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Thursday, February 25, 2021
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Make A Skydive  /  Your First Jump  /  Choose A School

How to Find a School

Find the drop zone closest to you in USPA's Drop Zone Locator!

Many regions are served by more than one skydiving center and a prospective student should shop around. Ask questions (personal observation is even better) about the types of training offered, the type of equipment used, staff qualifications, etc. to find the DZ best suited for you.

Learn more about Your First Jump...

Which Dropzone is Safest?

No organization rates the relative safety of skydiving schools, but USPA Group Member skydiving centers have pledged to follow USPA Basic Safety Requirements, including providing USPA-developed first-jump courses, using current USPA-rated instructors and providing USPA-required skydiving equipment.

Safety is something that concerns every skydiver and is one of the most important topics in our community. Don't leave your questions unanswered. View our FAQs, talk to the drop zone where you're considering making your first jump, and understand more about skydiving safety.

Which Drop Zone Is Best?

Much like cars, everyone believes that their home DZ is best! In reality, there is no rating system for drop zones, and "best" is subjective. Every drop zone has its own characteristics, and what fits you may not fit your best friend and vice versa.

Shop around! Call the drop zone you're interested in, stop by and watch how things operate. Ask questions.

USPA Online Ground School

Designed as a resource for first-time jumpers, the USPA Online Ground School will help you learn about skydiving while you relax in the comfort of your favorite chair! This is NOT a course that can be used as complete training for any of your skydives. But, by reviewing this information at your own pace and becoming familiar with the equipment and concepts you will need to understand before making your first jump, your ground school at the drop zone will go much smoother for you.

Jen Sharp worked tirelessly to develop this project, and Tony James created the terrific canopy flight animations. Finally, John “Wink” Winkler and his crew at Down To Earth Rigging put together a great DVD called “The First Jump Course DVD.” He was kind enough to provide USPA with the malfunction footage used for the Online Ground School and save us from having to make a ton of intentional cutaway jumps to create the necessary footage.

Visit the USPA Online Ground School.