In this guide
- What it is: The coach and instructor qualifications that let you teach skydiving.
- What you need first: A C Licence to coach FS1 and FF1. Instructor courses need a recommendation from your centre's Chief Instructor.
- What you'll learn: How to teach, brief, assess and keep students safe.
- How long it takes: Two instructor courses of up to five days each, with at least six months between them (it can be less for tandem).
- Cost: Not published by British Skydiving.
- What's next: Competitions
Everyone remembers their first skydive, and who taught them. This is how you become that person.
Coaching
British Skydiving's coaching qualification, the Foundation Coach, is accredited by Ofqual and externally quality assured by 1st4Sport. It started in Formation Skydiving, Freefly, Wingsuiting, Tracking and Canopy Formation. In FS, a Foundation Coach coaches people to FS1, and an Advanced FS Coach coaches teams for national and international competition.
Instructors
There are three ratings, one for each way into the sport. Each starts with a Basic Instructor (BI) course:
- Category System: CSBI, then CSI. Needs a C Licence. The CSI course also needs a Canopy Handling Coach qualification.
- Tandem: TBI, then TI. Needs a C Licence, 800 jumps and 8 hours of freefall.
- AFF: AFFBI, then AFFI. The AFFBI course needs a C Licence, 500 jumps and a Formation Skydiving Coach qualification. The AFFI course needs a D Licence, 1,000 jumps, 10 hours of freefall and a Canopy Handling Coach qualification.
All three need a packing certificate and two years in the sport. If you'll be talking students down by radio, you also need a parachuting radio operator's certificate of competence (ROCC) from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Our advice: the second course is a test, not a lesson. If you fail the closed-book Operations Manual exam, you go home on day one.
Source: Be a Coach, Be an Instructor, Training & Progression and the Operations Manual (September 2026), British Skydiving, checked October 2026.
Governing body: British Skydiving. It sets the UK safety standards and training awards for skydiving, so it's the official place to find out more.
Typical prices, checked October 2026. The club or coach sets and bills the price.
The club map lists some of the UK clubs for this sport. It is a starting point, so check with the club before you travel. To have a coach found for you, use the enquiry form.
