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Skydiving Instructor

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Education and Training cluster Teaching/Training pathway.

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Becoming a skydiving instructor is a fairly simple process, but it takes many years. The experience and cool-headed outlook of a veteran diver take a while to build up.

"There are no college or university degrees for this sort of thing," says Al Gramando. He owns a company that sells skydiving equipment. "Skydiving is definitely outside of normal academia."

But Gramando definitely believes would-be instructors should have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent if they intend to be involved in teaching. The ability to read and write will greatly help, as there are written tests involved in becoming an instructor.

The instructor's rating requires around 100 free falls and a jumpmaster's certification course. You have to go through the instructor course, which takes a couple of weekends.

The instructor course consists of actual classroom lessons. You are taught how adults learn, what your role is as an instructor and various techniques of skydiving.

Following the classroom lessons, those wanting to become instructors have to learn the practical aspects of jumping. They must demonstrate at actual jump zones that they can train absolute beginners.

Bryan Burke, manager of a skydiving company in Arizona, says learning to be an instructor isn't like going to trade school. He recommends that anyone interested should hang around a drop zone.

"Learn how to pack parachutes, do a lot of jumping and generally act as a gopher and helper for at least a year," advises Burke.

Speak to skydivers in your area about how to get training to be an instructor.