Brian Vacher has competed at every official world event in Canopy Piloting since it became an FAI discipline in 2001. He travels the world with the PD Factory Team and Flight-1, providing civilian and military canopy coaching, training and competing in swooping competitions and participating in team expeditions
How many jumps do you have, and what kind?
Coming up to the 10,000 jump mark. About 1,500 video, about 6,000 hop ‘n’ pops, a couple of seasons doing 4-way with team V2, some (bad) freefly, a few crew jumps, around 20 base jumps and 31 cutaways (one intentional).
Which areas do you most enjoy?
All of them are great but particularly Canopy Piloting (CP) and Team Flying and also trying to get into traditional Crew and freeflying when I have time.
Is it all about the canopy flight for you?
I like freefall too and currently do some freeflying as well as a few AFF jumps.
What equipment do you usually jump?
We all have a number of canopies but currently I’m jumping a Peregrine 79. I have a stable of Competition Velocities, Sabre 2s, a Katana and a CReW Lightning.
How did you join the PD Factory Team?
Like any job interview, I went through a selection process. Initially, we had to submit an online written application that anyone in the sport could complete. A shortlist of 40 people then had to submit a five-minute video interview answering specific questions. Finally, 15 people were invited for a week-long interview in Florida in early January 2008. We went through personal interviews, group and individual presentations, team-building exercises and a mock CP competition before the final four were selected. It really gave us all an insight into what was involved.
What does being on the PD Factory Team entail?
We have a responsibility to get out there and represent ourselves, our teammates, our business and our sponsors. We have some minimum coaching, training and competition commitments. The Safe Flight School has now merged with Flight-1 in Europe to make Flight-1 the worldwide brand. We are working on adding to the products offered by the Flight-1 curriculum. Flight-1 is the PD Factory Team business and focuses on four areas; education, competition, expeditions and demonstrations.
What do you do in those four areas?
Education: We teach canopy control to military and civilian clients. This is our main business. We work with various military groups across the globe and trained over 1200 sport students last year.
Competition: The team consists of world class competitors, world and national champions and we all compete regularly across the globe. I will be back competing at the UK Nationals this year.
Expeditions: In recent years the team has carried out terrain flying expeditions to Italy, Norway, the Swiss Alps and the Grand Canyon. New expeditions are in the process of being planned for 2013/14.
Demos and Stunts: PD Factory Team members are also involved in bespoke demonstration jumps and stunts. The most recent stunt involved landing in the back of a moving Ferrari.
What makes the team so successful?
Definitely the people in it. Each team member is a very different individual, but all of us believe in what we are doing as a team and a business. The strength comes from working with such a highly skilled and professional group who constantly challenge each other and the direction of the sport. The team also never stands still and we have just taken on two new team members, Frenchman Julien Guiho and Gage Galle.
What does it take to be a canopy coach?
Like all disciplines, just because you are a good flyer doesn’t mean you can teach. Good canopy coaches are hard to find because you need to have a good understanding of canopy flight, have a decent level of personal CP skills and have all those good qualities we look for and expect in an instructor. The complete package is not that common, although good people are always on the horizon.
How important is canopy flight training?
Well, the statistics can answer that question really. If we look at where the safety problems lie, we have a majority of pilot error. Sure, some reports split it up into different things: low turns, landing problems, canopy collisions, but these are normally all unforced pilot errors. Obviously CP incorporates a huge range of subjects other than how to flare a canopy properly and not turning low. Equipment and freefall-related problems are the minority. Yet, if people sat back and looked at how much money, time and training they invest in freefall and the tunnel compared to the investment of CP, we can see why we have the safety record we have.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given about skydiving?
- To listen to everything, but make your own informed decision.
- Continually research everything there is to know.
- Slow your flying down.
What has been your most exciting competition?
The Canopy Piloting World Cup in December 2009 – it was my first time representing the PD Factory Team and wearing team colours. The level of competitive spirit and support within the team is very powerful, which was underlined in the results with six PDFT members in the overall top ten. The Dubai World Meet 2012 was great to take the Peregrine (the new Ultra High Performance Canopy from PD) to world level competition for the first time.
How long will you continue to compete?
No idea. One competition at a time.
What is the future of competition canopies, what are we going to see next?
The Peregrine is already a massive step through the door of what is possible. It is so far away from the Competition Velocity in terms of speed and descent rate. Performance Designs are being very responsible in trying to control who flies this canopy. In the wrong hands we will be reading many more incident reports. I know that Performance Designs will continue to strive to create a canopy that will go faster and longer. I will be amazed by what they achieve next because the Peregrine is an incredible machine – Imagine a much bigger picture – higher final turn heights, now either side of 2,000 feet, much higher release points for the recovery arcs and much longer runways needed in terms of space to level out, swoop and stop.
How has CP changed since you have been competing?
The level is constantly improving and the numbers of good, younger pilots has increased.
An introduction to the cutting edge competition canopy from PD, The Peregrine
Are landing injuries an inevitable consequence of competitive canopy piloting?
You certainly don’t have to injure yourself at the top level of the sport. It is very easy however to be seduced by the moment and push, which obviously increases the risk. A good pilot will never be in a life-threatening situation but the risk of a broken bone is definitely there. Downwind zone accuracy can be nasty.
What’s the future for Canopy Piloting?
In the competition scene, I see it continuing to develop as quickly as it has over the past ten years, perhaps with more team events in the future. We have seen swoop distances of over 200m at FAI competitions and now the rules are changing to ensure we can continue to hold competitions at smaller dzs. On the education side, we are seeing a huge improvement worldwide of the average skydiver as information starts to filter out there, although there is still a long way to go. Proper education combined with defined and achievable qualifications are really the only way forward.
How do you think canopy skills in the USA compare with Europe?
The USA have had a lot of recent problems and they are asking questions on why and what should be done. There is definitely a feeling of more federation control here in Europe, with countries like Germany and the Netherlands making a stance and putting in controls. France is also following suit. The UK has the CCI system, which offers a lot of control; however we still lack in affirmative action towards correct education. I believe the USA attitude is more open to the commercial side of education. The UK still comes more from a club attitude. The tunnel is the change. UK people are willing to burn big money in the tunnel but still raise eyebrows about paying for dropzone coaching of any type.
What do you do when you’re not skydiving?
Enduro riding (motocross) has been my passion over the past 6 years. The mountains around Empuriabrava have some of the best off-road riding terrain and I have spent some time riding in North Africa and most recently the Balkans. Check out Aim for the Horizon
What’s your most memorable skydive?
There are so many – that’s the great thing about the sport. Helicopters, balloons, first base jump, first wingsuit, world competitions, medals, first jump with the PD Factory Team, speed and distance records…
Brian Vacher and friends travelling the world on dirt bikes
Where is your favourite place to jump?
Skydive Empuriabrava is a fantastic dropzone and you can skydive, ride dirt bikes, mountain bike, and snowboard all in one week.
Who are your skydiving heroes?
Every person who excels in their chosen discipline. And also all my teammates.
