Vertical Formation Skydiving

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Vertical Formation Skydiving is the art of building formations in free-fall with multiple people gripping each others' limbs or specially built "grippers" on their jumpsuits (like Formation skydiving), while using high-speed body positions normally associated with freeflying. Also called "Vertical Relative Work" or simply "VRW".

The current Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world record for largest Vertical Formation Skydiving free-fall formation is a 69-way, set on August 3, 2007 over Chicago, IL (USA). [1]

Project Horizon, the Lodi Sequentials, and several other yearly invitational skydiving events are centered around pushing the boundaries of large-way Vertical Formation Skydiving.

[edit] Competition

There is currently only one category of official VRW Competition, that being VRW 4-Way, which is part of the United States Parachute Association Skydiving Nationals. The first official VRW 4-Way US Nationals Competition was held on October 27, 2006, in Eloy, Arizona. Nine teams (45 skydivers) competed.

VRW 4-Way has been adopted as an addition to future FAI world competitions (as VFS 4-Way), the first being the FAI World Cup in Eloy, AZ, in October 2008.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  • vrw4way.com News and information about the VRW 4-Way competitive discipline.
  • USPA The United States Parachute Association -- The governing body for sport skydiving in the U.S.
  • FAI The Federation Aeronautique Internationale -- The international governing body for all airborne sports, including skydiving.