Above: On a jump organized by Pete Allum, jumpers come together for the first point of a sequential big-way during a 20-way camp at Skydive Empuriabrava in Spain. Photo by Bruno Brokken.
On recreational formation skydives, it is not unusual to see someone go low, struggle to dock or pop out of position between points. And on these kinds of jumps, that’s typically okay; they’re fun jumps after all. People are learning, and everyone on the load has the basic qualifications to jump with the group.
But if those jumpers’ goals include participating in larger, more complicated sequential skydives, they’ll need to improve their flying skills. Beyond the basics (such as soft, level docks and effective tracking) lies a laundry list of essential skills for sequential formation skydivers.
Matching Fall Rate
Jumpers on formation skydives can’t accomplish very much if they can’t match fall rates. It must be fast enough so that the heaviest jumpers don’t have to worry about going low and the lightest jumpers don’t have to worry about floating on every point. A balance must be struck, with the heavier jumpers wearing looser-fitting jumpsuits and the lighter jumpers wearing a sufficient amount of extra weight. This is one reason that big-way records take more than a day or two to achieve. With so many jumpers of different sizes, it can take several jumps to iron out a good fall rate. In general, however, faster is better—it helps prevent the formation from buffeting up and down in waves (also called “potato chipping”) which makes it difficult for jumpers to dock.
Flying in Control
Many competition skydivers fly in a “mantis” style body position, something that is best learned with the help of a tunnel coach. Other formation skydivers fly in a “boxman” or other style, which can also work as long as they can fly in the middle of their range. Flying in the middle of that range is important, as it allows you to make a variety of adjustments. That’s one reason that students often fall very fast—they haven’t yet learned how to stay in the middle of their range.
But doing so is more than just ability to adjust your fall rate. You must also be able to fly neutral between points without floating, sinking, or sliding around. Between points, jumpers often fly very close to each other, so erratic movements in any direction can disrupt the build or even cause a funnel. As a 4-way coach once said, “One of the hardest things to do is to fall straight down.” Oversimplified, but true.
Controlling Your Arousal Level
Whether you’re lining up for the exit, looking for the key or waiting for people ahead of you to dock, you must be able to keep your excitement (or arousal level) in check. How you do this is pretty much up to you, and there’s plenty of information about it on the internet. But here’s a simple way to do it on the ride to altitude: Take a deep breath and slowly release it. (You might need to do this a couple times.) This will get more oxygen to your brain, slow your heart rate, and help you focus.
Experienced 4-way competitor Niklas Hemlin of Arizona Airspeed once shared that on a scale of one to 10, his optimum arousal level was around a seven. At this number, he felt he performed his best. Your number might be different, and that’s OK. To determine your optimum arousal-level number, try to assign a number (on a scale of 1 to 10) before and after you’ve calmed yourself with deep breathing. Obviously, the number should be higher before deep breathing and lower afterwards. The lower number should then be your optimum arousal level.
Anticipation and Reaction
Anticipation is another key ingredient to performing well on sequential skydives. Waiting patiently is good, but at the same time you should be anticipating where you need to be for the next point and how you’re going to get there. Then when you move, do so with determination and authority. This is especially important in 4-way where things happen very quickly, which is why 4-way is such great training for larger sequential formation skydives.
Things never go perfectly, so you also have to be ready to react, such as when someone bumps into you on your way to your slot on a big-way. This is no time for passivity. React quickly and with authority! This doesn’t mean you have to body-check like a hockey player. It simply means hold your position while nudging the other person’s arm or leg out of your path.
Your circle of awareness is something that develops over time, although some people seem to acquire it faster. But it doesn’t matter how quickly you develop it. What matters is that you try to see more and more of the skydive each and every time, which will naturally help you develop better anticipation and reaction skills. Put another way, if you’re seeing the bigger picture, you’re better able to anticipate your next move and react to any problems that might arise.
Communicating in Freefall
Good communication between pieces and individuals is critical on sequential skydives. Whether one person keys or two or more people check for completed grips and then one of them keys, the concept is the same and follows a logical pattern. Jumpers communicate with their eyes to indicate they are ready for the key. Then the designated person keys with a head nod or an arm movement (or “flash”). The key allows the rest of the jumpers to coordinate their moves which, in turn, helps control the pace and rhythm of the skydive.
Adopting a Teamwork Mentality
If you’re going to participate in a sequential skydive, get ready to be a team player and follow some general rules of the game. One rule is to not interrupt the organizer when he is speaking, especially during the dirt dive, unless it’s an emergency. Another one is to not be critical of or rude other jumpers. If they mess up, let the organizer deal with it. That’s their job.
Tolerance is always very important. Your ability to get along with jumpers from all sorts of backgrounds and with diverse personalities is important. As world-class organizer Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld says, “You don’t have to be friends to be teammates, just have a desire to achieve a common goal.” So if you feel yourself getting frustrated with another jumper, tell yourself to keep the end goal in mind.
Be punctual. Lots of people are depending on you, including manifest staff who need to keep the plane on schedule. So show up on time to start the day, don’t be late for dirt dives and be geared up and at the mock-up when you’re supposed to be there.
Finally, learn to accept criticism. When the organizer points out your mistakes, don’t take it personally. We’ve all been there. It’s just part of the learning process. A good organizer is not going to belittle you, because they’re keeping that end goal first and foremost in their mind as well.
As you can see, there is a lot to learn before you are ready to participate in larger sequential skydives. It’s a gradual process, so don’t feel slighted if you’re not invited onto the fancier dives for a while. Show the organizers that you are putting in the work on small formations, and once they see that you’re serious and your skills are improving, you’ll get your opportunity. Before long, you might find yourself smiling across the formation at the organizer as you move confidently to the next point. The icing on the sequential cake is that you get to do it again on the next point, and maybe again for the point after that! And that’s what’s so great about sequential formation skydiving—you get to pack so much into one awesome skydive!
About the Author
Ed Lightle, D-5966, is a long-time 4-way enthusiast and big-way record holder with over 4,400 jumps. He has written many articles on formation skydiving for Parachutist magazine and continues to share his passion for the sport with jumpers of all ages and experience levels.