Formation skydiving

Formation skydiving is a skydiving event where multiple skydivers attach themselves to one another by grabbing each other's limbs or by the use of "grippers" on their jumpsuit while free falling through the sky. The goal of this skydiving program is to build a formation of multiple divers arranged in a geometric pattern.

4-way FS (Formation Skydiving)
Breaking off from a formation before parachute deployment.
DC-3 loading; plus 'dirt diving'; 1977

Formation skydiving can be further divided into several sub-categories, so named for the number of members in a team:

  • 4-way sequential
  • 4-way vertical sequential (VFS, Vertical Formation Skydiving)
  • 8-way sequential
  • 16-way sequential
  • 10-way speed
  • Large formations (Big-ways)

A competition in 4-way formation skydiving (FS-4) takes place like this:

There are two kinds of formations, called randoms and blocks. The randoms are singular formations with full separation of all grips both before and after building the formation. The blocks are double formations with a special designated movement pattern in between, called an inter. The start formation may, or may not be similar to the ending formation. The inters are differently performed. Here are some examples:

Inter 1: The grips are released between some of the flyers, so they become two pieces of two team members. they both do a 270 degree turn, and reconnect to a different formation

Inter 2: Three people stay connected, and do a 360 turn, while the last person, flies alone.

Inter 15: All grips are released and everyone does a 360 turn back to the original formation.

Blocks are designated by numbers, while randoms got letters. Blocks are worth one point for each correct formation, that makes 2 points, and randoms count as 1 point. There are 22 blocks and 16 randoms.

competition consists of up to 10 rounds, and each round consists of 5 or 6 points, which the teams are to repeat as many times as they can within the working time of 35 seconds. The score judging are based on the videographers material.

A competition draw may look like this:

  • 1: C-E-B-13
  • 2: 14-20-8
  • 3: 15-16-H
  • 4: J-O-1-D
  • 5: 6-18-19
  • 6: 5-F-21
  • 7: 10-K-G-M
  • 8: 22-3-P
  • 9: 12-9-4
  • 10:11-17-Q

The winning team will be the team that has collected most points, by completing the most correct formations within time after the final round is ended. In case of weather or technical problems, or other causes, a competition will be valid as long as all teams has completed at least one round.

A recent sub-category of formation skydiving is vertical formation skydiving (VFS). Skydivers build formations using higher-speed body positions normally associated with freeflying, such as head down and sitflying.

World Record
  • BIG-WAY:

The current FAI world record for largest free-fall formation is a 400-way,[1] set on February 8, 2006, in Udon Thani, Thailand by the World Team.[2] It was held for 4.3 seconds. With the support of the Thai government, they used five C-130 Hercules airplanes and exited from an altitude of 25,400 feet.[3] In April 2013 the World Team tried to break the record for the largest 2-point formation dive in skydiving history. All 222 members came together and made a formation, broke apart, and then reformed to make a completely different formation. The team attempted the jump many times and came very close to breaking the record, but were unsuccessful each time. The World Team has not made anymore official statements about attempting the record again. [4]

Longest sequence in one round:

  • 4-Way

Set by the Belgian team(NMP-PCH Hayabusa), at the World Meet 2018 in round 6, where they posted 62 points in working time (35 seconds)

  • 8-Way

Set by the U.S. (Golden Knights) national team, at the "5th Dubai International Parachute Championship" in 2015, in round 2, where they posted 33 points in working time (50 seconds)

World Championship
Year Venue Airplane 4-Way Champion Points (avg) 8-Way Champion Points (avg) 4-Way Female Champion Points (avg) 4-Way Vertical Formation Points (avg)
1975 West Germany, Warendorf United States 40/49.92* United States 100/163.85* Not Held Not Held
1977 Australia, Gatton, Queensland Canada 73 (7.3) United States 42 (4.2) Not Held Not Held
1979 France, Châteauroux Canada 82 (8.2) United States 66 (6.6) Not Held Not Held
1981 United States, Zephyrhills, Florida United States 116 (11.6) United States 83 (8.3) Not Held Not Held
1983 South Africa, Sun City, North West Switzerland 115 (11.5) United States 102 (10.2) Not Held Not Held
1985 Yugoslavia, Mali Lošinj United States 118 (11.8) United States 120 (12.0) Not Held Not Held
1987 Brazil, Foz do Iguacu France 134 (13.4) United States 119 (13.2) (9 rd) Not Held Not Held
1989 Spain, Gerona France 152 (15.2) United States 138 (13.8) Not Held Not Held
1991 Czechoslovakia, Lučenec Mil Mi-8 France 171 (17.1) United States 181 (18.1) Not Held Not Held
1993 United States, Eloy, Arizona DHC-6 Twin Otter France 195 (19.5) United States 169 (16.9) Not Held Not Held
1995 France, Gap, Hautes-Alpes Pilatus PC-6 Porter United States 207 (20.7) United States 195 (19.5) Not Held Not Held
1997 Turkey, Efes CASA C-212 Aviocar United States 210 (21.0) United States 224 (22.4) Not Held Not Held
1999 Australia, Corowa DHC-6 Twin Otter France 208 (20.8) United States 211 (21.1) Not Held Not Held
2001 Spain, Granada CASA C-212 Aviocar United States 214 (21.4) Russia 193 (19.3) United States 147 (14.7) Not Held
2003 France, Gap, Hautes-Alpes Pilatus PC-6 Porter France 229 (22.9) Russia 221 (20.9) (11 rd) Great Britain 165 (16.5) Not Held
2004 Croatia, Rijeka Mil Mi-8 United States 227 (22.7) United States 172 (19.1) (9 rd) United States 169 (16.9) Not Held
2006 Germany, Gera DHC-6 Twin Otter United States 117 (23.4) (5 rd) France 123 (20.5) (6 rd) Great Britain 95 (19.0) (5 rd) Not Held
2008 France, Maubeuge Pilatus PC-6 Porter United States 195 (24.4) (8 rd) France 151 (21.6) (7 rd) Great Britain 120 (20.0) (6 rd) Not Held
2010 Russia, Menzelinsk L-410 Turbolet France 277 (27.7) France 203 (20.3) France 236 (23.6) Not Held
2012 UAE, Dubai DHC-6 Twin Otter United States 279 (27.9) United States 229 (22.9) France 207 (20.7) France 185 (23,1) (8 rd)
2014 Czech Republic, Prostejov L-410 Turbolet Belgium 264 (26.4) United States 216 (21.6) France 214 (21.4) France 179 (22,4) (8 rd)
2016 United States, Chicago DHC-6 Twin Otter Belgium 262 (26.2) United States 239 (23.9) United States 224 (22.4) United States 168 (22.4) (8 rd)
2018 Australia, Gold Coast, Queensland Cessna 208 Caravan Belgium 279 (27.9) United States 224 (22,4) France 257 (25,7) United States 217 (21,7)
2020 Russia, Kemerovo region L-410 Turbolet TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

See also

References
  1. "Largest Formation Records". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. "Chronology of World Records". World Team. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  3. Bertorelli, Paul (February 15, 2006). "The Making of the World's Largest Skydive". AVweb. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  4. "World Record Jump Attempt in Arizona". Air Sports Net. April 14, 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
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