Stage 6 is the most psychologically significant step in the entire AFF program. In Stage 6, you will fly your first solo freefall — you will exit the aircraft and be alone in the sky, with no instructor physically touching you, for the first time. Your instructors will be nearby, watching from a distance, ready to intervene if needed, but they will not be holding onto you. This is the moment every skydiver remembers for the rest of their life.
What "Solo" Actually Means in AFF Stage 6
It is critical to understand that Stage 6 solo freefall is not the same as solo skydiving with an A license. You are still an AFF student, and your instructors are still legally and professionally responsible for your safety. The "solo" refers to the fact that they are not touching you, not that they are not present or monitoring you throughout the jump.
Your instructors will typically fly 10 to 15 feet away from you during the entire freefall, observing your body position, altitude management, and decision-making. They have radio communication with the ground and will be tracking your altitude throughout. If you make a mistake that creates a dangerous situation, they will intervene — but the goal is for them not to need to.
This stage exists because there is no other way to truly learn to be an independent skydiver than to practice being an independent skydiver. The psychological transition from "someone is holding onto me" to "I am responsible for my own stability and safety" must happen at some point, and Stage 6 is where that transition occurs under controlled conditions.
Pre-Jump Preparation and Mental rehearsal
Stage 6 requires more thorough mental preparation than any previous stage. You need to mentally rehearse the entire jump in detail: the exit, the stability check, the altitude monitoring rhythm, the planned maneuvers, the altitude decision point for deployment, the deployment itself, and the canopy flight and landing. Any gaps in this mental rehearsal will be felt in the sky.
Your instructors will conduct a thorough briefing that covers exactly what is expected during the solo portion of the jump. They will confirm the altitude at which you should initiate your deployment sequence, the specific maneuvers you should practice, the altitude below which no more maneuvers are permitted, and the emergency procedures for various failure scenarios.
You should also prepare physically — make sure you are hydrated, have eaten appropriately, and are not experiencing any unusual stress or fatigue. Stage 6 is not the time to be running on empty. Your cognitive resources need to be fully available for the complex task of independent freefall management.
The Exit: Flying Solo From the First Moment
The exit in Stage 6 is different from previous stages. Your instructors will position you at the door, but they will not grip your harness as aggressively as in earlier stages. Their contact is lighter — just enough to guide your position and provide a psychological safety net, not enough to actively stabilize you. The exit itself is yours to execute.
The moment you leave the aircraft, you are alone in freefall. The sensation is unlike anything you have experienced in earlier stages — even though your instructors were present in previous jumps, there is a psychological weight to knowing that no one is physically holding onto you that changes the experience fundamentally.
The first few seconds are critical. Immediately after exit, assume your aggressive arch and spread position, establish stability, and then begin your planned sequence. Do not linger in the initial stability phase — use the skills you have practiced to move forward confidently into your freefall program.
Altitude Monitoring: Your Primary Responsibility
In all previous AFF stages, your instructors shared the responsibility for altitude monitoring. They were watching the altimeter, watching your altitude, and would signal you when approaching deployment altitude. In Stage 6, this responsibility is yours alone. Your instructors are nearby, but they will not give you altitude signals — you must provide them for yourself.
Develop and stick to a strict altitude monitoring rhythm. Check your altimeter every five seconds during the maneuver phase. Call your altitude verbally to yourself — "fourteen, stable" at exit, "twelve, turning" during maneuvers, "ten, transitioning" as you move between orientations. This verbal self-monitoring keeps your mind engaged with altitude in a way that passive checking does not.
Set personal altitude limits for specific actions. For example, you might decide that you will not perform any backfly below 9,000 feet, and you will initiate deployment procedures at 5,500 feet regardless of what you are doing. These self-imposed rules create safety buffers that protect you even when attention lapses.
Self-Deployment: Taking Full Responsibility
Stage 6 requires you to initiate your own deployment without instructor signal, at a self-determined altitude. You have been given a target deployment altitude — typically 5,500 feet — and it is your responsibility to reach that altitude, verify it on your altimeter, and execute the deployment sequence independently.
The self-deployment is one of the most significant psychological moments in AFF training. You are making the decision to pull, based on your own assessment of altitude, without any external confirmation. This is the core skill of independent skydiving — trusting your instruments, trusting your training, and acting decisively.
Execute the deployment sequence exactly as you have practiced it. Reach for the pilot chute, confirm grip, throw with full arm motion, and maintain arm extension until you feel the canopy begin to open. The technique does not change from earlier stages — what changes is that you are now fully responsible for the outcome.
Canopy Flight: Independence Under Canopy
After deployment, you will fly your canopy independently to the landing area. Your instructors will land before you and will be available to guide your pattern via radio or target boards if needed, but the expectation is that you can execute a complete landing pattern without instructor proximity.
Stage 6 canopy flight tests your ability to make independent navigational decisions. Which direction is the wind? What pattern do you need to fly to land safely in the designated area? Are there other canopies in the pattern that require you to adjust your path? These are all decisions you must make without consulting your instructor in real time.
Execute the landing flare as practiced. Maintain awareness of your altitude throughout the final approach. Begin the flare from altitude appropriate to your canopy's performance characteristics — generally, the larger and slower the canopy, the higher you need to begin the flare to avoid a hard touchdown.