Check out the information on this site. Not surprisingly, beginners have a lot of questions about the sport of skydiving. Although they will not be completely covered here, we will try to address some of the more common questions about skydiving.  

  How Do I Learn To Skydive?
  About the course?
  Are the instructor qualified?
  What is sky diving?
  Is It Safe?
  What does the training consist of?
  Trainning Methods
  What are the physical requirements?
  What are the age requirements?
  What if my parachute doesn't open?
  Are the equipment reliable?
  How fast do I fall?
  How hard is the landing?
  I wear spectacles / contact lenses. Will this be a problem?
  What if the weather is bad on the day of my jump?
  What type of jump mostly recommend for first time jump?
  How long does it take me to progress to freefall?
  What do I get upon completing the course?
  Do I have to buy my own gear?
  Where will the class be held?
  Where will the jump be held?
  How long is the course?
  How often does the jump?
  How do I enrol?

How Do I Learn To Skydive?

Jump out of a perfectly flow airplane? It is really a lot of fun. This page describes how to go about making your first jump from a perfectly good airplane.

Decide on the training method. There is more than one way to make your first jump. You can make a Tandem jump, Solo Static Line (S/L) or Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) and Accelerated Freefall (AFF) jump. Each method has its own costs and particulars. Some involve a First Jump Course (FJC) which is about 4 hours long; others involve only a 30-60 minute briefing. Some involve freefall on the first jump, others do not. And some involve a solo canopy descent where you alone fly the parachute to the ground with ground-to-air radio assistance.

Find some friends to go with you. It'll be more fun to go with a group. Set a date. You know how it goes... If you set a date in advance you'll be more likely to follow through and make your first jump. Plan ahead. And let Titan Dive Team know you're coming.

Go! You will have so much fun!

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About the course?

The syllabus is approved by the Department of Civil Aviation(DCA). The course covers all subjects necessary to successfully complete your first jump. Our ultimate aim is to give you a sound background and knowledge level to allow you to continue and complete the full training program and become a thoroughly qualified parachutist. You will be taught in a very friendly environment with a little good sense of humor.

Are the instructor qualified?

The Instructors and Jumpmasters are all qualified and certified by the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia, who is the governing body for the sport. Each of them has accumulated more than thousand of jumps and have been in the sport for more than 20 years!




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What is skydiving?

Skydiving is a descent made from an aeroplane from a jumpable altitude. Before boarding the aircraft, skydivers first have to inspect the equipment that they are going to use to ensure safety. They must have 2 parachutes in one container (bag). The first one is the main parachute and the other one is used for emergency purposes called the rescue parachute. The jump master will plan the load of the jump (sortie planning) where the skydivers are suppose to follow. While on the ground, they then practice the exit they're going to do while on the air.

The jumpers will board the aircraft until jump height in between 4,000 to 10,000 (depending on the discipline of courses you undergo). The jumpmaster will spot the DZ during a jump run. Once given the command, they then step out of the aircraft and execute the exit using their planned maneuvers. They then fall at approximately 120 to 150 mph (for a freefall). Once they're flying at about 4,900 ft., the group then separate from one another and deploy their canopy. As for SL or IAD, the moment you left the aircraft, the parachute will open immediately/automatically. As it opens, air enters inside it and it takes the shape of a canopy. All it takes is about 3 to 5 seconds. The jumpers then controls the parachute's by using the toggles to the landing area.

Pulling one toggle will fly you to the left or right. Upon reaching the ground pilled both toggles to slow the rate of descent and forwards speed of the jumper simultaneously. When the skydiver is about to land, he flares the parachute to achieve good forward speed and pull both toggles upon landing or roll themselves in a forward manner to avoid further injury. You will be surprise that you can perform stand up landing even on your first jump!

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Is It Safe?

Ahhh...a much better question.

All of the equipment used at Sky Diving Center is serviced and maintained by certified riggers of the highest ratings. The parachutes are packed by professionals, the reserves packed and repacked even if unused (it's not only a good idea, it's the law). Although an inherently dangerous sport, just as driving a car is an inherently dangerous activity (you did know that, right?), we take every precaution to assure your safety while on our drop zone. Do you drive with bad brakes and bald tires?

So, the short answer is that the sport of skydiving has been made as safe as possible. And at Sky Diving Center, there take every precaution possible before, during, and after your skydive.

What does the training consist of?

Titan Dive Team provides the student with local Sky Diving School for every thing you need to know to safely make their first jump. There are several different programs available for first jumpers; the one you choose will depend on your personal preferences and circumstances. The differences of each are summarized below:

Static Line (SL) or Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD)

This method has evolved over the last ~30 years from its military origins into a successful method for training sport parachutists. The student gets 4-5 hours of ground training and is then taken to an altitude of about 3,000 feet for the jump. The jump itself consists of a simple "poised" exit from the strut of a small single engine Cessna aircraft. As the student falls away from the plane, the main canopy is deployed by a "static line" attached to the aircraft. The student will experience about two to three seconds of falling as the parachute opens.

Accelerated Free Fall (AFF)

The AFF program was instituted in 1982 as an "accelerated" learning process as compared to the traditional static line progression. The AFF program will give you a true taste of modern sport skydiving from level 1 to level 9 over a period of 3 days (minimum).

The ground training is a bit more extensive than S/L (~5 hours) because the student will be doing a 45 second freefall (that's right!) on his/her very first jump. The student will exit the aircraft at 8,000-10,000 feet along with two AFF Jumpmasters (JM) who will assist the student during freefall. The jumpmasters maintain grips on the student from the moment they leave the aircraft until opening, assisting the student as necessary to fall stable, perform practice ripcord pulls, monitor altitude, etc. The student then pulls his/her own ripcord at about 4000 ft.

Tandem jumps

Tandem jumps are meant to offer an introduction to the sport. They allow the neophyte to "take a ride" with an experienced jumper. A tandem jump requires from 15 to 45 minutes of ground preparation and you will take to an altitude of 10,000 feet AGL for the thrill of your life (it is not a First Jump Course). It consists of an experienced jumper called a "tandem master" and the passenger.

The passenger wears a harness and the Tandem Master wears the parachutes. The passenger's harness is attaches to the front of the master's harness and the two of them freefall together for 30 seconds, open together, and land together under one Really_BIG_Parachute. Tandem jumping provides an obvious advantage for the adventurous spirit who cannot adequately meet the physical or proficiency requirements for the S/L or AFF jumps. By relying on Tandem Master's skills, they will still be able to experience the thrill of skydiving.

Because the tandem training is not a First Jump Course, if you decide to pursue the sport, you will still have to attend minimum of 5 Tandem Jumps before you qualify for a Solo Free Fall jump.

Tandem Jump needs to be booked in advance of 2 weeks and minimum of 5 Tandem students required to commence the jump. If you and your group of friend are interested in Tandem Jump. Please call and book your jump and pay deposit in advance with us.

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Trainning Methods

In all of these training methods, students are taught normal and emergency procedures for all aspects of the jump like:

• Introduction to Parachute
  
• Flight drills
  
• Emergency drills
  
• Exit, canopy control, soft landing and etc.

They are also shown the equipment and go over it so that they understand how it works.

Nearly all student training centers now utilize sport skydiving gear. No more military surplus stuff. Students have lightweight harness/container systems in aesthetic colors, high performance canopies designed for students. No more paraboots -- students use their own sport shoes. No more heavy motorcycle helmets -- students use lightweight sport helmets.. Ground-to-air radio for canopy control assistance, on and on...


What are the physical requirements?

In general, the prospective student should be in reasonably good physical shape, this is a sport after all. You are required to wear a 35 lbs/290 sq.ft. parachute in size and is made specifically for students. The rate of descent is very slow and it is suitable for jumpers below 190 lbs.

But seriously, problems may arise where a prospect is too heavy (over ~250lbs/ 110kg, see below) or if they have medical conditions, which may impair them during the activity. Someone who experiences fainting spells, blackouts, or has a weak heart should not be jumping. Someone with respiratory illness may have a problem due to atmospheric changes at altitude. The better your physical condition, the more you will enjoy the experience. This being said, very few people have medical or physical conditions, which actually preclude jumping. You will however, be required to sign a declaration of good health.

Most Drop Zones will try to work with you. If you have a question, ask them, and as always, ask your doctor. You may be surprised at the relatively few physical constraints involved.

Concerning weight restrictions, there are two primary concerns. First, does the drop zone have a parachute system, which you can both legally use and safely land? Second, if you are going to be at the top-end of the safe weight range for a particular parachute, are you in relatively good shape? An imperfect landing will be much less likely to injure an athletic person. If this is unclear, consider the difference between a 5'10" linebacker who weighs 240lbs, and a 5'10" channel surfer of the same weight. If the former has a bad landing, he'll probably brush himself off and get up. The latter may very well injure himself substantially, lacking both the strength to withstand landing and coordination to do a good Parachute Landing Fall(PLF).

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What are the age requirements?

Most Drop Zones will require you to be 18 years of age to do skydive. Some Drop Zones in some states will allow 16 year olds to jump with parental consent. So, if you are under 16, you will just have to wait; take up some odd jobs, and start saving your money. Start early, so that we can groom you to become Champion.

On the other side, there is no maximum age. Our eldest jumper is a 59 year old man.

Solo Jump - 18 years minimum.

Tandem Jump - 12 years minimum. (depending on body posture)

Less than 18 years - Written parent's or guardian's consent required.

Maximum Weight - 210 lbs and proportional to height, age and sex.

Over 50 years - Previous injuries, current or previous medical conditions must be notified to the Course/Chief Instructor or Tandem Master prior to commencing a training course.

Previous injuries and previous or current medical conditions must be notified to the Course Instructor or JumpMaster prior to commencing a training course.

What if my parachute doesn't open?

Clearly, this is the most Frequently-Asked-Question posed by all prospective jumpers.

By law (FAA regulations), all intentional parachute jumps must be made with a single harness, dual parachute system with both a main canopy AND a reserve canopy. In other words, you have a second (or spare) canopy in case the first one fails to open properly. Instructor will teach you the drills over and over again even on your 10 jumps with us.

However, it must be noted that the technology utilized in today's sport parachuting equipment is light years ahead of the old military surplus gear used in the '60s and '70s. The canopies are drastically different from the classic G.I. Joe round parachutes. The materials are stronger, lighter and last longer, the packing procedures are simpler, the deployment sequence is much more refined, soft opening and on heading.

The reserve canopies are even more carefully designed and packed. The reserve parachute must be inspected and repacked every 120 days by an DCA rated parachute Rigger - even if it has not been used during that time.

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Are the equipment reliable?

The whole parachute system that you will be using are specially made for students and is maneuverable and very reliable. Parachutes are packed by qualified jumpers and the reserve by qualified riggers. When they jump, each student will have a walkie-talkie on them and an experience parachutist will act as the Target Control Officer who will assist and direct you down for a landing on the prepared landing area.

There are also additional safety features employed to ensure canopy deployment such as Automatic Activation Devices (AAD) and Reserve Static Lines (RSL) which add still more layers of safety.


How fast do I fall?

When you leave the aircraft, you are moving horizontally at the same speed as the aircraft, typically 90-110MPH. During the first 10 seconds, a skydiver accelerates up to about 115-130MPH straight down. (A tandem pair uses a drouge chute to keep them from falling much faster than this). It is possible to change your body position to vary your rate of fall. In a standard face-to-earth position, you can change your fall rate up or down a few (10-20) miles per hour. However, by diving or "standing up" in freefall, any experienced skydiver can learn to reach speeds of over 160-180MPH. Speeds of over 200MPH require significant practice to achieve. The record freefall speed, done without any special equipment, is 321MPH. Obviously, it is desirable to slow back down to 110MPH before parachute opening.

Once under parachute, decent rates of 1000ft./min. are typical. A lighter student with a bigger canopy may come down much more slowly, and, obviously, a heavier person may have a somewhat faster decent. Experienced jumper's can descend (in normal glide) at up to 1500ft./min. During radical turns, the decent rate can go well over 2000ft./min.

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How hard is the landing?

The canopies used today bear little resemblance to the classic round canopies of years gone by. Today, nearly all jumpers and jump schools use "square" canopies for parachuting. These canopies are actually rectangular in shape, and when open, act like an airplane wing (or an airfoil). They are more like gliders than umbrellas.

The aerodynamics of the square canopy provides it with exceptional maneuverability, allowing the jumpers to land almost anywhere they wish. This wing shape also provides tippy-toe soft landings for even the novice jumper. The days of landing like a sack of flour are history. Most students land standing up on their first jump. As a precaution, instructor will show you Parachute Landing Fall (PLF) and drills on landing on tree and water.

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I wear spectacles / contact lenses. Will this be a problem?

No problem. Goggles to fit over spectacles will be provided, and these will securely retain your spectacles in place. Goggles will also protect contact lenses and prevent them from being displaced.

What if the weather is bad on the day of my jump?

All aviation activity is dependant on suitable weather conditions. Parachuting is no exception. Weather is difficult to predict, especially more than 24 hours in advance. The normal procedure would be to phone the evening before or on the morning your booked to jump to check the local weather. If necessary, we would reschedule your jump.

What types of jump mostly recommend for first time jump?

Mostly we recommend Static Line(SL) or Instructor Assisted Deployment (IAD) jump as a first time jump. In all we believe that static jump lets you see what parachuting/skydiving is all about so that you can decide if you would like to carry on in the sport and if so you can go ahead with Freefall/Skydiving.

How long does it take me to progress to freefall?

There is no definite timeframe as qualification will depend on the performance of the jumper during his static jumps. The jump instructor will observe whether the jumpers are able to execute a good stable exit during the jump. Obviously we are targeting a minimum of 5 SL or IAD jumps as a guideline before you could advance further. We had experience a parachutist completing his 17 jumps before deciding to advance to progression freefall/skydiving. Normally a student would be able to do his first freefall on his sixth jumps!

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What do I get upon completing the course?

You will be given a certificate upon graduating. If you intend to continue jumping, you are required to obtain a Parachuting License issued by the Department of Civil Aviation Malaysia. This license which is one time payment and renewable every two years with a standard price and is recognised internationally. The license is catogorised into five classes - from a student license to a 'D' license.

Do I have to buy my own gear?

The equipment is very expensive, in the range of about RM7,000 to RM20,000+. Our advice is, for your first few jumps, it is better for you to rent it from us. Once you are hooked to the sport than you can decide to buy one for yourself. We supply all parachuting equipment. Wear casual clothes and sport shoe or runner boots. Boots with lacing hook are NOT suitable.

Where will the class be held?

The ground training will be held at Ballzaction, which located at Lot 61, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar (opposite Dataran Maybank building at Jalan Bangsar).

Where will the jump be held?

The training jump will be done at Bidor DZ, Perak. It is located about 140km up North and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to get there. From KL use the EXIT 115 BIDOR and head toward Bidor Town. After the traffic light turn to the right and proceeds your journey toward Tapah. Immediately after Bidor Town you will notice a sign posting that read BIDOR DZ on the left. Turn to the right and about 50m from the junction you will find a big huge drop zone await you. Students will be brief how to get there upon completion of your theory classes.

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How long is the course?

It is a two(2) days course. Day one (Saturday) will be the ground training. Classes will either start at 9:00am till 1:00pm or from 2:00pm and end at about 6:00pm. Early the next morning we will drive to the Drop Zone to do your jumps. Jumping normally takes the whole day.

How often does the jump?

Basically we jump at least twice a month, which is 1st & 3rd weekend of every month and if the respond is good, every weekend.

How do I enrol?

Simply walk-in to our office at Ballzaction or contact us at +603 22848928 to enquire for the course. You may also email us your enrolment confirmation to titan@maxis.net.my enquires when the next courses are held and the number of student/friend is participating. If you have a group and the number is sufficient to run a course, you can fix your convenient date and we will try to accommodate your request.

The class require minimum of 7 students and above to start the course.

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