Formation jumping
The formation skydiving , and RW jumping (Engl. Relative Work) or earlier relative jump , is the most popular discipline in skydiving . Several parachutists leave the drop plane at the same time and form one or more formations in free fall.
The term "relative jumping" or "relative work" results from the relative position of the individual jumpers to each other while everyone falls at the same time. Although free fall speeds of over 200 km / h can be reached, the jumpers can fly into neutral positions to each other and even take (delicate!) Grips with the other jumper.
variants
Originally, all jumpers in a formation jump fell in the aerodynamically favorable stomach position. Since mid-2000, however, there has been a further development or hybrid form, the so-called vertical formation (VFS = Vertical Formation Skydiving), which has its origin in freefly and also other positions / axes, for example upright or even overhead (headdown ) of the jumpers involved.
Formation jumping is widely used in skydiving and is practiced by both recreational jumpers and professional athletes. Different sizes of formations are also jumped. Starting with two-man formations to record formations of several hundred jumpers. Basically it can be said that the larger a formation, the higher the demands on the performance of the jumpers involved.
Formation jumping categories
Formation jumping can be divided into further categories. The respective names describe the number of participating jumpers and the type of formations either as a sequence jump (several formations in one jump) or as a speed jump (one formation as fast as possible). The terms are usually taken from the American:
- 4-way sequential
- 4-way vertical sequential (VFS)
- 8-way sequential
- 16-way sequential
- 10-way speed
- Big-ways
Formation jumping as a competitive discipline
4 and 8 formation jumps belong to the supreme disciplines in parachuting. In this area, national and international championships are held worldwide according to a standardized set of rules of the "International Parachute Commission" (IPC), a sub-committee of the "Fédération Aéronautique Internationale" (FAI).
A competition team consists of 4 or 8 jumpers and a cameraman. The competition itself goes over 10 rounds. Each round consists of up to 6 predefined formations. The teams must repeat the formations in the correct order as often as possible within a certain number of seconds (working time). The team receives one point for each correctly flown formation. The specified formations are drawn by lot from an internationally established pool before the competition.
Formation jumping as a record event
The rules for a large formation with a record claim are also drawn up by the FAI / IPC. The current FAI world record for the largest free fall formation is currently 400 jumpers and was set on February 8, 2006 in Udon Thani , Thailand . The 400 jumpers were brought to an altitude of 7,500 m with five Hercules C-130 aircraft. The formation was held for 4.25 seconds.
Web links
- www.dfv.aero Homepage of the German Parachute Sports Association
- www.fai.org Fédération Aéronautique Internationale / International Parachute Commission
Individual evidence
- ↑ FAI / IPC ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Formation Skydiving / Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- ↑ Largest Formation Records ( Memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . FAI Record ID # 13052 Large freefall formation. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
