Foreign or Military License and Rating Conversions
As a USPA Instructor or Instructor Examiner, you may need to help a skydiver who holds foreign or military credentials obtain a USPA license or rating. USPA does not have a process for automatically converting non-USPA licenses or ratings into USPA licenses or ratings, but shortcuts are available in some circumstances.
A foreign or military jumper who is pursuing a USPA license must meet with a USPA Instructor, Instructor Examiner or Safety and Training Advisor for help with the license application. A USPA rating holder must verify each requirement by examining the jumper’s log books to identify the date and/or jump number for each item on the USPA license application. The jumper may not have to complete any jumps with an instructor if that jumper has already met and appropriately logged all the requirements. The license candidate must complete with an instructor any skills that the logbook entries do not verify. In addition to the skill requirements, the license candidate must complete all the appropriate license exams. As an example, a foreign or military jumper with more than 500 jumps may apply for a USPA D license. That jumper will need an A-License Proficiency Card or A-License Progression Card, Canopy Piloting Proficiency Card and the B- through D-license applications, all completed and signed.
Any instructional rating candidate must have a USPA Coach rating along with all the other pre-course requirements—such as jump-number or freefall-time requirements—for each rating. Those jumpers who feel they have the necessary knowledge and skill for the rating can opt to test out of the requirements, which simply means completing all the testing and evaluation of ground and air skills without any training by the examiner beforehand. For conversion of a foreign tandem instructor rating to a USPA Tandem Instructor rating, Section 1 of the Tandem Instructor Rating Course Syllabus in the USPA Instructional Rating Manual provides instructions based on the jumper’s current ratings.