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Airspeed Formation Skydiving Advanced Skills Camp Work Book
Exits
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The key to all good exits is TIMING, PRESENTATION and PLACEMENT!
As you stand in the door, lined up and ready to exit, realize this: you
are a funnel waiting to happen. In the line up, your team is like a ball of
bodies. You may have the correct grips of a formation, but a formation you are
not. From the door, you must physically PUT THE FORMATION ON THE AIR. You
cannot just jump out and see where it goes. You must decide exactly where you
want the formation to be on “the hill” and physically put it in that place.
Decide exactly where you want the formation to be on
“the hill”;
Stand balanced and comfortable in the door during
the line up;
Have a consistent and easily communicated count to establish
ideal timing;
Know what you personally have to do to ensure that
you are presented to the wind as you leave the door. Don’t jump out and then
present. You must be presented when you first hit the air;
Establish your cross-reference while in the line up.
Front and rear should be watching each other as they come off the plane. This
is the only way to know if you have immediately put the formation in the proper
place on “the hill” and the only way to fix it if you have not.
We have found that most exits leave the airplane better if they are
facing up “the hill”. With the point leaving from the front of the door, at the
top of “the hill” and the tail leaving from the back of the door, at the bottom
of “the hill”.
The center floater (most commonly the front center
flyer) is directing the exit. Though some teams have the count coming from
inside, the center float is the most central person. For most exits,
the center float launches to a position straight out from the
door. Their heading could be in any direction, but their center
point is roughly four feet out from the
center of the
door. Accomplishing this often requires a strong, almost gymnastic launch. In
order to be even with the door, you must launch up while forcing your
presentation.
The rear floater (most commonly the tail flyer) will drop down “the
hill” to a position that is lower than the
center floater.
As the center float launches up, the rear drops straight out the
bottom. When you watch this performed by the most experienced rear floaters, it
appears that they exit exactly on go. This is true, but in order to get low
enough on “the hill”, it often feels to them that they lead the exit off:
extending away from the center.
The front floater (most commonly the point) will launch straight up onto
“the hill” to a position that is higher on “the hill” than the center.
Often they have a grip on the center or the center
on them. It is imperative that they feel the
center’s
movement. The point cannot just exit on an audible count alone. They must feel
the center’s movement and extend up from them as they launch
out. When you watch this performed by the most experienced front floaters, it
appears that they also exit exactly on go. This is true, but in order to get
high enough on “the hill”, it often feels to them that they follow the center’s
movement. They definitely will not be higher on “the hill”, if they leave
before the center does.
The inside diver (most commonly the rear
center) must
stay very close to the plane during the exit. The most common error is for them
to launch out too hard and too far. In doing so, they run over the center
float and collapse onto them. It is very important for them to see the motion
of the exit and leave exactly with the center while only occupying the space
right outside the door.
For everyone, as you present to the relative wind placing yourself on
“the hill”, use your grips to help present the entire formation. If you have a
grip, you must be aware of exactly what the person whose grip you have needs from
you. Otherwise, you will restrict them from doing their job on the launch.
Expand from the center point and take personal responsibility for putting
the entire formation on the air.
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