Angles 202 — Demonstrate endorsement-standard angle flying

The checklist

1. Plan

1.1

State the assessment dive flow, the orientation stream and the success criteria for the jump.

1.2

Describe the current jump run, the load composition (including any other movement group and its lane) and the leader's flight-path plan, including where the group intends to open.

1.3

Explain the day's upper winds and their effect on freefall drift, the lane and the opening point.

1.4

Assess own currency and the day's conditions against personal limits, and decline or simplify when flags accumulate, declining is a Satisfactory result ("there is no flag that's too small, because it's the small ones that are going to get you", Workshop).

1.5

State the briefed breakoff altitude (guide: 5,000 ft for groups up to 4-way, 5,500 ft for 5-way or larger, and note most modern groups brief 5,500 ft regardless of size), the deployment altitude, the breakoff fan plan, and the left-behind and lost-group plans, a group whose members do not share these numbers has no shared timing at the most dangerous phase of the jump.

2. Prepare

2.1

Complete a movement-jump gear check on self and cross-check the group: hand-deploy BOC or pull-out, bridle fully covered, tight riser covers and closing loop, secure handles and clothing, hard helmet, visual altimeter, audible altimeter checked and set to the briefed breakoff. On an angle jump the audible is the group's shared clock.

2.2

Walk the dive with the group, spending the most time on the breakoff fan, who peels where, with eye contact between breakoff neighbours ("I spend more time on getting the group together and breaking off than I do on actual walking", Workshop).

2.3

Present the flight-path plan and jump-run understanding to the responsible ground authority before boarding (in Australia this is itself a regulatory requirement, the APF Operational Regulations).

2.4

Confirm exit order and separation with the load, separation by ground covered, never a fixed count, and confirm lanes with any other movement group on the load.

3. Perform

3.1

Exit head-first into the relative wind (APF006 §5.5) and accelerate to the group's speed without early braking, acceleration off the hill is what keeps you with the group (Folgerts).

3.2

Fly first to the assigned quadrant, then get on level, the line through the group's heads, then close; never approach by descending onto the slot through the burble corridor trailing up-and-behind the group (level first, then proximity, Workshop –).

3.3

Close aiming ahead of the group, never at it, halving the remaining distance in controlled stages, "only fly as fast as you can think" (Workshop –).

3.4

Hold the slot at docking distance, on level and in quadrant, legs never passing the leader's head (Workshop), through the leader's briefed speed and pitch changes.

3.5

Take the briefed dock without disturbing the leader's line.

3.6

Fly over the top of the leader to dock on the opposite side, keeping the whole body above the formation, never dropping a shoulder underneath (APF006 §5.12).

3.7

Hold slot and level through a briefed turn, flying the outside arc with speed rather than cutting inside, turns are curves, not corners (Workshop).

3.8

Keep the group's heading whenever displaced from the slot, side-slide or adjust speed to close, and never turn 180° from the group's heading or back toward jump run, off-heading collisions carry the highest closing speeds, and the left-behind flyer who turns away onto a personal skydive is the modern epidemic (USPA SIM 5-10.E; Workshop –).

3.9

Execute in-slot recovery as second nature on any instability: add speed in the group's direction on the jump's angle, never ball up, never track away. If separation persists, hold the group's heading and follow: stop the closure by ~7,000–7,500 ft, hold the distance, and break off on the group's timing, not its altitude, breaking off early, high and blind above a descending group is how followers meet deploying canopies (APF006 §4.3 "Do not track away!"; Workshop –).

4. Complete

4.1

Initiate breakoff at the briefed altitude (within −0/+300 ft), on the group's timing, the classic pull-time collision is a flyer still closing while the group slows to deploy (Workshop).

4.2

Fan off in the briefed order, leader continues straight, everyone else peels progressively to a maximum ~90°, looking before turning, turning flat from the hips, never turning in place, breakoff "is not so much of a race as it is a basketball game" (APF006 §5.10; Workshop –).

4.3

On back-stream jumps, scan and roll from back to belly only once on a clear trajectory with no one above (USPA SIM 5-10.E), flown looking, the roll is itself the airspace check.

4.4

Track flat and fast on the chosen line (heading held ±45°), converting speed into separation with a gradual flatten, never snapping flat or collapsing the body position when the audible fires (Workshop –).

4.5

Complete a smooth airspace check during the track without losing heading (±45°) or track efficiency, on the belly stream a controlled barrel roll (flown only because it is smooth and reliable, APF006 §3.3, §8.4); on the back stream the 4.3 roll serves the check.

4.6

Deploy at the planned altitude after visually checking airspace in all directions, with relative work discontinued at least 1,000 ft above planned deployment (mandatory in Australia, the APF Operational Regulations); if directly above someone at pull height, deploy, never try to out-track them (APF006 §3.3).

4.7

Fly the agreed canopy plan: hold position and heading after opening until the other groups' canopies are seen open before flying toward jump run (Workshop), and no turns toward neighbouring canopies in the first seconds, a post-opening 90° toward each other has wrapped two canopies inside three seconds (Workshop).

5. Review

5.1

Debrief each jump against the published checklist using the jump video, talking through own decision-making, heading awareness, level, closure rate, altitude calls.

5.2

Self-assess each criterion Satisfactory / Not Yet Satisfactory from the footage before seeing the assessor's marks, justifying any differences.

5.3

If you have access to a GPS, compare the planned line, the line you think you flew, and the trace, the three-picture debrief is the fastest feedback loop in movement flying (Workshop); optional enrichment, not a requirement.

5.4

Log each jump (orientation stream, group size, leader's name) with criteria results and the assessor's countersignature, building the evidence pack.

Criteria in bold are safety-critical: they protect the flyer and everyone else in the group. The bold items are 1.5, the audible in 2.1, 3.8, 3.9, 4.1, 4.3 on back jumps, and 4.6. A Not Yet Satisfactory on any of them means that orientation is Not Yet Competent, however good the rest of the flying, and the jump is flown again in full after coaching. Outside a course they are strongly recommended practice.

Mark every Perform and Complete criterion separately for belly and for back. The heading tolerance throughout is ±45°.

Assessment conditions

• Sky jumps from 10,000 ft or higher (recommended), in a group of 2–3 including the assessing coach or approved leader, who flies the belly lead slot. Angles up to about 60° (guide).
• Conditions within the flyer’s cleared limits, with the upper winds and any other movement group on the load briefed before boarding.
• Video of every assessment jump by default, from the leader, a coach or outside, with the flyer identifiable. The assessor’s direct observation and completed checklist are the record. Helmet footage with a talk-through debrief supports it where outside video is impracticable.
• Equipment: a visual altimeter, a working audible set to the briefed breakoff (a second recommended), an AAD (recommended), and movement-suitable gear to the Freefly 100 standard: hand-deploy pilot chute or pull-out, bridle fully covered, tight riser covers, secure handles and clothing. A GPS is optional.
• The assessor is a freefly coach or approved movement leader current in angle coaching. They fly the lead slot, give no in-air help on assessment jumps, and use the published checklist, which the flyer sees in advance.
• In Australia the assessor is an APF Freefly Coach or a leader approved by the drop zone safety officer. Elsewhere, the national or drop zone equivalent, such as a British Skydiving TR coach or a drop zone movement-jump evaluator.
• Each criterion is marked Satisfactory or Not Yet Satisfactory, and each orientation Competent or Not Yet Competent. Belly and back are flown on separate jumps, and a result in one never credits the other.
• The series and the preparation jumps together make the record. One jump on its own never completes the course.
• Ask the flyer about, and note the answers to: the breakoff guides and their reasons, the gear check, why the leader flies belly, closing speed and the flags, slot and burble geometry, the left-behind plan, the fan, exit order and lanes, and who signs what where they jump.
• Useful briefing knowledge for larger groups: in groups of six or more, flyers go head-first by about 6,500–7,000 ft, because tracking out of head-up gives almost no extra separation. A fan gives each flyer about 30°, so intermediate groups run out of clean lines at about six.
• With a GPS, the speed bands are useful information: a flat track descends at around 180 km/h and a good one covers about 100 mph across the ground, while steep angles run at 300+ km/h. Knowing them helps a dropped flyer change pitch to rejoin. The three-picture debrief compares the planned line, the line the flyer thinks they flew, and the trace. GPS is optional.
• The record for each orientation: video of each assessment jump, the signed checklist for each jump, logbook entries (date, drop zone, exit altitude, group size, orientation, leader’s name and signature), the flyer’s flight-path plans (a map sketch or written: jump run, lane, breakoff, opening point), your notes on the knowledge questions, and a currency and certificate summary.
• Preparation guide: 6–10 coached angle jumps per orientation, fewer with a recent Angles 201. Tunnel carving supports preparation and never replaces an assessment jump.
• The route for experienced flyers replaces Angles 201 and the preparation only, per orientation, on one of: logged led 2–3-way angle jumps in the orientation with named leaders (a guide of 15 or more), plus video of docking-distance slot flying on level; British Skydiving TR1 and TR2 (TR3 where work beyond 45° is claimed) or a national equivalent; an existing drop zone angles endorsement plus recent movement jumps.
• Tunnel records of sustained belly and back carving across a speed range, plus recent led sky angle jumps, also qualify for that route. Preparation jumps are led or coached. A history of unled angle jumps is a reason for a conversation about led jumps. The flyer always flies the three-jump series as challenge jumps with the assessing coach or leader.
• If a jump falls short, you debrief it and fly it again.
• As a guide, start within 6 months of your slot course and expect 6–10 coached angle jumps per orientation, preparation included, over at least two days. Tunnel carving helps the preparation, and the three jumps are always sky jumps.
• If you already fly angles, your coach can replace the preparation with your logbook of led angle jumps, your British Skydiving tracking grades or an angles endorsement. Jumps without a leader or coach don’t count, and you still fly the three jumps.
• Your drop zone decides from your record: video, signed checklists, logbook entries and flight-path plans. In Australia, it supports the drop zone safety officer’s endorsement for angle groups larger than a 3-way. The endorsement stays with that drop zone.

Coaching priorities

Safety first, then fun, then learning. Hold the bold criteria to the standard above, and put breakoff, heading and recovery ahead of slot polish on every jump.

Keep the series enjoyable. A relaxed flyer flies the standard they trained. Treat a Not Yet Satisfactory jump as a debrief and a re-fly, and end every debrief on something that went well, with one thing to improve.

• APF Freefly and Angles Guide (APF006, August 2023): the Angles Level 1 standard and the angles evaluation criteria (§8.1, §8.4, §8.7), movement gear and audibles (§3.1), planning and breakoff (§3.2–3.3), recovery (§4.3), head-first exits (§5.5), the peel-off breakoff (§5.10), and the belly-flying leader, transitions over the top and burble offsets (§5.12–5.13).
• APF Operational Regulations (V01-2026) and APF Training Operations Manual (V01-2025): tracking and angles descents, group sizes, leader approval, and the 1,000 ft between the end of relative work and deployment.
• The Leading Workshop (Modern Skydiving Concepts, 2021), sessions A to C: the leader’s responsibility for the group, closeness and closing speeds, the flags, quadrants and level, the approach, heading, the left-behind plan, the fan, holding after opening, and the three-picture GPS debrief.
• USPA Skydiver’s Information Manual (2026), sections 5-10 and 4-7: lanes, separation by ground covered, heading, the back-flyer’s breakoff and two audibles.
• British Skydiving Tracking Progression Manual: the TR grades and the belly-flying leader.
• Skydive Arizona and Skydive Spaceland movement-leader policies, as community benchmarks for approved leaders.
• Joyriders, “Covering All the Angles”: the line through the heads, the fan and the group’s heading.
• Carlton, “Head Up Angles and the Breakoff Problem” (Skydive Mag): going head-first by 6,500–7,000 ft in groups of six or more.
• Alethia Austin, “Freefly Breakoff” (Skydive Mag): early pulls at breakoff.
• Folgerts and Miilumäki, group tracking tips: exit acceleration, recovery and speed bands.
• Bryan Burke, “The Horizontal Flight Problem” (Australian Skydiver Magazine): exit order for angle groups.
• Australian Skydiver Magazine, issues 56, 65 and 73: early Australian angle and atmo incidents, and the case for led, planned angle jumps.
• Newcastle Sport Parachute Club, Hunter Valley angle and movement jump guidelines: movement groups per load, cloud, the leader’s navigation brief and approval, and beginner group sizes in each orientation.

Regulations change, so each rule is given with its document edition, as context for where you jump.

• Australia (APF). Tracking and angles descents sit under OR 9.9 (V01-2026). Entry needs a Certificate Class B, suitable equipment and a CI-approved course in tracking and navigation (OR 9.9.1). Angles 101 is written to meet that course where a CI adopts it.
• A Cert B holder may join tracking descents of up to 3-way (OR 9.9.2(b)). Angles at Cert B are CI-approved training descents only (OR 9.9.1).
• Angles groups larger than 3-way need a Certificate Class C and the written logbook endorsement of the DZSO at the intended drop zone (OR 9.9.2(c)(ii)). An endorsement from another drop zone does not transfer. Recognition of foreign grades, such as UK TR grades, is a DZSO and CI decision.
• Jumps are flown under a Freefly Coach or a DZSO-approved leader (OR 9.9.3(a)). A leader is a Freefly Coach or holds Certificate Class C, with DZSO approval at the intended drop zone, revocable at any time (OR 9.9.3).
• Every participant shows the DZSO a clear flight-path plan and an understanding of the current jump run before the jump (OR 9.9.2(d)(i)). A Star Crest is needed for groups of more than 10 (OR 9.9.2(d)(ii)).
• Relative work stops at least 1,000 ft above planned deployment (OR 9.1.4), and suitable equipment is a regulatory prerequisite.
• The RBT Angles Level 1 (APF006 §8.7, educational) asks for a minimum of 3 jumps showing competency and consistency in all skills, at most 3-way including the Freefly Coach or DZSO-approved leader, at angles to about 60°. On sign-off, the guide is participation up to 5-way in the passed orientation.
• APF006 also gives educational breakoff minima of 4,500 ft for a 2-way and 5,000 ft for 3-way or larger (§3.3), treats one audible as required and a second as recommended (§3.1), and has the lead flyer always on belly (§5.12).
• UK. The TR grades govern. Back work needs TR2, angles beyond 45° need TR3, and the group flies at the angle of its least experienced jumper. The leader flies belly, or on their back only with an appointed experienced belly-to-earth flyer mirroring above (§3.7).
• USA. USPA SIM 2026 §5-10 gives recommendations only, and participation limits are drop zone policy. Skydive Arizona keeps jumps organiser or instructor-led until experience limits are met, with DZSO-approved leaders, and allows a back-flying leader only with a belly mirror above. Skydive Spaceland keeps an approved-leader list with a questionnaire, course and evaluation jump, and advises avoiding leading on your back.

Acronym key. APF, Australian Parachute Federation. OR, the APF Operational Regulations. RBT, the recommended basic training tables in the APF Freefly and Angles Guide. CI, chief instructor. DZSO, drop zone safety officer. TR, the British Skydiving tracking grades. USPA SIM, the United States Parachute Association Skydiver’s Information Manual.