New Kid on the Flock
DeLand, Florida — a DZ I hadn’t jumped at since training for the 2003 World Meet from the Porter.
A slightly different discipline this time, but still on camera duty for Pete Allum and the Flight-1 event Flockmasters. This Canopy Flocking camp in March 2025 brought together an excellent team of experienced canopy pilots and a smaller group of newer canopy pilots to fly canopies together.
The Flockmasters light group was looked after by Jason Dicenzo and Phil Webley, both Flight-1 instructors, while the high-wingloading groups were with Pete Allum and Jesse Weyher, filmed and photographed by myself and Johnathan Marsh.
Switching between groups gave us time to assess speed and wingloading for the most comfortable filming, as the group ranged from 2.4 to 2.8 wingloading and included various sizes and types of canopies.
The event was a huge success, with three days of glorious weather, moderate winds, and blue skies — as the images attest. All participants made 15 jumps, ranging from 9-way to 18-way, with some beautiful flying from everyone involved. From flying static formations with impressive symmetry to more dynamic lines with crossovers and flypasts each jump tested the participants canopy skills and mental acuity to fly close proximity safely within the 5-minute timeframe.
The flocks used both Bluetooth in-air communication and in-air signals for transitions. A thorough walkthrough and post-jump debrief allowed for the successful execution of all jumps.
Watch out for another Flight-1 flocking event soon—whatever your current level of experience, the team has got you covered.
Words and images: Andy Ford
Flockmasters Photo Gallery
Flockmasters Video
Footage and edit by Andy Ford
