements from certified USPA coaches and instructors verifying your skills and readiness.
Our Student Program at Rocky Mountain Skydive is designed to meet and exceed these requirements, providing you with expert instruction, state-of-the-art equipment, and a supportive community to ensure your success and safety as you embark on your solo skydiving journey. Join us and experience the ultimate adventure in the breathtaking skies of Colorado!
How Our Program Works
At Rocky Mountain Skydive, we ensure you learn to skydive in Colorado by offering the Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) program, a method designed to prioritize canopy piloting skills from the very start. To understand why we choose IAD, it’s helpful to know about the three main types of student programs: Accelerated Freefall (AFF), Static Line, and IAD.
Accelerated Freefall (AFF) focuses on freefall skills, with students jumping from higher altitudes accompanied by instructors who release them in freefall. This method emphasizes body control and freefall maneuvers early on.
Static Line involves a fixed line attached to the aircraft, automatically deploying the parachute as the student exits. This method is less common and serves as a middle ground between tandem and solo jumps.
Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD), the program we champion at RMS, is similar to Static Line but involves an instructor manually deploying the parachute for the student. We believe this method excels in making students proficient canopy pilots, the most critical skill in skydiving, by focusing on flying and landing canopies from the beginning. Unlike other methods where freefall skills are prioritized, IAD ensures that canopy skills are never an afterthought.
Why Choose IAD at Rocky Mountain Skydive?
The IAD program at RMS starts with a comprehensive 4-6 hour First Jump Course (FJC) which will be immediately followed by your first IAD jump. In your FJC, you’ll learn the basics of skydiving equipment, how to fly a landing pattern, emergency procedures, landing techniques, and essential safety guidelines. This foundational knowledge prepares you for your first solo exits from the plane and set you up for success flying and safely landing your canopy in the landing zone.
Your initial IAD jumps will be from 4,000 feet. During these jumps, the emphasis is on relaxing in freefall, arching to maintain stability, and honing your canopy piloting skills. As you progress, you’ll move up to full-altitude jumps, where you’ll start learning more advanced freefall maneuvers and how to fly your body as you jump uner the guidance and supervision of a highly experienced, USPA-rated Coach or Instructor. Throughout the program, canopy piloting remains a core focus, ensuring you become a skilled and confident skydiver.
By choosing IAD at Rocky Mountain Skydive, you’re opting for a program that prioritizes your safety and effectiveness as a canopy pilot from day one, preparing you for a successful and enjoyable skydiving journey. Join us and experience the difference that a canopy-focused training program can make as you learn to skydive in Colorado!
Student Program FAQs
Wanting to learn to skydive in Colorado but have questions? We’re here to help! For any additional questions, feel free to give us a call or get in touch! We’d be happy to help!
The timeline of how long it takes to complete our student program and obtain your USPA “A” License is entirely up to you. While there are some factors such as weather that may delay us on occasion, we like to say, “You can’t jump if you’re not here!” We’ve seen students complete the program in just a couple weeks and some that took years, it all depends on your schedule, how often you can be at the dropzone, and how motivated you are to get it done! That said, the typical schedule we see for people working full-time jobs is 2-4 jumps per week, putting the total timeline around 1-3 months.
We also like to point out that the more consistent you can be as a student, the faster you’ll pick up the necessary skills. We would rather see you come take 2 jumps every Saturday for 13 weeks than 4 jumps one day, then a month break, then another 3, then 4 more weeks off, etc. It takes repetition and consistency to build the physical skills and mindset necessary to be a safe skydiver, so the more consistency you can bring to your training, the faster and safer you’ll be as you progress. It’s also important to know that the USPA requires students to take a jump once every 30 days (at a minimum) to stay current. If you have to take a break longer than 30 days, you will require an additional recurrency jump to ensure you still remember what you have learned up to that point and are capable of being safe enough to progress in the program.
At RMS, we offer two flexible options for completing our student program. The first is a pay-as-you-go approach, which is great for those who prefer to spread out their investment over time or may need the flexibility to continue their training elsewhere in the case of a move out-of-state or other life event. Broken out this way, the total cost is detailed below (assuming no make-up or recurrency jumps are required):
- First Jump Course (Ground School & First Jump): $290
- Coached Jumps 2-25: $160/jump
- Total: $4,130
The second option is to pay in full for the whole program when you show up for your FJC (first jump course). This option is preferable for anyone with the ability to commit to the program as this method provides nearly a 15% reduction to the total price, as detailed below:
- Complete USPA “A” License Program – Single Payment: $3,600
Selecting this option also allows for some built-in flexibility in the case make-up or recurrency jumps are required, as we guarantee up to 30 jumps or your completed “A” License (whichever comes first) for those who elect the Single Payment option. This option, along with all of our online payments, however, is non-refundable, so when selecting this option, students must be prepared to complete the whole program through RMS.
Both of these options include all Coach/Instructor time and supervision, jump tickets, rental gear, log books, and everything you will need to successfully complete the student program and obtain your “A” License.
The USPA requires 25 jumps supervised and coached by a USPA-rated Instructor or Coach before students can be granted their “A” License. Some students pick up the required freefall and canopy skills quickly and their last few jumps are simply additional jumps to have fun or learn additional things until they reach that 25 mark, while some struggle with certain maneuvers and require additional jumps (or are forced to take a break and require a recurrency jump) before checking off the requirements to obtain their “A” License, but we find the 25-jump mark to be pretty consistent of what it takes for a beginner to reach the point that they can confidently and safely skydive solo!
Typically, yes! Our USPA-rated Coaches and Instructors will typically record your jumps on their own cameras in order to be able to analyze and debrief your performance after touching back down to earth.
Video is an invaluable tool in improving and we like to help track your progression through its use! This is a standard and included part of our student program and you are always more than welcome to keep the videos for yourself as well!
The only fee required outside of the cost of the Student Program are the fees that the United States Parachute Association (USPA) charges to become a member of the USPA and to apply for the student’s license.
The USPA is the organization that defines the requirements and grants the “A” License, so once the student program is completed through RMS, students must register as USPA members (a $78 yearly fee is associated with the required membership) and subsequently apply for their “A” License (a $36 fee is associated with this application) as well as take an online exam within their membership portal to be granted their “A” License.
Once the exam has been passed and fees have been paid, our instructors will sign into their own USPA Member portal and check off that all requirements have been met by the student and the student will instantly be rewarded with their new “A” License and License Number which will be used to verify their membership status anywhere they travel to jump!
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