First Jump Courses and Tandem Skydiving

First Jump Training

Photographs by James Stevenson and Dave Pritchard

We offer instruction to beginners who wish to learn to skydive or make a parachute jump. Parachuting and skydiving are the same thing ! Whether you wish to do a single jump or to become a fully qualified skydiver, we can offer you all the training you require. The following information should help answer any questions you may have regarding your first jump.
Training courses for first time jumpers are run on both Saturdays and Sundays. Mid-week courses are also available for group bookings. Your first jump can be a solo using a 'Static Line' parachute system which opens automatically as you leave the aircraft or you can also choose a freefall tandem as your first jump.
The team of instructors are all highly qualified to the exacting standards set by the British Parachute Association.

NOTE : Training courses and Tandem skydives both require to be booked in advance.

Static Line Training Courses

 
Solo static line jump training begins at 9 am and you should be here at 8.45 am at the latest. It will normally take about 8 hours to complete the training, so you should be ready to jump around 5.00 pm that day, weather and daylight permitting. If you cannot jump due to adverse weather conditions on the day of your course you can return at a later date to make your jump.
The training consists of both classroom and physical practice sessions. The course covers everything you need to know to make your first jump at Skydive Strathallan - from how to exit the aircraft, how your parachute works,  how to fly your parachute and land, and how to deal with emergencies.
The club offers static line training on both the traditional round parachute system as well as the more modern 'Square' or 'Ram Air' system.

Tandem Skydiving

Skydive Strathallan also offers tandem skydiving. Tandem skydiving is a quick and easy introduction to freefall using a dual-harness system with you as the student. You jump attached to a highly experienced instructor who controls the freefall, parachute opening and the landing. Instruction takes around 30 minutes. The jump will provide a freefall of about 30 seconds and a flight on a high performance parachute, all controlled by your instructor. In addition, we can also arrange for one of our experts to video your jump to give you a personal and permanent record of this amazing experience.

Age and Weight Limitations

The minimum age for all parachute jumps is 16 years . Persons under 18 years require the consent of their parent or guardian on a form provided by us. Persons 40 years or over will require a medical certificate from their own G.P. on a special medical form. 

Follow This link for a solo jump medical form  
or This link for a tandem jump medical form  
or Click here to request the form from our bookings secretary. 

You will need the Acrobat Reader Program to open the forms online. Click on the logo to download this program for free 

Applicants do not need to be super fit, but do need to have a reasonable fitness to reach the required standards during the training.
Medical conditions which may lead to a dangerous situation include, but are not limited to, epilepsy, fits, severe head injury, recurrent blackouts or giddiness, disease of the brain or nervous system, high blood pressure, heart or lung disease, recurrent weakness or dislocation of any limb, diabetes, mental illness, drug or alcohol addiction. This list is not exhaustive and if you have any medical condition which causes you doubts about your suitability to parachute safely then please contact the Chief Instructor.
To do a solo jump your eyesight (with or without glasses or contact lenses) must be adequate to read a car number plate at 25 yards. The requirements for a tandem jump are less strict.

PLEASE NOTE: The maximum weight limits for all the first jump options are 196 lbs/14 stone/87kg.

What to bring on the day

You should bring clothing for participating in a physical sport. A tracksuit or jogging suit is suitable. Warm clothing is essential in winter and should include a pair of thin leather gloves. Other types of gloves such as skiing gloves are NOT suitable. Footwear should consist of a pair of stout rubber soled boots or jogging type training shoes/boots. You should also bring loads of enthusiasm.

Retraining

Such is the strict training environment of student parachuting that should you be unable to make your first jump on the day of your training, you will need to receive retraining before you can jump. The amount of retraining required depends on the length of time from your training course or last retrain. 
Retraining only takes place at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm each Saturday and Sunday.

Charity Jumps

Many people do their first jump as a sponsored jump for a charity, and there are many organisations that will administer a sponsored jump package for you. We do not endorse any of these organisations in particular, but the following are details of those that regularly use Skydive Strathallan for their clients :

You could of course organise the whole sponsorship aspect of your jump by yourself if you wish.

How to Book a Course

To book places on a training course, please contact our bookings secretary as detailed below. You will be sent the appropriate booking forms by return of post. Alternatively, provisionally book a date for your training or tandem jump via e-mail or telephone to the bookings secretary using the contact details below. A provisional booking will be held for a limited period until your deposit is received. High demand for course places means that a deposit must be paid before the place is confirmed.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries regarding Skydive Strathallan or our training courses.

Bookings Secretary:
Click here to request bookings forms and available dates
 Telephone: 
07774-686161, Karen Farr
Weekends only: 01764 662572

Postal Address:
Strathallan Airfield,
Auchterarder,
Perthshire,
Scotland,
PH3 1LA.

© Copyright 2004 Andrew Hilton  
All Rights Reserved
Last updated 13 December 2004