Training and Events Calendar

Here you'll be able to find out 4-Way Formation Skydiving Team "Matrix ^FS" training program, as well as the posting of any other events with interest for the Formation Skydiving discipline, both national and international, for the period between December 05, 2001 and February 08, 2003.

For planning purposes, we've considered the 2002 season as ending on September 30^th, 2002, with the new season of 2003 beginning on October 01^st, 2002. For the season of 2003, we had planned training jumps only until June 15, 2003, taking into account the national competitions scheduled for 2003, the Summer holidays period and the scheduled dates for the big international Formation Skydiving event in 2003, the 15th World Parachuting Championship in Formation Skydiving, which will be held at Gap-Tallard (France) from September 07 until 14, 2003.

The total number of training jumps initially planned for the 2002 season (120 jumps), had recommended the option for a training schema where the regularity and continuity should be privileged, with an equal distribution along the season. The handicap of this option has been that some of the most important national competitions scheduled for the year of 2002 have shown up earlier than adequate on our jumps training program.

Our Team's priority for the 2002 season, more than any national competition ranking, was aiming towards its consistence as a Team, well founded on the following foundations, all of them of vital importance and contribution: Team Communication, Technical Evolution and Team Dynamics.

This was something that we really and seriously have believed in, derived from the adopted Team's training program structure, shown below.

Regarding the training jumps number planned for the 2002 season (120 jumps, competitions not included), the jumps training program has been divided in 4 different main phases:

Basic Body Flight - 18 jumps (15 %);

Random Work - 48 jumps (40 %);

Block Techniques - 30 jumps (25 %);

Competition Preparation - 24 jumps (20 %).

The way this program has been implemented during the 2002 season, has suffered successive date adjustments relatively to our initial project, due to the fact that Skydive Portugal (our Home DZ) closes from May 24, 2002 (Fri) up to June 06, 2002 (Thu) and from June 24, 2002 (Mon) up to September 05, 2002 (Thu), something that was not expected earlier in the beginning of the 2002 season, having as the most direct consequence the occurrence of some more intensive training periods.

Other reasons implied as well some adjustments in our training program. Some of those were the problems related with the Skydive Portugal DZ Operation NOTAM suspension by the INAC - Instituto Nacional de Aviação Civil, from Sep 06, 2002 until Sep 10, 2002. Besides this, there was also a change in team line-up, during September 2002.

By suggestion of our "online coach" (Jack Jefferies), June 2002 was the correct timing to introduce the work on some blocks in our training jumps. Being so, instead of waiting until the finish of the Random Work phase to begin the Block Techniques training, the remaining jumps of the Random Work phase (14) would be equally distributed through the scheduled training jumps sessions on Block Techniques, resulting in a total of 7 mixed jumps training sessions, including Random Work in the morning and Block Techniques in the afternoon. This strategy had the advantage of an early introduction to the Block Techniques, continuing at the same time with the Random Work training.

The Team's line-up occurred during September 2002, with the entry of José Consciência, on September 18, for the Tail Slot, filled until September 13 by Roque Santos, has determined another adjustment to the original planning. With a completion of about 50% of the 2002 training jumps plan, we have opted for the suspension of the remaining 50%, namely the remaining of the Block Techniques training phase, as well as phase that would be the last training phase for the 2002 season (Competition Preparation), initially planned to be the one where the Team's performance would be tested against the average goal set for the season.

Though, the new season of 2003 could start with a new training plan, which would consider all the work done up to September 2002 (ground training, 62 training jumps and 13 competition jumps), but was going to present some differences against the previous season.

Being so, the 154 training jumps scheduled to happen between October 2002 and June 2003, would include all of the three main training aspects (Random Work, Block Techniques e Competition Preparation), which would cohabitate along this period, instead of being independent training phases. This should have been achieved through a mix between Random Work and Block Techniques. The Competition Preparation jumps would correspond to the last training phase, with the purpose of getting the Team better prepared for the Portuguese Nationals of 2003.

The training jumps included as well an Airspeed Advanced Skills Camp, with coaching by Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld, to be held at Skydive Portugal, from April 12 - 20, 2003. This Skills Camp would cover four areas: Random Work, Block Techniques, Competition Preparation and Seminars on subjects within the range of interest for 4-Way Formation Skydiving Teams.

Following was the estimate of the training jumps to be done on each of the mentioned training phases:

Random Work - 32 jumps (21 %);

Block Techniques - 44 jumps (29 %);

Airspeed Advanced Skills Camp - 48 jumps (31 %);

Competition Preparation - 30 jumps (19 %).

On setting up its training program structure and priorities for the 2002 season, as well as for some given online coaching, Matrix ^FS Team would like to recognize and thanks the help and support provided by Jack Jefferies and Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld from Arizona Airspeed.

All the training plan for the 2003 Season became cancelled, following the activity's ceasing of the Team on February 08, 2003.

To read the Communication issued by the Team, about the ending of its activity on that date, click here.

The hyperlinks shown along the training program (and just for these), are access restricted and for the exclusive use of "Matrix ^FS" Team members.

2001: December

2002: January / February / March / April / May / June / July / August / September / October / November / December