USPA A-License Exam Prep 2026-2027:
150 Questions & Answers with Rationale
**1. Who must directly supervise your student training jumps?**
- **Answer:** A USPA Instructor rated for your discipline (BSRs 2-
1.F.2.b)
- **Rationale:** The Basic Safety Requirements mandate that all
student jumps must be under the direct supervision of a properly rated
USPA Instructor until specific skill milestones are achieved .
**2. What is your most important task when in freefall?**
- **Answer:** Altitude awareness to recognize and act at the assigned
pull altitude (Category B outline)
- **Rationale:** Maintaining altitude awareness is critical for safe
parachute deployment and ensuring you have sufficient altitude to
handle any emergencies.
**3. What are the maximum winds in which any student may jump?**
,- **Answer:** 10 mph for a round reserve canopy; 14 mph for a ram-
air reserve, waiverable by an S&TA (BSR 2-1.G.1)
- **Rationale:** Student safety requires stricter wind limits to prevent
dangerous drift and landing incidents.
**4. How would you clear a pilot chute hesitation?**
- **Answer:** Change body position to modify the air flow over your
back
- **Rationale:** A pilot chute hesitation occurs when the pilot chute
fails to generate enough drag. Changing body position can redirect
airflow to help it inflate.
**5. In the event of a canopy problem, students should decide and act
about executing emergency procedures by what altitude?**
- **Answer:** 2,500 feet (SIM 5-1.E, Category A and B outline)
- **Rationale:** 2,500 feet is the standard decision altitude that
provides sufficient time to address emergencies before reaching lower,
more dangerous altitudes.
**6. How would you address line twists?**
- **Answer:** Before releasing the brakes, spread risers or twist risers
to transfer line twist to risers, kick in the opposite direction, watch
altitude to 2,500 feet
,- **Rationale:** Transferring twists to the risers makes them easier to
clear, and the 2,500-foot altitude limit ensures you don't waste time on
an unfixable problem.
**7. How would you address a slider that is stuck up?**
- **Answer:** Pump rear risers or steering controls at the bottom of
the stroke while watching altitude to 2,500 feet
- **Rationale:** Pumping risers creates air pressure to help the slider
descend. The 2,500-foot limit ensures you cut away if the problem
persists.
**8. How would you address end-cell closure?**
- **Answer:** Pull toggles to flare position and hold (or pull down rear
risers and hold) and watch altitude. If stubborn, determine
controllability with turn and flare by 2,500 feet
- **Rationale:** Flaring pressurizes the canopy and can open closed
end cells. Testing controllability determines if the canopy is safe to land
or needs to be cut away.
**9. What is the correct response to an open container in freefall using
a hand-deployed system?**
- **Answer:** No more than two tries or two seconds to locate and
deploy the main pilot chute; if no success, cut away and deploy the
reserve (SIM Section 5-1.E)
, - **Rationale:** Quickly attempting deployment prevents a horseshoe
malfunction. Cutting away and deploying the reserve is the safest
option if the main fails to deploy.
**10. If part of the deployed parachute is caught on the jumper or the
equipment (horseshoe), what is the correct response?**
- **Answer:** Cut away and deploy the reserve (Category A and B
outline)
- **Rationale:** A horseshoe malfunction is unrecoverable. Immediate
cutaway and reserve deployment is required.
---
## SECTION 2: AIRCRAFT PROCEDURES & SAFETY (Questions 11-25)
**11. Describe the three legs of the canopy landing pattern with
relation to the wind direction.**
- **Answer:** Downwind (with the wind), base (across the wind but
downwind of the target), and final (into the wind) (Category A and B
outline)
- **Rationale:** The pattern ensures consistent approach angles,
visibility of other canopies, and adequate energy for a proper flare.
**12. Why is it undesirable to land off the end of a runway?**
- **Answer:** Approaching and departing aircraft (Category B outline)
150 Questions & Answers with Rationale
**1. Who must directly supervise your student training jumps?**
- **Answer:** A USPA Instructor rated for your discipline (BSRs 2-
1.F.2.b)
- **Rationale:** The Basic Safety Requirements mandate that all
student jumps must be under the direct supervision of a properly rated
USPA Instructor until specific skill milestones are achieved .
**2. What is your most important task when in freefall?**
- **Answer:** Altitude awareness to recognize and act at the assigned
pull altitude (Category B outline)
- **Rationale:** Maintaining altitude awareness is critical for safe
parachute deployment and ensuring you have sufficient altitude to
handle any emergencies.
**3. What are the maximum winds in which any student may jump?**
,- **Answer:** 10 mph for a round reserve canopy; 14 mph for a ram-
air reserve, waiverable by an S&TA (BSR 2-1.G.1)
- **Rationale:** Student safety requires stricter wind limits to prevent
dangerous drift and landing incidents.
**4. How would you clear a pilot chute hesitation?**
- **Answer:** Change body position to modify the air flow over your
back
- **Rationale:** A pilot chute hesitation occurs when the pilot chute
fails to generate enough drag. Changing body position can redirect
airflow to help it inflate.
**5. In the event of a canopy problem, students should decide and act
about executing emergency procedures by what altitude?**
- **Answer:** 2,500 feet (SIM 5-1.E, Category A and B outline)
- **Rationale:** 2,500 feet is the standard decision altitude that
provides sufficient time to address emergencies before reaching lower,
more dangerous altitudes.
**6. How would you address line twists?**
- **Answer:** Before releasing the brakes, spread risers or twist risers
to transfer line twist to risers, kick in the opposite direction, watch
altitude to 2,500 feet
,- **Rationale:** Transferring twists to the risers makes them easier to
clear, and the 2,500-foot altitude limit ensures you don't waste time on
an unfixable problem.
**7. How would you address a slider that is stuck up?**
- **Answer:** Pump rear risers or steering controls at the bottom of
the stroke while watching altitude to 2,500 feet
- **Rationale:** Pumping risers creates air pressure to help the slider
descend. The 2,500-foot limit ensures you cut away if the problem
persists.
**8. How would you address end-cell closure?**
- **Answer:** Pull toggles to flare position and hold (or pull down rear
risers and hold) and watch altitude. If stubborn, determine
controllability with turn and flare by 2,500 feet
- **Rationale:** Flaring pressurizes the canopy and can open closed
end cells. Testing controllability determines if the canopy is safe to land
or needs to be cut away.
**9. What is the correct response to an open container in freefall using
a hand-deployed system?**
- **Answer:** No more than two tries or two seconds to locate and
deploy the main pilot chute; if no success, cut away and deploy the
reserve (SIM Section 5-1.E)
, - **Rationale:** Quickly attempting deployment prevents a horseshoe
malfunction. Cutting away and deploying the reserve is the safest
option if the main fails to deploy.
**10. If part of the deployed parachute is caught on the jumper or the
equipment (horseshoe), what is the correct response?**
- **Answer:** Cut away and deploy the reserve (Category A and B
outline)
- **Rationale:** A horseshoe malfunction is unrecoverable. Immediate
cutaway and reserve deployment is required.
---
## SECTION 2: AIRCRAFT PROCEDURES & SAFETY (Questions 11-25)
**11. Describe the three legs of the canopy landing pattern with
relation to the wind direction.**
- **Answer:** Downwind (with the wind), base (across the wind but
downwind of the target), and final (into the wind) (Category A and B
outline)
- **Rationale:** The pattern ensures consistent approach angles,
visibility of other canopies, and adequate energy for a proper flare.
**12. Why is it undesirable to land off the end of a runway?**
- **Answer:** Approaching and departing aircraft (Category B outline)
