Quick facts
| Thrill | 5 of 5: |
|---|---|
| Can you do it too? | 4 of 5: |
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Guy hasn't said yetAbu Dhabi Skydive Map: Learning to skydive Enquire / book More episodes Related: skydiving dubai
Plenty of people do one tandem skydive in the UAE. Far fewer go back and learn to jump on their own. This episode follows the second route: the AFF (accelerated freefall) programme at Skydive Abu Dhabi, where each jump hands the student a little more control until the instructors let go entirely.
Ground school is run by instructor Daniel Martin, a skydiver with more than 10,000 jumps behind him, who talks through the rig, the exit and the emergency drills. Before any aircraft, Paris spends time in a 32-foot indoor wind tunnel to get his body position right, which is the part most first-timers underestimate.
The episode is honest about risk, too. It pauses to talk about accidents in the sport before the jumps start. AFF progresses through eight levels: two instructors hold the student early on, then release them stage by stage. The film ends with Paris's qualifying jump.
In this episode
- 0:00 Why skydiving pulls people in
- 1:43 Ground school basics
- 5:05 Wind tunnel practice
- 6:49 Talking honestly about accidents
- 8:55 The final jump and qualification
Do it yourself
Start with our guides to skydiving in Dubai and skydiving in Abu Dhabi, which compare tandem jumps with the AFF route Paris took.
Paris's verdict
Placeholder: Paris will add his own first-person verdict here. We do not write it for him.
Related
FAQ
Where did Paris learn to skydive?
He took the AFF course at Skydive Abu Dhabi, as shown in the episode.
How many jumps are in the AFF course?
The episode describes AFF as eight progressive jumps, starting with two instructors holding on.
Sources
Facts checked October 2026. Opening times, age limits and seasons change, so confirm with the operator before you go.
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