Skill levels

The full progression rules across every IBA programme. For the high-level introduction see Overview → Skill levels; this page is the engineering reference for prerequisites, who-can-approve-what, and the cascading effects of currency.

The eight programmes

Skill records aren’t a single ladder. There are several parallel programmes, each with its own levels, prerequisites, and currency:

A single member can hold positions in several programmes at once — e.g. Flyer Level 4 + Instructor Level 3 + Coach (flag) + Examiner-current.

Flyer levels (1 → 5)

The flyer ladder isn’t a single line — it’s a mandatory entry skill followed by three independent discipline tracks. A flyer must complete Level 1 first, then chooses which track(s) to pursue. The tracks don’t substitute for one another: holding Static Level 3 doesn’t qualify a flyer for Dynamic Level 4; they would need Dynamic Level 3 first.

Progression graph

The rules

1. Level 1 is mandatory and comes first. No other flyer skill can be requested until Flyer Level 1 is approved.
2. Two routes branch from Level 1:
   • Backflying (Level 2) — required to enter the Static or Dynamic tracks at any level above 2.
   • Formation (Level 2) — separate track. A flyer can start Formation immediately after Level 1; they don’t need to pass Backflying first.
3. Each track progresses linearly within itself. Static Level N requires Static Level N−1; Dynamic Level N requires Dynamic Level N−1; Formation Level N requires Formation Level N−1.
4. Tracks don’t substitute for each other. Static Level 3 does not unlock Dynamic Level 4. To reach Dynamic Level 4 a flyer needs Dynamic Level 3 (and, transitively, Backflying Level 2 + Flyer Level 1).
5. Backflying gates Static and Dynamic, only. It is not a prerequisite for the Formation track.

What “Level N” means as a status

A flyer is described as “at Level N” when they hold any approved skill at Level N from at least one track. A flyer with Dynamic Level 4 approved is at Level 4 (in the dynamic discipline) — they’re not required to also hold Static Level 4 or Formation Level 4 to be “at Level 4”. Track is implied or stated explicitly when it matters.

The Flyer Safety Brief is excluded from level eligibility. It’s a pre-requirement, not a skill that counts toward levels.

AFC — the gateway

AFC is a single milestone skill, not a level. Passing AFC does not change role_id — the member remains role_id = 6 (Flyer) until they’re certified at Instructor Level 1, at which point they become role_id = 8 (see Member lifecycle). What AFC unlocks is eligibility for the instructor track.

To enter the instructor programme a member must hold:

1. Flyer Level 1 (any approved Level 1 skill counts).
2. AFC (the milestone).

Without AFC, no amount of higher-level flyer experience grants instructor eligibility.

Instructor levels (1 → 4)

Instructor levels mirror flyer levels — an Instructor Level N is authorised to approve flyer skills up to Level N. Each level adds its own required skills on top of the prior level:

Two additional instructor skills sit outside the level ladder and can be held by any instructor:

• Flying with Flyers
• Equipment Instructor

These are recorded against the instructor’s skill list but don’t gate or grant level progression.

There is no Instructor Level 5. Flyer Level 5 skills are approved by Instructor Level 4 (the top of the instructor ladder), assuming the L5 skill is within the instructor’s authorised disciplines.

Each instructor level requires its own safety training each currency cycle. An Instructor Level 4 doesn’t get to skip Levels 1, 2, or 3 training — they do the full stack each cycle.

Trainer levels (1 → 4)

Trainers certify instructors and conduct instructor-level assessments. The trainer track follows several years of instructor experience — each level adds a length-of-service threshold on top of the skill requirements:

Trainer Level 4 carries authority over the Coach programme — the Coach Assessor / Coach Rating Assessor / FWE Coach Assessor skills at T4 are what qualify the holder to assess coach certifications.

Trainer Levels 1-3 are approved by a Trainer Level 4 (or an Examiner); Trainer Level 4 itself requires Examiner sign-off.

Examiner

Examiner is a single-tier rating gated by two prerequisite skills on the candidate’s record:

Examiner authority sits above trainer authority on the formal- assessment side. Examiner is the highest-trust signature on the platform — an examiner sign-off is what unlocks a level, and the IBA’s reputation rests on the integrity of those signatures.

Examiner skills are approved by an Examiner (peer or IBA HQ-designated).

Airflow Controller

Airflow controllers are tunnel operations staff (role_id = 13) who run the airflow controls during flight sessions. The rating is a single tier with three core skills:

The airflow-controller rating itself doesn’t require instructor currency. Many airflow controllers come from the instructor pool and retain instructor currency from that prior role, but lapse of instructor currency doesn’t invalidate the airflow-controller rating — see Currency by role and Members → Staff credentials vs active employment.

Coach

The coach track sits alongside the formal ladder rather than inside it. Coaches work on technique with a flyer between sessions, with their own currency and skill catalogue — but they don’t approve flyer levels.

• Six-monthly currency.
• Lives as a flag on the member record (not in role_id; the legacy role_id = 7 is no longer assigned).
• Coach certifications are assessed by a holder of the Coach Assessor authority (carried by Trainer Level 4) or by an Examiner.

Military

A parallel skill set tracked in channel_currency_military. Military- trainer certification is required to run the programme; military trainer is not interchangeable with civilian trainer.

Prerequisites and skill cascades

Skills inside a level often have their own prerequisites — a flyer can’t request any Level 2 skill, only the ones whose foundations are already approved.

The platform tracks this as a progression graph:

• As soon as a skill’s prerequisites are met AND currency is active, the skill becomes Available in the flyer’s logbook.
• If a prerequisite is later removed (an admin invalidates a skill signed under irregularity, for example), dependent skills cascade back to Not Available.
• If currency lapses, all Available and Open skills cascade to Not Current — they don’t disappear, they pause. See Logbook → Skill lifecycle.

Who can approve what — quick reference

For the full derivation rules — including how approval_level_* fields are stored and recalculated — see Approval levels.

Why so strict

A Level 3 flyer trained in Spain shows up in Australia and the home tunnel knows exactly what they can do. A military trainer certified at one tunnel is recognised at every IBA-affiliated military tunnel. An instructor’s signature in a flyer’s logbook is trustworthy because the platform makes it impossible for an under-qualified person to leave that signature.

That portability — across tunnels, programmes, years — is what the IBA credential is. The platform exists to maintain it.