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

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.

Sub-categories

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)

Competitive format

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 Germany West Germany
Warendorf
United States United States 40/49.92* United States United States 100/163.85* Not Held Not Held
1977 Australia Australia
Gatton, Queensland
Canada Canada 73 (7.3) United States United States
Germany West Germany
France France
42 (4.2) Not Held Not Held
1979 France France
Châteauroux
Canada Canada 82 (8.2) United States United States 66 (6.6) Not Held Not Held
1981 United States United States
Zephyrhills, Florida
United States United States 116 (11.6) United States United States 83 (8.3) Not Held Not Held
1983 South Africa South Africa
Sun City, North West
Switzerland Switzerland 115 (11.5) United States United States 102 (10.2) Not Held Not Held
1985 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia
Mali Lošinj
United States USA
Canada Canada
France France
118 (11.8) United States USA
France France
Canada Canada
120 (12.0) Not Held Not Held
1987 Brazil Brazil
Foz do Iguacu
FranceFrance
United States USA
AustriaAustria
134 (13.4) United States USA
France France
Soviet Union USSR
119 (13.2) (9 rd) Not Held Not Held
1989 Spain Spain
Gerona
France France
Soviet Union USSR
United States USA
152 (15.2) United States USA
Soviet Union USSR
France France
138 (13.8) Not Held Not Held
1991 Czech Republic Czechoslovakia
Lučenec
Mil Mi-8 France France
United States USA
Italy Italy
171 (17.1) United States USA
France France
Soviet Union USSR
181 (18.1) Not Held Not Held
1993 United States United States
Eloy, Arizona
DHC-6 Twin Otter France France
United States USA
Denmark Denmark
195 (19.5) United States USA
France France
Russia Russia
169 (16.9) Not Held Not Held
1995 France France
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Pilatus PC-6 Porter United States USA
France France
Denmark Denmark
207 (20.7) United States USA
France France
Russia Russia
195 (19.5) Not Held Not Held
1997 Turkey Turkey
Efes
CASA C-212 Aviocar United States USA
France France
South AfricaSouth Africa
210 (21.0) United States USA
Russia Russia
France France
224 (22.4) Not Held Not Held
1999 Australia Australia
Corowa
DHC-6 Twin Otter France France
United States USA
Norway Norway
208 (20.8) United States USA
Russia Russia
France France
211 (21.1) Not Held Not Held
2001 Spain Spain
Granada
CASA C-212 Aviocar United States USA
France France
Norway Norway
214 (21.4) RussiaRussia
United States USA
France France
193 (19.3) United States USA
Norway Norway
Sweden Sweden
147 (14.7) Not Held
2003 France France
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Pilatus PC-6 Porter France France
United States USA
Norway Norway
229 (22.9) RussiaRussia
United States USA
France France
221 (20.9) (11 rd) United Kingdom Great Britain
Norway Norway
United States USA
165 (16.5) Not Held
2004 Croatia Croatia
Rijeka
Mil Mi-8 United States USA
France France
Russia Russia
227 (22.7) United States USA
France France
Russia Russia
172 (19.1) (9 rd) United States USA
France France
Russia Russia
169 (16.9) Not Held
2006 Germany Germany
Gera
DHC-6 Twin Otter United States USA
France France
Italy Italy
117 (23.4) (5 rd) France France
United States USA
Russia Russia
123 (20.5) (6 rd) United Kingdom Great Britain
France France
Russia Russia
95 (19.0) (5 rd) Not Held
2008 France France
Maubeuge
Pilatus PC-6 Porter United States USA
France France
BelgiumBelgium
195 (24.4) (8 rd) France France
United States USA
Italy Italy
151 (21.6) (7 rd) United Kingdom Great Britain
United States USA
France France
120 (20.0) (6 rd) Not Held
2010 Russia Russia
Menzelinsk
L-410 Turbolet France France
United States USA
Russia Russia
277 (27.7) France France
United States USA
Russia Russia
203 (20.3) France France
United Kingdom Great Britain
United States USA
236 (23.6) Not Held
2012 United Arab Emirates UAE
Dubai
DHC-6 Twin Otter United StatesUSA
BelgiumBelgium
FranceFrance
279 (27.9) United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
RussiaRussia
229 (22.9) United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
NorwayNorway
207 (20.7) FranceFrance
United Arab Emirates UAE
United StatesUSA
185 (23,1) (8 rd)
2014 Czech Republic Czech Republic
Prostějov
L-410 Turbolet Belgium Belgium
United States USA
Canada Canada
264 (26.4) United StatesUSA
RussiaRussia
FranceFrance
216 (21.6) FranceFrance
United StatesUSA
United KingdomGreat Britain
214 (21.4) FranceFrance
United StatesUSA
CanadaCanada
179 (22,4) (8 rd)
2016 United States United States
Chicago
DHC-6 Twin Otter BelgiumBelgium
United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
262 (26.2) United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
RussiaRussia
239 (23.9) United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
United KingdomGreat Britain
224 (22.4) FranceFrance
CanadaCanada
United StatesUSA
168 (22.4) (8 rd)
2018 Australia Australia
Gold Coast, Queensland
Cessna 208 Caravan BelgiumBelgium
United StatesUSA
FranceFrance
279 (27.9) United States USA
Russia Russia
Qatar Qatar
224 (22,4) FranceFrance
United KingdomGreat Britain
SwedenSweden
257 (25,7) United StatesUSA
CanadaCanada
AustraliaAustralia
217 (21,7)
2020
(2021)
Russia Russia
Kemerovo region
L-410 Turbolet Belgium Belgium
United States USA
Qatar Qatar
193 (32,2) (6 rd) United States USA
France France
RPF
166 (23,7) (7 rd) RPF
France France
PolandPolen
150 (25,0) (6 rd) United States USA
RPF
ItalyItaly
143 (20,4) (7 rd)
2022 United States United States
Eloy, Arizona
DHC-6 Twin Otter United States USA
Belgium Belgium
Qatar Qata
261
228
219
United States USA
Qatar Qatar
Germany Germany
205
164
131
United Kingdom Great Britain
France France
United States USA
200
189
184
United States USA
Australia Australia
Norway Norway
212
190
140

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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