The Professional Exhibition Rating (PRO rating) course

The course is 3 days. It’s about 1 day of classroom and 2 days of jumping.

Skydivers who want to:

• Become more accurate and proficient canopy pilots
• Would like to get into demos, or who would like to help their DZ when they get asked to do a demo

Everyone loves landing by a crowd going nuts! Demos are super fun!

• Jump into Level 2 and stadiums landing areas
• Be officially recognized by the FAA as a proficient exhibition jumper

It’s all about accuracy! Get with your S&TA and tell him/her about your goal, and start working towards your accuracy jumps.

Start logging them right away, and, landing area size and traffic permitting, you might be able to get those accuracy jumps done while doing instructional jumps or shooting camera. Make sure you talk to your S&TA and head instructor, to make sure that you pick the correct spot to land, far away from all other traffic, if you wish to do your accuracy jumps in normal high-altitude jump runs.

The other thing to do is to serve as ground crew in as many demos as you can. You need just one to get the rating, but the more you do, the better idea you’ll have of how a demo actually works.

Lots of hop n’pops and lots of feedback on your accuracy! You’ll also be involved in the planning of a demo. If you’re lucky enough you’ll actually get to be part of the planning and ground crew for a real demo!

There is a bit of classroom time, as you’ll need to learn about contacting the FAA, and how to fill the various forms necessary to organize a Demo.

Having fully completed the proficiency card training items, which are:

• 10 consecutively declared stand-up landings in a 40×20 rectangle, 2 of which landing crosswind
• One jump with smoke
• One jump with a flag
• Received instruction in site preparation, crowd control, and ground crew management
• Served as ground crew on at least one Level 1, Level 2, or stadium jump
• Received instruction from an experienced PRO rating holder, S&TA, or IE on applying for FAA certificates of authorization
• Received instruction from an experienced PRO rating holder, S&TA, IE, or licensed pilot in filing NOTAMs
• 2 Night jumps
• Successfully pass the PRO rating exam.

For the HP (High Performance) endorsement

• 5 consecutively declared landings in a 40×20 rectangle, 1 of which must be a crosswind landing, and 1 of which must have a 45-degree heading change in the last 150 feet of the parachute flight.

Any unfilled requirements remaining at the end of the course should be eligible for completion back at your home drop zone.

Within your membership cycle (yearly) you’ll have to complete and provide verification of:

• 50 jumps
• PRO holder with wing loading 1.5 or lower: two stand-up landings, making the first contact and stopping within an area 40 feet long by 20 feet wide OR perform two Level 2 demo jumps

PRO holder with wing loading 1.5 or higher: meet requirements for wing loadings of 1.5 or lower, AND two landings, one crosswind and one with a 45-degree carve, making the first point of contact and stopping within an area 40 feet long by 20 feet wide OR meet requirements for wing loadings of 1.5:1 and below and perform two Level 2 demo jumps

Expired for less than 2 years:

• For wing loadings of 1.5 or lower, perform two stand-up landings, making the first contact and stopping within an area 40 feet long by 20 feet wide.
• For wing loadings 1.5 or higher: meet requirements for wing loadings of 1.5 or lower, AND two landings, one crosswind and one with a 45-degree carve, making the first point of contact and stopping within an area 40 feet long by 20 feet wide.

Expired for more than 2 years:

• Complete all of the initial landing qualification requirements