FreeFlying: Getting Started

By: Rook Nelson

The first thing you should think about before you start freeflying is, are you ready? How do know when you are ready? First of all, you should be mature with skydiving. This includes being very solid in flat (belly) flying and you should also know and feel confident with your gear. Please don’t confuse confidence with ignorance…no 100 jump wonders here, we are past that.

Does reading this article mean that you are ready to freefly? If I read about how to do heart surgery am I ready? Probably not. After reading this article, be sure to seek guidance from a coach and never hesitate to ask questions.

The following is a broad overview of steps to get into freeflying.

Let’s start off with the rig and container. Most newer rigs come freefly ready so you don’t have to worry too much, however some older rigs (pre-2000) have Velcro riser covers, poor tuck tabs, leg mounted throw outs, etc. It is necessary to take note of the general construction of each component and the current condition of the rig. Some of these items may have been fine when brand new, but a rig with 1,000 jumps on it or one that is 10 years old might show signs of wear and may not operate as it was initially manufactured to.

Rigs manufactured at any time may have “D” ring reserve handles (this has been a standard for a long time and still is for most manufacturers). Replace the “D” style handle with a pillow style one (this is a task for a Master Rigger). The standard “D” ring handle leaves the possibility of becoming dislodged either in a docking attempt, collision, or irregular movement during a dive. Make sure when you do this to familiarize yourself with the placement and feel of the new handle, and pay close attention to which one is the cutaway handle and which one is the reserve handle. They are the same style now, so your habit of grabbing the cutaway first needs to be fully ingrained and practiced regularly. If the professionals with 10,000 jumps can go through their emergency procedures before every jump, you can and should do it too.

You want to make sure that your rig is going to be “bomb proof”. You are about to subject your rig to winds that it is not normally accustomed to. Make sure that your tuck tabs are secure, and get rid of leg mounted throw outs and metal “D” style reserve handles. Check to make sure that the spandex for your pilot chute is still solid. In a sit, your pilot chute handle becomes a leading edge and is presented directly to the air rushing up your body at speeds in excess of 150mph.

You might also want to think about butt bungees. This is the small bungee cord that is installed between your leg straps and keeps them from sliding down while sit flying.

If you are unsure if your rig is ready to freefly, ask a qualified rigger (your buddy that freeflies is not a rigger)!! It is best practice to ask a rigger anyway even if you feel your rig is fine for freeflying. Being too proud to ask hurts a lot of people in this sport year after year.

Another item that you should get is an AAD. Is your life worth $1200? Mine is. Don’t make us call your mom and tell her that her loved one has passed away because he/she didn’t have an AAD. This piece of equipment is extra important when learning to freefly because it’s really easy to get distracted and lose altitude awareness. Don’t ever simply rely on your AAD, but having one may give you your only chance at a second chance.

Another item that is important is some type of audible altimeter. Remember that when freeflying you are falling 40–60 mph faster than when bellying flying. You will also need a helmet that provides for good placement of an audible, so purchase one if necessary. It will be well worth the investment, and it will also give you a place to put your stickers!

Let’s move on to jumpsuits. The most important aspect of a good jumpsuit is that it stays closed. Make sure that you have a way to secure the zipper whether it’s a snap, Velcro, or magnetic. The fit of your jumpsuit is also important and the “old-school” rules don’t necessarily apply anymore. It used to be common practice to get a big floppy jumpsuit to freefly in, but that is no longer the case. You want your suit to fit you and your body style. It should give you freedom of movement, but not so much extra room that you’re swimming in it. You don’t want the jumpsuit to fly you, rather you fly the jumpsuit.

To get started freeflying you want to make sure that you have a good foundation. You wouldn’t build a house on a cracked foundation and you need to think of your belly skills as your skydiving foundation. Be sure that you feel confident on your belly and with your body position while pulling.

The first thing you are going to learn is sit-flying. Most people can jump out of the plane and put their butt towards the ground, however, to be proficient at sit-flying takes a lot more that just a “butt-down” attitude. There is much skill involved that is gained through practice and coaching.

A big thing to think about while learning to sit fly is your legs. They are a big part of your body and catch a lot of wind. If you want them to be underneath your body, you’re going to have to put them there. Be strong and don’t let the wind push you around, because it will if you let it. Moving up from the legs, think about 90 degree angles from your legs to your hips, making sure you have a straight back. From there, look at the horizon and keep your chin up. Have your arms about shoulder height, if not higher. Think about having someone hold you up by your armpits with your legs bent. Your arms create drag which causes you to sit up.

Now comes the hard part…RELAX!

There is no question that it will take you some time to master sit-flying. Remember when you were learning how to belly fly and that first time you actually relaxed and sank into the arch? It’s the same thing, but freeflying is about “rigid relaxation”. You have to place your body where you want it while staying relaxed. Video is a great learning tool as well, so take advantage of it if it’s available. If you can see what you are doing, you can correct it that much faster.

Remember that with freeflying you still need to be on your belly to pull. Leave yourself some extra time to get back to your belly and to slow down a little before opening. 5000 feet is usually a good altitude to stop freeflying and flip over to your belly.

Everyone learns at different rates, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come easy at first.

Here are some tips if you are having trouble staying in the sit-fly position. If your legs keep coming out from under you, try to do a front flip into the sit position. From a standard belly position do a 3/4 front flip until you are in a sit-fly position. This will put momentum into your legs and help force them down. Also, pushing your hips forward will naturally cause your legs to drop down. Once your legs are below you, be strong and keep them there.

Be sure to get a solid foundation in sit-flying before you try moving around. If you are not falling straight down, it will be much harder to learn how to move around. Again, building a good foundation is the key to progressing in freeflying.

As always, seek out coaching to learn faster and safer. Most large dropzones have coaches onsite who can help you out. Most coach jumps cost around $70. This should include video and the jump. Your best bet is to get a few coach jumps then do a few solos to practice, then go back to the coach once you have achieved the task. I offer days of coaching at Skydive Chicago for a cost of $350 per day which covers all my jumps, video and a DVD of your jumps. The only additional cost is your jumps. If you are interested, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About the author:
Rook Nelson made his first jump in 1984 at the age of 4. Since then he has accumulated over 13,000 jumps, 4 World Championships, 6 Nationals Titles, and organized the 18,24, 42, 53 and current 69 way freefly records. Rook is part of the current VRW gold medalist team Mandrin. Rook now owns and operates Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, IL. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .