How to Become an AFF Instructor in Italy: Requirements, Course and Internship

You're wondering whether you can really become an AFF instructor — and what, concretely, stands between you and that role. Maybe you have a few hundred jumps, you enjoy helping newer skydivers at the drop zone, and you're starting to ask yourself whether teaching could be your path. Or perhaps you're still early in your skydiving journey but want to understand from the outset what you're aiming for.

Either way, you're in the right place. This article walks you through the complete pathway: what the ENAC regulation requires, how the training works, what to expect during the internship, and — above all — what it really means to be in the air alongside a student on their first jump.

First things first: what does an AFF instructor actually do?

AFF stands for Accelerated Freefall: it is the standard training method used in Italian skydiving schools, in which the student exits the aircraft from altitude on their very first jump, accompanied by one or two instructors in freefall.

An AFF instructor (commonly referred to as AFF-I) is not simply someone who 'holds the student's hand' in the air. It is a role that carries specific teaching and safety responsibilities:

Assessing the student on the ground during the pre-jump briefing

Accompanying the student in freefall, maintaining a grip on the harness during the early levels

Monitoring altitude, body position and deployment

Managing any in-air emergencies

Debriefing the student after landing and deciding whether to clear them for the next level

It is a role that demands high technical competence, composure under pressure and strong communication skills. Being a great skydiver is not enough: you need to be able to teach.

The regulatory framework: who issues the rating

In Italy, the rating to operate as a parachuting instructor is issued by ENAC — the Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile — and is endorsed on the parachutist licence (a single licence, not divided into A/B/C/D levels as in the international FAI/USPA system).

The governing document is the ENAC regulation 'Licenze di Paracadutismo' (currently Edition 3). We recommend downloading it directly from enac.gov.it and always checking the latest version, as numerical requirements may change between revisions.

The instructor ratings provided for under the ENAC regulation are:

Istruttore di Paracadutismo — the basic level of teaching rating

IPS — Istruttore di Paracadutismo Senior — the advanced level

Esaminatore di Paracadutismo — the highest level, with examining and certification functions

In the day-to-day language of Italian skydiving schools, 'AFF instructor' typically refers to someone who holds the ENAC Istruttore rating and works within the AFF method. It is not a separate regulatory category, but a methodological specialisation recognised by the school.

Requirements: what you need before you start

Let's use a concrete example. Marco is 28 years old, has 350 jumps, has been active for four years, and already has some informal coaching experience with newly licensed skydivers. He wants to know whether he's ready for the instructor course.

The answer depends on certain thresholds set by the ENAC regulation. The indicative requirements for entry to the Istruttore course include:

Minimum number of jumps — the regulation sets significant thresholds that vary depending on the level being sought (Istruttore or IPS); the exact figure for each level must be verified in the current regulation

Freefall time — it's not just about jump numbers; the actual time spent in freefall counts too

Currency — you must be 'current', meaning you have been jumping regularly in the preceding months

A valid ENAC Class 2 medical certificate (issued by an ENAC-authorised medical examiner — not your GP)

Membership of an AeCI-affiliated aero club for the sporting side

If Marco has 350 jumps but hasn't jumped in eight months, he will need to regain currency with refresher jumps before he can apply.

A note on safety: ENAC does not set these thresholds for bureaucratic reasons. They exist because an instructor with insufficient experience poses a real risk to students. Be honest with yourself about your technical maturity, regardless of the numbers.

The step-by-step pathway

Here is the typical progression, from parachutist licence to operational rating:

Obtain your ENAC parachutist licence — if you don't have one yet, this is your absolute starting point. It is obtained by completing an AFF course (or SL — Static Line, the traditional method) at an ENAC-certified skydiving school.

Build real-world experience — there are no shortcuts. You need to jump: across different disciplines, with different people, in different conditions. Train in FS (Formation Skydiving), work on your canopy skills, explore freefly. The broader your technical background, the better your approach to teaching will be.

Check your eligibility with your school — any ENAC-certified school that runs instructor courses can tell you precisely where you stand against the requirements. Don't rely on drop zone rumour: read the regulation and speak with the Direttore di Lancio (the ENAC-designated figure responsible for jump operations at the school).

Attend the instructor training course — the course includes theoretical modules (teaching methodology, learning psychology, emergency procedures, regulations) and practical in-air modules. You will learn to manage a student in freefall, to recognise and correct poor body positions, and to maintain control of the situation even when things don't go as planned.

Complete the internship — after the course, there is a practical internship phase during which you operate under the supervision of a senior instructor or an Esaminatore. This phase is essential: it is where theoretical knowledge becomes operational instinct.

Pass the final assessment and receive your endorsement — if the internship is successful, the ENAC Esaminatore certifies the outcome and the rating is endorsed on your ENAC parachutist licence.

Keep your rating current — the rating itself has currency requirements (minimum periodic activity). Check the regulation for up-to-date details.

The part nobody tells you: teaching is a separate skill

Many technically excellent skydivers struggle on the instructor course — not because of the jumping, but because of the teaching component. Being able to do something does not automatically mean you can teach it.

During the course you will be expected to:

Structure a clear briefing adapted to the student's level

Give constructive feedback after the jump, even when the student has made serious errors

Manage anxiety — your own and the student's

Make quick in-air decisions about altitude, body position and deployment

Document the student's progression in the logbook and on school forms

One exercise I recommend to anyone preparing for the course: start narrating procedures out loud right now, even to yourself. Describe what you're doing as you gear up, as you check your equipment. If you can verbalise things precisely, you're already building the teaching muscle.

Costs and timelines: what to expect

I won't give you specific figures because they vary between schools and change over time. What I can give you is the cost structure:

Preparation jumps — the jumps you make to reach the requirements are at your own expense. If you're still well below the thresholds, this is the most significant cost.

Theory course — typically includes course materials, instruction and ground simulations

Course jumps — the practical jumps during the instructor course have a cost (often reduced compared to standard rates, but not free)

Internship — depends on the school: some include it in the course package, others handle it separately

Medical renewal — the ENAC Class 2 medical certificate has a cost and an expiry date; it must be renewed periodically

As for timelines: if you're already close to the requirements, the journey from application to rating can be measured in months, not years. But if you're building experience from scratch, you're looking at a multi-year process. That's not a flaw — it's the guarantee that the person standing next to your student in freefall genuinely knows what they're doing.

In summary: the checklist before you apply

Before contacting a school about the instructor course, make sure you can answer 'yes' to all of the following:

Do I hold a valid ENAC parachutist licence?

Is my ENAC Class 2 medical certificate current?

Do I have the number of jumps and freefall time required by the current regulation?

Am I current (do I meet ENAC currency requirements: at least 15 jumps in the last 12 months, including at least 1 in the last 3 months, and at least 10 minutes of freefall in the last 12 months)?

Do I have experience across multiple disciplines (not just one)?

Have I already had some coaching or informal mentoring experience with other skydivers?

Am I a member of an AeCI-affiliated aero club?

Have I read the ENAC 'Licenze di Paracadutismo' regulation in its current version?

If you answered 'yes' to everything, you're ready for the next step: contact your ENAC-certified school and request a meeting with the Direttore di Lancio. They will assess your application and guide you through the process.

Teaching someone their first jump is an enormous responsibility. And when you do it well — when you watch a student open their canopy for the first time and land with a smile they'll never forget — you understand why every hour of preparation is worth it.