Who can join the AFF course
The AFF course is for people aged 18 or over. On weight, Skydive Dubai's own pages disagree. The course page says no more than 100 kg, and the general FAQ says under 105 kg. Both are measured in shoes and clothes, and the course page adds that the rules cannot be waived. Until the school confirms otherwise, plan on 100 kg.
All AFF jumps take place at the Desert Campus on the Dubai to Al Ain road (E66). The Palm Dropzone is for very experienced skydivers only. The school runs from October to April and is closed in the summer months. You book in advance by email to the school; no partner sells the course. Skydive Dubai does not arrange transport, accommodation or visas, but any valid visa, including a tourist visa, is accepted.
The AFF jumps and what they cost
The course starts with a full day of ground school: safety procedures, equipment, canopy control and landing. Then come at least seven jumps. On the first three you jump with two instructors, on the last four with one. Each jump has set manoeuvres that you must master before moving to the next level, so a level may need to be repeated. Prices published by Skydive Dubai, checked November 2026:
| Step | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ground school | One full day of theory | AED 1,400 |
| Cat A, B, C1 | One jump each, two instructors | AED 1,500 each |
| Cat D1, D2, E1, E2 | One jump each, one instructor | AED 1,500 each |
| Tunnel time | 15 minutes at Inflight Dubai | AED 605 |
| Pay as you go, total | All of the above | AED 12,505 |
| Paid in advance | Same content | AED 10,000 |
| Repeat of any level | Per jump, not included | AED 1,500 |
Both packages include gear rental and packing, are non-transferable and are valid for 12 months. Skydive Dubai calls the advance option a 15% saving; against the pay-as-you-go total the difference is AED 2,505. If you stop part-way, the refund policy says you are charged only for the services you started. On AFF jumps only your instructors wear cameras, and that footage is for teaching. An outside video costs extra and depends on availability.
After AFF: the USPA A licence
The A licence needs at least 25 jumps, so 18 more after the seven AFF jumps, plus a proficiency card and a written and oral exam. Skydive Dubai's price list for this stage includes coaching jumps at AED 610, solo student jumps at AED 280, two required low-altitude jumps at AED 280 each, a packing course at AED 500, and AED 40 each for altimeter and helmet rental on each of 18 jumps. The operator puts the total at a minimum of AED 8,800 and says it is an approximation that depends on your progress. At about three jumps a day, weather permitting, it typically takes about two weeks.
With the A licence you can jump without supervision, pack your own main parachute and jump in groups. Skydive Dubai says the licence and the AFF jumps are recognised by every federation in the FAI. Later steps take longer: the club's licence table lists 50 jumps for a B licence, 200 for a C and 500 for a D. A wingsuit needs at least 200 jumps. The Palm Dropzone requires a USPA D licence or its FAI equivalent, and the course page mentions a minimum of 1,000 jumps.
Total cost, and where a tandem or tunnel fits
Adding up the published figures, from first lesson to A licence:
- AFF paid in advance + A licence minimum: 10,000 + 8,800 = at least AED 18,800
- AFF pay as you go + A licence minimum: 12,505 + 8,800 = at least AED 21,305
- each repeated AFF level adds AED 1,500.
Transport to the Desert Campus and a place to stay are extra, since the operator provides neither.
Skydive Dubai's course and licence pages do not say that a tandem jump replaces any AFF level or counts towards the 25 jumps. They also do not say whether tunnel time bought separately counts. In the US, USPA lists tandem as one of the ways to make a first jump in its student programme, but at Skydive Dubai the published path starts with ground school. So treat a tandem as a way to find out whether you like freefall before spending AED 10,000 or more: the Palm Dropzone and the Desert Dropzone both offer it, within the weight and age limits. A first indoor skydiving session is the cheaper test, and the course itself includes 15 minutes in the tunnel. Before you sign up, the safety page sets out the regulation and the accident record at the Desert Campus.
