WHAT IS A USPA COACH?
USPA Coach is the first of three instructional ratings USPA administers, followed by Instructor and instructor Examiner.
The USPA Coach Course is the first step/requirement in becoming a skydiving instructor and for all other USPA instructional ratings such as AFF-, Tandem-, IAD/SL Instructor. The course teaches how to effectively communicate skydiving skills on the ground and in the air.
A USPA Coach may:
- conduct training in the non-method-specific portions of the skydiving ground school
- equipment familiarization as it pertains to the first jump
- basic canopy control
- parachute emergency procedures
- landings and landing emergencies (obstacles)
- aircraft emergencies for students cleared to freefall self-supervision and who have completed the Category E aircraft briefing in the USPA Integrated Student Program
- teach the general portions of transition training for students changing from tandem to solo methods
- conduct group freefall skills training and jumps with students who have been cleared by a USPA Instructor
- make gripped exits with students during group freefall skills jumps
- supervise recurrency jumps with licensed skydivers
-
supervise static-line and IAD students beginning in Category C after each student demonstrates a successful clear and pullAll ground training must be performed by an appropriately rated instructor.
The student must be trained by an instructor to independently handle aircraft emergencies.
Requirements for taking the course
- Current USPA Membership
- USPA B-license
- Minimum of 100 jumps (signed logbook or any other approval, no audibles)
- Study content of IRM (part Coach)
- Fill in prerequisites on the USPA Proficiency Card
- Fill in the answer sheet of the Open Book Exam prior to the course
- Proficiency Card