If you go skydiving in a two person thingy does the other person have to be the instructor?

Question

If you go skydiving in a two person thingy does the other person have to be the instructor?

Answer 1

If you are going for a tandem skydive the student is in front and the instructor is on the student's back and also wears the parachute system.  The instructor, called the tandem master, or parachutist in command is a highly trained skydiver.  The minimum requirements to start training for the tandem rating is to have 500 sport skydives, a D licenses (the highest license level) and three years in the sport.  Then the skydiver will go through a rating course with both the United States Parachute Association and the manufacture of the tandem system.  This means a tandem master with a Vector Sigma rating cannot jump a Strong system.  

The parachutist in command is responsible to making sure the parachute system works, dealing with any malfunctions, piloting and landing the parachute.  

To list all the reasons why there needs to be so much training would take too long.  If you become a skydiver, as you grow in the sport you'll learn all about the additional issues and dangers and rewards of tandem skydiving.

Blue Skies!

Answer 2

Depends.  If you are already an instructor then it wouldn't make sense for the other person to be an instructor as well (unless they were boyfriend/girlfriend instructors)

Answer 3

Yep, unless you are a certified jumper