Learn to Skydive

It is a tremendous achievement to become a licensed jumper and we are proud to welcome students into our family. We love training people who like to take control of their own lives and aren’t afraid of a challenge. The skydiving community is truly a family, with members from all walks of life. When you learn to skydive, you instantly have connections to smart, fun, interesting people all over the world.

From April 1st through the end of September we provide student training and we hold our students accountable for doing what it takes to become a competent, safe skydiver.

You can learn more about our Accelerated Freefall Course (AFF) and the process of earning your skydiving license below.

Accelerated Freefall (AFF) courses begin April 1st,  the program closes at the end of September.

The skydiving and training take place at the Mulino State Airport which is 30 minutes from Portland, every day that we operate.

AFF courses are comprised of 7 levels.  Each level builds upon the lessons learned in the previous one. For levels 1, 2, and 3 you will take to the sky while two instructors exit the aircraft holding on to you and assist you during the freefall portion of the jump.  Once your parachute is open, you will make a solo canopy descent while being guided from the ground by an instructor using a radio. In the next four levels (Levels 4-7) you will learn how to do turns, flips, forward movement, recovery from instability, and critical parachute skills. Upon successful completion of these levels, you will progress to more advanced maneuvers such as solo exits and front and back loops. Start preparing immediately by studying the USPA Skydivers Information Manual.

Pacific Northwest Skydiving offers the AFF student progression program. The program is designed to make you a competent skydiver. You can find a lot of very useful information about student progression on the USPA website.

AFF classes are held by reservation only.  We do our best to be flexible with scheduling.

*To reserve a class call (503) 759-4455.  If no one answers, please leave a detailed voicemail and we will call you back. Or, email pnwskydiving@gmail.com with any questions. You can also visit our AFF Training FAQs page to find answers to many of our student’s most common questions.

You start your journey with a 5-hour ground school which takes place at the dropzone. During ground school, you will learn the principles of skydiving, body position, aircraft procedures, the basics of canopy flight, and aircraft and parachute emergency procedures amongst much more. Once you’ve demonstrated a basic understanding of these principles it’s time to take your new skills and knowledge to the sky.

Your first skydives will be with two Instructors. They will guide you step-by-step through each of the jumps and skills you are practicing. You will learn stable free fall, altitude awareness, canopy skills, good decision making, and how to safely land and fly a parachute. You will also learn movement skills such as turns, flips, and forward movement. All of these skills are geared towards building a solid, safe foundation.