Umm Al Quwain Aeroclub skydiving centre offers courses in accelerated free fall (AFF) or tandem jumps.
According to managing director and pilot captain Habib Ollaik, every month they receive an average of 200 tandem jumps, 15 AFF students and around 1,000 regulars fun jumps (these are qualified skydivers).
”The tandem jump is a trial jump where the guest will be attached to a qualified jump master during the freefall (40 to 50 seconds), and before the jump the guest will get 15 minute ground briefing,” he said.
The AFF course consists of a series of eight levels to pass, with 10 jumps to complete, and after the training the student receives a certificate and is able to start jumping by himself without instructor.
Of the monthly number of people taking tandem jumps at the aeroclub, an average of 50 per cent would be tourists, says Habib.
A tandem jump costs Dh1,000 + Dh400 DVD. AFF is Dh8,000, and a jump ticket for regulars fun jumpers is Dh100.
”Every first Friday of the month we have the UAQ Aeroclub Boogie reserved for the fun jumpers,” Said Habib. “After July 1st during the week days Monday to Thursday the tandem jump cost is Dh950 per jump.”