Freefly Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – switching from belly flying, clean level control in the group and the back, sit and head-down positions.

Equipment

Item	Priority	Tip
Suit, no grippers	High	Snug cut instead of grippers – less flutter at freefly's higher fall rates.
Booties	High	Bigger means floatier, smaller brings speed – size it with your coach.
Audible alti	Medium	Backs up the visual altimeter – a reliable head-down reminder to pull.
Snug harness	Medium	Rigger-checked snug fit against slipping as your body position changes.

Switching from belly flying

Respect the order: Back before sit before head-down – this progression applies no matter how experienced you are belly-flying.
Use the wind tunnel: 15–30-minute sessions with a briefing and debrief beat long, exhausting blocks.
Scan the formation: Watch the whole group, not just one partner, to spot level differences early.
Check your basics honestly: Stable belly flying, turns, fall-rate control and clean breakoff must be solid before you switch.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Sit-fly at 90-90

Concept: Sit-flying is inherently unstable and “pops” fast at the smallest asymmetry. Tip: Thighs and shins at 90 degrees each, heels under the knees, arms at 90 degrees to the torso – exactly symmetrical.

Factor 2: Your chin steers head-down flight

Concept: An unconsciously lowered chin instantly tips you into an unwanted forward drive. Tip: Keep your gaze neutral and control your chin consciously – shelf and daffy are both valid base positions.

Factor 3: Correct fine, not gross

Concept: Big corrections throw you out of the formation, and burbles behind unstable flyers steal control on top. Tip: Keep fine-tuning your orientation to the wind and keep distance from unstable flyers instead of closing in.

Freefly compass

Term	Meaning
Shelf	Head-down, both legs stretched back symmetrically – one of the two base variants.
Daffy	Head-down, one leg forward, one back – the asymmetrical base variant.
Burble	Turbulent wake behind an unstable flyer – steals air resistance and control.
VFS	Vertical Formation Skydiving – the formalised competition version, IPC-recognised since 2000.

Safe breakoff at high speed

Plan a bigger breakoff margin: Freeflyers fall about 30% faster than belly flyers – plan at least 450 m above opening altitude plus a buffer.
Track away decisively: A flat, efficient track for horizontal distance – sinking alone doesn't count as breakoff.
Camera only from 200 jumps: The USPA requires at least 200 logged jumps before you may fly with a camera at all.
Dirt-dive the breakoff: Settle who tracks and opens when on the ground beforehand, to avoid simultaneous reactions in the air.

Pro tip: Your biggest lever sits in your chin, not your arms: keep your gaze neutral in head-down flight instead of dropping your chin and you stay stable – small, constant corrections beat any big counter-move.