Extreme Skydiving Landings

In extreme skydiving, landings are just as important, if not more so, as maneuvers during freefall and canopy descent. They are also all related. There are two types of landings in skydiving: classical and accuracy. Accuracy is one of the three basic disciplines in advanced skydiving. The other two are formation and freestyle diving.

What gets attention, of course, is the 40 to 70 second period of midair freefall. That's the glamour of extreme skydiving, whether you prefer freestyle or formation. Canopy descent follows and is the longest phase, all of perhaps four to five minutes. Whatever form of extreme skydiving landings follow, they are all a complex subject.

The Basics of Extreme Skydiving Landings

The type of canopy and the type of landing have much to do with each other. For accuracy landings (to aim for and land at a specific spot), you need a specific type of canopy. For classical-style landings, you need a different type. Accuracy canopies are more sensitive to strong winds.

One thing you'll learn in preparing for extreme skydiving landings is to free yourself from your board if you've been surfing. Your freefall speed can vary from 160 miles per hour to 90 miles per hour. By the time you release your canopy, the ideal speed is, at most, 110 miles per hour. This will affect your descent by canopy, and thus your approach and actual landing. You always want to end standing up.