Everything you need to know about skydiving for precision landing

Precision landing jumps occupy a significant position in the program of parachuting competitions. Currently in classic skydiving the following exercises are present: jumps for individual acrobatics, group jumps for landing accuracy with individual scoring. Skydiving for precision landing is a type of parachuting that is very much loved by pilots coming from all over the world.

General information

In modern classical skydiving, competitors’ results are often so high and so close to each other that a deviation of one centimeter from zero in precision jumps can put an athlete and the team as a whole in a very difficult position. What determines the high results in precision landing jumps? First of all, the pilots’ skills are very important and mainly consist of the ability to take into account weather conditions and to control the parachute. And, of course, one cannot set records without proper moral and psychological preparation.

Competitions are held on the regular basis. Although usually men and women compete separately, there can be mixed teams in precision landing skydiving. Winners can be determined individually or as a team. In general, he who scores the least number of points becomes the winner. If three best teams score the same results, there are four options.

1. The judges can let the teams do an extra jump.
2. The team that has the greatest number of maximum results wins.
3. The first jump that led to a difference between the points determines the winner.
4. Several teams are awarded prizes.

Usually all participants jump off a 1150 meters’ distance. If the weather is not so good but suitable for the competition, the height can be reduced to 900 meters. Five pilots jump off the plane one by one. All of them must be flying at the same speed.

Weather conditions

A special attention should be paid to the weather conditions, especially the speed of wind. Its maximum speed must vary from six to eight meters per second. The head referee determines a particular number depending on the quality of the landing point and age of the pilots. If the wind suddenly changes while a pilot is jumping, it is possible for him or her to repeat the maneuver. Yet, to do this, they have to land 15 seconds before the wind speeds up or 30 seconds after it slows down. Thus, it is necessary to make decision immediately.

Landing point

There are several restrictions concerning the landing point. Firstly, in the middle of this point a special machine is placed. Its inner circle is two centimeters in diameter. The whole device must cover at least 16 centimeters. Then there is a crash pad that prevents pilots from being injured during the landing. Its depth must be at least 30 centimeters. As for its length, it is approximately five meters. The circle that indicates the landing point must be bright and visible. Its radius must be 20 meters.

Judging

The judges pay attention to many aspects of the landing. Firstly, the place of landing is the place where the body touched the surface for the first time. Then they take notes on the distance between the device in the center of the landing circle and the place where the pilot landed. If the first touch took place not further than 60 cm from the edge of the device, a pilot scores 17 points. If this distance is more than 60 cm, a pilot will be awarded 18 points. Finally, a touch that took place away from the crash pad is awarded 19 points. A team gets the same amount of points for each participant who was supposed to take part in the competition but did not show up. To win, it is necessary to score the minimum number of points.

Equipment and ammunition

The most important thing for each pilot is his or her parachute. This system consists of three parachutes: the main one, the pulling one, and one extra parachute. In addition, a safety device must be present.

It is important to be dressed properly. To begin with, the boots must protect the ankle, which is why it is necessary to use footwear made of firm material. The best option is army boots. Then it is crucial to wear a pair of two-layered gloves. They make it easier to operate the parachute. As for the suit, it is a must-have for those who want to practice skydiving for precision landing professionally. It will help you to stay warm. The head must be covered with a helmet. Not only will it prevent you from getting a concussion in case of falling, but also it prevent your hair from bothering you. Some helmets are equipped with headphones and a microphone to let pilots stay in contact with each other.

If your helmet does not fully cover your face, it is reasonable to put on a pair of glasses. They will protect your eyes from dust and sunlight. When choosing glasses, pilots opt for the models made of shatterproof glass. Make sure that it is comfortable to wear glasses with your helmet. The glasses should not be too tight; otherwise, they will not fully serve their function.

Peculiarities of parachuting

Skydiving for precision landing is a discipline that possesses all peculiarities of parachuting sports. It is very much loved by people who strive to practice extreme sports. What peculiarities does precision landing jumping have?

• People get used to this sport extremely fast. Usually those who once tried any type of parachuting start doing it more often or even start practicing the sport professionally.
• Pilots experience an adrenaline rush by putting themselves at risk. Skydiving for precision landing is a sport that makes people experience unforgettable emotions. Moreover, many people do it to prove their friends and relatives that they are brave.
• This sport does not require using too much ammunition. In general, all pilots need a pair of protective glasses, a helmet, a special suit, a pair of gloves and a parachute. It is possible to rent almost all items enumerated above at the parachuting club. Even if you want to buy a set of clothing and necessary equipment by yourself, you will easily find everything in sports shop.
• Although there are always risks, before the beginning of the jump pilots check their equipment. In addition, a doctor is always present at the parachuting club to make sure that everyone is safe and ready for the jump.

Other types of parachuting

Skydiving for precision landing is not the only type of parachuting. This is one of the classic disciplines. It requires jumping with a parachute from one kilometer’s height. Another type of classic parachuting involves jumping off a two kilometers’ height and demonstrating acrobatic skills within 30 seconds after the take-off.

There are many other disciplines. One of them is very dangerous since it involves a lot of people creating different figures in the air with opened parachute. This sport is risky because sometimes parachutes get tangled, which can lead to injuring sportsmen.

Swoop is another discipline that appeared not long ago. It involves operating the parachute at a very high speed (more than 100 kilometers per hour). This discipline takes place close to the ground.

Freestyle is a sport that involves demonstrating various acrobatic skills, such as somersaults, turns and flips. This discipline is compared to ballet. If several sportsmen take part in the flight, they can occupy various positions, for example, one of them might be flying horizontally while others moving vertically.

Freefly is similar to freestyle, with the difference that it requires moving at a really high speed (sometimes it reached 270 kilometers per hour). Also, pilots mostly occupy vertical positions when doing freefly. Just like group parachuting, this discipline is very dangerous.

Skydiving for precision landing is a stunning parachuting discipline that is well-known all over the world. This sport is risky and dangerous, but those who follow all safety rules and treat their health responsibly manage to get unforgettable emotions while competing.