Category H

Category at a Glance   |   Academics   |   Dive Flows   |   Quiz

Introduction

The last category of the ISP finishes preparing you for the USPA A-license so you can supervise yourself as an independent skydiver. These are the last jumps where you require USPA Instructor supervision. Next you take your test.

Freefall skills combine gross movements using the start and stop principle to dive toward a position in the sky relative to another jumper, followed by the fine movements to safely dock that you learned in Category G. The freefall briefing includes a discussion on safety and the importance of recognizing and controlling formation approach speeds. You’ll also learn to look around while tracking, signaling for pull, and during deployment.

Under canopy, students with sufficient upper body strength explore the use of the front risers. The instructor explains the benefits and dangers of front-riser maneuvers. The discussion includes how to best recover from a turn made too low, one of the sport’s biggest killers.

Emergency procedure review covers unintentional water landings.

You should be able to demonstrate how to maintain the three-ring release system and replace a main container closing loop, two common owner operations.

Although A-license holders are not qualified for demonstration jumps, you will be authorized to jump off the regular DZ into landing areas meeting the BSRs for students and A-license holders. In this last category as a formal skydiving student, you’ll study the FAA requirements for jumps into the airspace over a private field, including what additional approvals may be necessary for the jump aircraft. This discussion should be with a jump pilot who can discuss those sections of FAR 105.