What is AFF?

British Skydiving’s AFF training method progresses student skydivers through eight levels of proficiency, all with different requirements.  After a minimum of six hours of ground training, the students will be trained and ready to carry out their first AFF descent.  After leaving the aircraft, form an exit altitude of around 12,000 to 15,000 ft, students are accompanied by two highly qualified instructors who will coach and teach them during the free-fall phase of the descent, which can last for approximately 45 seconds.  This ‘in-air’ teaching provides a more personal and accelerated learning process for the students.

For the first three descents or levels, the students jump with two instructors.  Once they progress on to level four, they then drop down to only one instructor.  Once students have completed the requirements for level seven, they will continue to jump on their own by completing ten further consolidation jumps, which enables them to practice and consolidate the skills learnt on the earlier seven levels.  At any stage during the consolidation descents or even after the tenth consolidation descent, the students will be required to complete the level eight jump.

The requirements for completing each level may be found in the British Skydiving Operations Manual, Section Two (Designation and Classification of Skydivers), Paragraph 5 (Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) Levels).