Exits

Posted Saturday, June 29, 2002

By Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld

Exits The key to all good exits is Timing, Presentation and Placement! As you stand in the door, lined up and ready to exit, realize this: you are a funnel waiting to happen. In the line up, your team is like a ball of bodies. You may have the correct grips of a formation, but a formation you are not. From the door, you must physically PUT THE FORMATION ON THE AIR. You cannot just jump out and see where it goes. You must decide exactly where you want the formation to be on “the hill” and physically put it in that place.

Decide exactly where you want the formation to be on “the hill”;
Stand balanced and comfortable in the door during the line up;
Have a consistent and easily communicated count to establish ideal timing;
Know what you personally have to do to ensure that you are presented to the wind as you leave the door. Don’t jump out and then present. You must be presented when you first hit the air;
Establish your cross-reference while in the line up. Front and rear should be watching each other as they come off the plane. This is the only way to know if you have immediately put the formation in the proper place on “the hill” and the only way to fix it if you have not.

We have found that most exits leave the airplane better if they are facing up “the hill”. With the point leaving from the front of the door, at the top of “the hill” and the tail leaving from the back of the door, at the bottom of “the hill”.

The center floater (most commonly the front center flyer) is directing the exit. Though some teams have the count coming from inside, the center float is the most central person. For most exits, the center float launches to a position straight out from the door. Their heading could be in any direction, but their center point is roughly four feet out from the center of the door. Accomplishing this often requires a strong, almost gymnastic launch. In order to be even with the door, you must launch up while forcing your presentation.

The rear floater (most commonly the tail flyer) will drop down “the hill” to a position that is lower than the center floater. As the center float launches up, the rear drops straight out the bottom. When you watch this performed by the most experienced rear floaters, it appears that they exit exactly on go. This is true, but in order to get low enough on “the hill”, it often feels to them that they lead the exit off: extending away from the center.

The front floater (most commonly the point) will launch straight up onto “the hill” to a position that is higher on “the hill” than the center. Often they have a grip on the center or the center on them. It is imperative that they feel the center’s movement. The point cannot just exit on an audible count alone. They must feel the center’s movement and extend up from them as they launch out. When you watch this performed by the most experienced front floaters, it appears that they also exit exactly on go. This is true, but in order to get high enough on “the hill”, it often feels to them that they follow the center’s movement. They definitely will not be higher on “the hill”, if they leave before the center does.

The inside diver (most commonly the rear center) must stay very close to the plane during the exit. The most common error is for them to launch out too hard and too far. In doing so, they run over the center float and collapse onto them. It is very important for them to see the motion of the exit and leave exactly with the center while only occupying the space right outside the door.

For everyone, as you present to the relative wind placing yourself on “the hill”, use your grips to help present the entire formation. If you have a grip, you must be aware of exactly what the person whose grip you have needs from you. Otherwise, you will restrict them from doing their job on the launch. Expand from the center point and take personal responsibility for putting the entire formation on the air.

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Exits

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