Canopy Formation DEMONSTARTION
Canopy Formation Demonstration
Qatar’s Canopy Formation Demonstration Team was formed in 2013. Their purpose is to showcase their skills in creating large formations in the air at public events all over the world. Through demonstrating their skills in parachute flight, they help to showcase Qatar’s commitment to Air Sports and also promote their country in the eyes of the world.
Unlike Canopy Formation Championships, where a team is judged over multiple rounds of competition, with a demo jump you have one attempt to get it right, with potentially thousands of people watching from the ground, and possibly hundreds of thousands watching on TV.
Building large formations in the sky demands precision in every aspect of the demo. The athletes must leave the plane in a timely manner and in the correct order, visually establish their position in the formation as it builds, fly to their allocated slot, and when the opportunity is there, dock on the surrounding team members.
All of this has to happen as they jump from a plane at 10,000 ft AGL, while it is flying at 120-140 kph, open the parachute quickly, and while descending vertically and having a forward speed of up to 50 kph. Being a member of a successful team requires many hundreds of hours of training, first class leadership and coaching, and personal dedication and commitment.
In 2013, the best parachute fliers from the graduating skydiving courses were selected to form the first formation demo team. They trained relentlessly, the coaches drilling them, advising them, videographers filming every detail of the jumps and carefully debriefing. The team spirit was nurtured, every member understanding that they were team members first and foremost, and that they would soon represent their home country on the world stage.
That very same year they showcased their skills at the Qatar National Day celebrations, held on December 18th each year, in front of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and Qatar’s highest dignitaries.
Since then, the team have built upon their skills, adding streamers, smoke, pyrotechnics and even fireworks to their shows. They will perform these shows in the day, or at night, with lights and effects, and sometimes multiple times during one day.
Without competition it is hard to rank the team internationally but they are, without a doubt, one of the very best in the world. They hold 4 Guinness World Records for formation jumps during the day and night, and continue to train and add new elements to their demonstrations.