Canopy flight

What it means

Canopy flight starts when the parachute opens and ends on landing. It typically lasts a few minutes, much longer than freefall, and has a very different feel: quiet after the roar of the wind, with time to look around, steer and enjoy the view.

On video it is the calm counterweight to the chaos of freefall. The opening shock, the first look up at the canopy, views of the landscape and the final landing all give a skydiving edit room to breathe. For experienced jumpers, canopy piloting, fast swoops across the ground before landing, is a discipline of its own with spectacular footage.

How it works in practice

The same helmet camera used for freefall keeps recording under canopy. Look up at the canopy after opening to confirm it is flying, which also gives the classic shot of the open wing above.

Talk or react on camera if you want: under canopy, audio becomes usable again, unlike in freefall. Reactions at this stage often make the best reaction shots for tandem videos.

For the landing, keep the head steady and look toward the landing area. A smooth approach and landing makes a satisfying end to the edit. A second camera on the ground can film the landing from the front, which often gives the cleanest final shot of the whole jump.

What to watch out for

Canopy footage drags quickly. Several minutes of slow descent need heavy trimming; a few seconds of opening, one or two views and the landing are often enough.

Sun glare is common when the camera faces the sky. Expect some shots looking straight at the sun and trim them out, since lens flare and blown sky dominate those frames.

Never let filming distract from flying the canopy safely. Traffic patterns, other jumpers and the landing area need full attention, especially for new jumpers who are still learning to fly their wing.