The ABC’s of Skydiving: A

If you are just entering the world of skydiving, or have been taking the plunge for quite some time but need to brush up, welcome to the ABC’s of Skydiving, a series of the blog that will walk you through, step-by-step, the different terms and definitions of this fantastic sport!

AAD - This is the short form, most commonly used, for an Automatic Activation Device. If the diver is descending too quickly, this is a reserve parachute that will automatically open should the diver not open theirs in time.

A/C - Aircraft.

Accuracy - This is also known as Precision Landing is an extremely difficult trick to complete. The diver needs to land on a ‘target’ and in professional competition, the target is generally no larger than 3cm in diameter, about the size of a quarter.

AAF - Accelerated Free Fall. This is a something that can be learned in advanced training, where the student can learn to free fall for 40 seconds or longer, compared to basic training, in which free falls last only approximately 20 seconds.

AGL - This means above-ground level. Altitudes are in relation to sea level and this is what skydivers are referring to when they refer to altitude.

Airspeed - This is how fast objects in the air, like chutes or planes, are going.

Altimeter - A device for measuring altitude.

Angle of Attack - This is how the wing of the chute is facing the wind. With canopies that are square, this angle will change once the brakes are used.

Angle of incidence - This is the angle of the parachute that is designed to coast through the air.

Apparent wind - This is what the wind looks like to someone observing a skydviver. It may also be referred to when describing current wind conditions.

ASP - This is Arizona’s version of AFF. The course is an advanced version of AFF and includes two tandem jumps.

ASTRA - This is a specific brand of AAD that is manufactured by FXC Corporation.

Aspect ratio - This is the ratio of the width of the chute is from side-to-side to the breadth, which is the measurement from front to back. Chutes that have 7 cells generally have a 2.2 to 1 and chutes which use nine cells generally have a ratio of 2.8 and 3.0 to 1.