Skydiving in Spain in 2005
james@miracleofmeditation.com For formation skydiving, you need a good body position: one that is symmetrical, and gives you a
reasonable fall rate (not too fast, not too slow) so that you both fall straight down, and can
vary your fall rate to keep on a level with your partners. The ‘standard’ position most often
used for Formation Skydiving is known as the ‘Box’ or ‘Boxman’; the latest thing, and very
effective it is too, is known as the ‘Mantis’ position, and is a variation on the box.
These positions may not be exactly what you have been taught while a student: things are
different now that you are undertaking more advanced training.
The Box position is as follows: Head up about 90 degrees to your body; arms 90 degrees at
elbow; upper arms straight across your shoulders from elbow to elbow; lower back gently arched;
legs about shoulder -width apart at the knees; knees bent comfortably between 45 and 90 degrees,
toes pointed. The Mantis position includes dropping the elbows below the level of your body much as the
insect known as a Praying Mantis holds it’s forelegs (hence the name, of course). In this
position your head is held high; your arms are lower than your shoulders; your hands are
somewhere between your chin and level with your elbows; you have a slight arch from the hip;
your knees are slightly above the level of your hips. The best Formation Skydiving teams
use this position, as it allows them to move fast with small inputs.
These body positions do nor require you to hold yourself rigid in position and you should
not be arched hard any more. You need to have a relaxed, ’neutral’ body position, so that both
more and less arch are available when needed. Unlike student work, more advanced manoeuvring
is accomplished by more use of your legs; this requires a lot of concentration and practise,
as humans are generally less aware of their legs than their arms and hands.
Your coach will use the various in-air signals while in freefall to adjust your body position.
When you see a signal, you should react to it by making the change required slowly and
progressively: Your coach will continue with the signal until the desired effect has
been achieved. For example, if you see the ‘straighten legs’ signal slowly straighten
your legs until the signal is removed. Then keep your legs where they are! perhaps
Apart from body position, the most important thing you will learn will be to maintain
eye-contact with, initially your Coach and later with the formation. Eye contact tells
you whether you are drifting away from or towards the formation, and whether you are
gaining or losing altitude in relation to the formation. In order to do good Formation
Skydiving you must maintain your position in the sky relative to the formation: You must
be close to it (in your ‘slot’) and level with it. Eye contact is the only thing which
will allow you to achieve this - you must maintain it even when your back is
turned to the formation. On each WARP dive’no more work’ altitude will be set by your coach. You must continue
working until this altitude is reached: do not stop working early. You are wasting
freefall time (and your money) if you do. After ‘no more work’ stay with your Coach,
or at least maintain eye-contact, until break off.
Break-off altitude on early WARP dives is 4000 feet. At this altitude turn 180 degrees
away from your Coach and track for 3 seconds in a straight line. Then flare out into
neutral position, wave to indicate that you are about to pull (while also checking
that there is nobody above or below you), then pull. You must not track for longer
than 3 seconds - you’ll go low if you do. You should not keep checking your
altimeter during break-off procedures. Just turn, track, wave and pull: you
know that you are almost at deployment height already - that’s why you are
tracking off. On early WARP dives the Coach will stay put and watch you track: you
must track: it is a very important survival skill. Heading and altitude awareness. Launching a two-way piece, student to take his/her
most confident position. Importance of good count - timing and co-ordination. Non-contact
flying, staying close: Proximity. Forward movement to redock. Launching a two-way piece, student to take his/her most confident position. Fast and slow
fall: levels. Importance of keeping formation in view. Side-slipping, left and right.
Spotting: student spots to coach. Suggested exit: Launch two-way piece, student diving , coach centre float. 90 degree in-place
Turns - side-ins. Importance of maintaining eye-contact and proximity.
Spotting: student to pilot, coach observing. Suggested exit: Launch two-way piece, student centre float, coach diving.
180 degree in place turns - back-ins. Eye-contact and proximity. Spotting: student to pilot. Suggested exit: Launch a two-way line, student rear float. Pin, 360 degree in-place turn, pin.
Eye-contact and proximity. Spotting: student to pilot. Diving and swooping techniques. Exit: Coach exits first, student performs vertical dive from
aircraft. Controlled dive to set-up point, close to pin coach. Eye-contact. Spotting: student to
pilot. Suggested exit: dive a linked pair. 5 point two-way: side-in, side-in, back-in, back-in, pin.
Eye-contact, levels and proximity. Spotting: student to pilot. 3 point 3 way: three random formations, incorporating side-ins. Suggested launch : three-way
Star. Sub-terminal control of launched piece. Teamwork.. Centre-point, keeping pace with the
base, anticipation of next point. Eye-contact, levels and proximity. Correct use of jumpsuit
grips. 3 point 3 way: three random formations, incorporating back-ins. Suggested launch: centre
Floater, diver, rear floater. Sub-terminal control of launched piece. Teamwork.. Centre-point,
Keeping pace with the base, anticipation of next point. Eye-contact, levels and proximity.
Correct use of jumpsuit grips. 4 point 4 way: four random formations. Suggested launch: figure-8. Names of formations.
Sub-terminal control of launched piece. Teamwork. Centre-point, keeping pace with the base,
anticipation of next point. Eye-contact, levels and proximity. Correct use of jumpsuit grips. |