“Climb out, Freak out, Chill out…”
Exit There are two major types of exits used to film Formation Skydiving: Leading and trailing/peeling. Depending on your body type, the handles, the step, and how flexible you are, your body position on the camera step may vary. You need to figure out what works for you. While you are on the camera step you should find a posture that is comfortable, and allows you to see the count of the formation.
	Leading exits Leading implies that you exit just a split second before the team does. Teams and Coaches like this style of exit a lot because it gives them a great view of their presentation and heading. Lean back and keep your legs slightly bent. This will allow you to push of the plane and create some separation between you and the formation. As soon as you leave think of flying your body. For this exit I have my left foot on the camera step and my right hand on the handle. I find it helpful to try and run my hand across the fuselage of the plane as I leave. This makes sure that I am in the right spot in relation to the formation.
Timing You'll know you've left too early if you can see a lot of the bottom of the airplane and the team is still in it. You'll know you've left too late in a leading exit when you make contact with the team. For the leading exits, look at the IPC dive pool (randoms, blocks), and memorize how each formation flies as it comes out the door. More importantly, think about how they might block your air on exit. Round formations, such as Meekers aren't too much of a problem. Long formations like Snowflakes can be a bit more challenging. Other formations like Satellites might look easy, but might have a tendency to "cut in" so that you can't see all the grips. Homing your freefly skills will be very useful to you in this department. Being able to dive after a formation as it cuts in or even funnels will allow you to get it all in frame.
Trailing exits Leaving just slightly after the team; also known as the peel. This is a very safe exit because you leave the airplane in your own clean air. Teams and coaches, however, don't like it because it's difficult for them to see exactly how well they were presented on exit. In almost the exact opposition of the leading exit, don't lean back but try to stand up on the camera step and get your body high. Center your focus on the middle of the formation and don't worry too much about the count. Just keep the focus on the center of the formation and follow it down the hill. Never trust an exit count. Watch for other subtle signs like a helmet letting go of a head jam or the tail flyer's legs leaving the plane.
After the Exit When you nail the exit, the hard part is over. Now just keep your sight centered on the formation and make sure all the grips are in frame. If your exit was less than perfect, fix it. Never give up! Whether you left to early or to late, do whatever it takes to salvage the situation and get those grips in frame as fast as you can. Stay on heading. Pick a road in the background and keep the team’s original jump run heading relative to it. This let's the team and coach look for things like unintentional rotations of the formation. As you get used to flying with the team, try to get closer and steeper. As you get steeper, you'll find that it becomes a bit more difficult to stay on heading. Teams have a tendency to move quite a bit horizontally as they turn pieces and make transitions. If the team flies apart during a transition, you must slow your fall rate and get higher to keep them all in frame. As they rejoin, speed up again and come back down.
	Break-off When it is time for break-off, the team will turn away from the center of the formation and track away. As soon as the team breaks-off, it is time for the camera flyer to deploy. The sooner you pull, the more separation you will have form the rest of the team. Separation is great because it leaves room for the unexpected such as cutaways, off-heading openings, a bad track, etc. and gives you more time to react.
After opening I like to make a quick inventory check of my teammates. Where are they? Did they have a cut away? If there was a cutaway, first look to see if you can spot the reserve. If the jumper looks OK under the reserve, then check to see if anyone is chasing the main and free bag. Make sure that at least one team member is following each piece down; main, free bag and jumper. Fill in where required. If everyone seems OK under canopy, then unclip your wings, release your thumb loops, stow your slider, turn off your camera, release your brakes and start flying back to the landing area. Since you're probably the high opener, you should have plenty of time and altitude to scan for traffic and fit in with the landing pattern. I recommend getting a ring-sight that you can turn away from your eye. Having it on under canopy will block your vision.
Then What? As soon as you land make sure that you dub your footage. Teams will generally hire packers and want to debrief right away, so they can prepare for the next jump. I slate every jump of the day with a team name, date and jump number. If there is time I will include the dive. After you dub and are packed, be ready to get on the next load before doing anything else. The team should NEVER have to wait for you … ever.
[Sample video 4-way]	[Sample video 8-way]
Extra Pointers When you are flying above a formation you will notice that it never stands perfectly still. Especially during block maneuvers, pieces have the ability to travel quite a bit. It is important to have a steep angle on the formation to capture all the grips in frame; however, this is a process that needs to be learned gradually. Some beginning camera flyers try to get too steep too soon, and end up falling on top of the formation. Avoiding the formation’s burble is key to getting great video. Being able to anticipate the formations shape and direction will help you stay clear of getting burbled. Imagine the formation flying in a “tunnel”, of which you want to be on rim just a few feet higher. Keep in mind that this “tunnel” is going to move. Start out by being on level with the formation, and then work your way up. This will also help you learn your camera’s field of view. If you do find yourself having been caught off guard, make sure that you continue to fly your body. Get as big as possible. There is still a chance that the formation will continue to move and restore your airflow. Our first reaction is to ball-up to protect ourselves. By doing this, we now increase the speed that we are going to strike the team below with. Be aggressive, don’t give up, and continue to fly your body. Competition 4-Way Exit altitude is 10000 feet with 35 seconds working time. 10 rounds 8-Way Exit altitude is 13000 feet with 50 seconds working time. 10 rounds 16-Way Exit altitude is 13000 feet with 50seconds working time. 6 rounds 10-Way (Timed event) Exit altitude is 10500 feet. Timer stops when formation is built and held for 5 seconds. 8 rounds For more information check the IPC Rules