Canopy Piloting
Canopy Piloting is a competitive discipline in which skydivers navigate their parachutes through a course that begins over a body of water. There are two canopy piloting events: the standard event and the freestyle event.
In the standard event, there are three separate courses each designed with a specific task; zone accuracy, drag distance and carved speed.
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In the freestyle event, the objective is to perform complex and entertaining maneuvers while skimming over the body of water.
Complete rules can be found in the Skydiver’s Competition Manual Chapter 12.
Zone Accuracy
Course:
There are four water gates and ten landing zones that each have a separate point value assigned. The landing zones are within an area filled with a material such as pea gravel that reduces the impact when the competitors land.
Objective:
Competitors navigate through gate 1 (G1), perform a water drag through as many of the water gates as possible, and attempt to land precisely within a landing zone.
Scoring:
The competitor’s landing must start and come to a complete stop within the boundaries of the course. A competitor must earn water gate points for at least one water gate to be awarded any landing zone points. A competitor must earn landing zone points for at least one landing zone to be awarded any of their water gate points. The competitor is awarded the score of the zone with the lowest point value that was touched during the landing. Landing in the water after scoring gate one will yield a default result (DR).
A competitor’s score is the sum of water gate points and landing zone score. Competitors will receive minus ten points for the failure to perform a stand-up landing.
Final Scores:
The competitor with the highest score in a round will receive 100 points. The remaining competitors’ scores of the round are calculated as a percentage of the top ranked competitor’s result.
There is a maximum of three rounds for competition unless there is a tie-breaking jump for a podium finish.
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Watch Example Video Here
Drag Distance
Course:
Gate one (G1) is the set of buoys in the water and gate five is the set of buoys on land. The distance between G1 and G5 is fifty meters. The distance between G5 and the end of the course is 200 meters minimum.
Objective:
Competitors navigate a parachute as far as possible after dragging water at or before G1, flying through to G5 and landing within the boundaries of the course.
Scoring:
Distance is measured from the entry gate (G1) to the point on the course closest to G1 that has been touched during landing. A competitor’s score for a landing is thirty-five meters if the landing is between G1 and G5 or surface contact was made with the land portion prior to G5.
Final Scores:
The competitor with the highest score in a round will receive 100 points. The remaining competitors’ scores of the round are calculated as a percentage of the top ranked competitor’s result.
There is a maximum of three rounds for competition unless there is a tie breaking jump for a podium finish.
Watch Example Video Here
Carved Speed
Course:
The course begins at the first set of buoys in the water (gate 1) and ends seventy meters away at gate 5. A set of electronic sensors placed at each gate are triggered when the competitors fly through.
Objective:
Competitors navigate a parachute in as fast a time as possible through G1 to G5 while remaining within the boundaries of the carved course.
Start time:
The competitor must break the sensor beams with a part of their body at G1.
Stop time:
The competitor must break the sensor beams with a part of their body at G1.
Scoring:
Time expressed in seconds from start time to stop time.
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Watch Example Video
Freestyle
Course:
The course begins at the first set of buoys in the water (gate 1) and ends seventy meters away at gate 5. A set of electronic sensors placed at each gate are triggered when the competitors fly through.
Objective:
Competitors navigate a parachute in as fast a time as possible through G1 to G5 while remaining within the boundaries of the carved course.
Start time:
The competitor must break the sensor beams with a part of their body at G1.
Stop time:
The competitor must break the sensor beams with a part of their body at G1.
Scoring:
Time expressed in seconds from start time to stop time.
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Watch Example Video