Athlete Felicia Sturgeon shares advice for smaller jumpers navigating canopy size, wing loading, and teamwork under canopy.
What mindset or understanding about wing loading do you wish the canopy community, especially lighter jumpers, would internalize?
Small canopies behave small, regardless of wing loading. I think this has been preached for a long time in the sport, but we still consistently see smaller jumpers who only focus on their wing loading and not the size of their canopy. I often hear comments from smaller jumpers that they want a smaller wing because they’re not comfortable jumping in high winds like their “big guy” friends are. I wish people would understand that’s a horrible reason to downsize. Now you’re picking your canopy size based on one condition.
But what about when there’s no wind? What if something happens that forces you to take a light or strong downwinder? What if you have to land off in a tight LZ? Are you really ready to be on that higher-performance wing in any condition, under any circumstance?
I hope people start to see that it’s still a high-performance wing that’s going to behave that way even if you’re small. The way I see it, we don’t get to play by the same rules as the big boys. This means we have to be willing to pick our conditions based on ourselves and our equipment. You don’t pick your equipment based on conditions. Maybe this means, especially in the beginning of your career, you sit out while bigger jumpers don’t.
Photo by Javier “Buzz” Ortiz
Any myths or misunderstandings you want to clear up?
I think it’s often assumed that if you’re small, you won’t be able to flock or fly with everyone unless you put on a bunch of weight or get the smallest canopy possible. People think your wing loading and wing type all have to be the same. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not the case.
You’d be surprised at the wide range of wing loadings and canopy types that can all fly well together. Flocking and team flying are more about technique and body flight than equipment. As Matt always preaches, it’s the pilot, not the parachute, that makes it possible.
For example, I can fly with all the big boys on my VK 71 loaded at 2.04, while the leader is loaded around 2.8 and some of the other pilots are loaded at 3.0 or more. Not only can I fly with them, but I can usually do it with some range and stay in toggles. However, it takes a lot of body effort to make this happen.
It’s not easy to be on either end of the range, and it takes time to figure it out. I spent my first year of flocking getting burned on so many jumps, basically doing solos. I didn’t realize how much more efficient I could be with my body position to keep up. Regardless of where you are in the range when flocking, I hope more people take the time to learn how much more they can use their body to fly smoother as individuals and better as a team.
Photo by Javier “Buzz” Ortiz
You can’t speak to higher wing loadings or larger bodies, but you certainly have insight for pilots who say they can’t fly with smaller, lighter jumpers. What would you say to both sides, the smaller ones who say they can’t fly with heavier jumpers, and vice versa?
Be a team player. Flocking is team flying, so the team has to figure out a way to make sure everyone can be there. If I told the leader to slow down for me, I’d probably put a bigger person out of their range so they couldn’t fly with us. Instead, I work harder to speed up so that we’re flying at a speed that gives everyone the most range possible.
The same applies on the other end. Instead of the bigger jumper complaining it’s too slow, figure out how to slow down. Fly your body more. Most people are flying a neutral body position and aren’t even close to using their full range of body flight.
What people need to understand is that flocking is a very physical discipline. It can be exhausting to fly with the team if you’re on either extreme of the range, but it takes work to be a team player. And just like any new body flight skill, it takes time to figure out what works for you.
Focus first on learning to fly your body. The second thing to try is adding or reducing drag, and lastly, adding weight for smaller jumpers. Drag or weight are useful tools, but if you rely on them alone, you’re not actually learning how to fly or understanding your full range.
I used to wear weight because I couldn’t figure out how to be there, but when I stopped relying on it, that’s when I truly learned how to fly better. Now, I rarely put weight on for these jumps. In the end, you’ll be surprised at how many different-sized pilots can fly together.
Photo by Brandon Schmidt
You’ve flown everything from swooping to speedflying and BASE. Has any of this played to your strengths as a smaller pilot?
They all complement each other, and the same concepts apply. My progression in flocking has definitely influenced my thoughts on canopy size in other disciplines. I even reevaluated my own thoughts on canopy size in BASE jumping and got really into testing different size canopies. I ended up upsizing my BASE canopy after some of that testing and research.
I feel passionate about giving smaller jumpers better advice than what I had when I started. It’s also influenced my speed wing size selection. It’s tough being small because you’ll never be able to go as fast as the big guys, but trust me, you’re still going fast!
It’s also hard to get good advice from someone much bigger than you because they often think the same rules apply. So be cautious when seeking advice.
What are some of the lesser-known or real challenges of lighter-bodied pilots?
You get diminishing returns with wing size at a certain point. For example, I load my VK 67 heavier than my VK 71, but I often feel like I have more range on the 71 for flocking. Wing loading isn’t everything; surface area also matters.
I’ll descend faster on the 67, but I don’t necessarily have better forward speed. My 71 can certainly swoop farther than my 67. At a certain point, smaller wings just behave differently in flight. It can be really challenging to figure out what canopy size is best when you’re small. More wing loading means less surface area, which means you’re going faster, but your control range is different. Things are just a bit more complicated to figure out when you’re smaller.
When it comes to flocking, as a smaller person flying with all the “big boys,” what has that experience been like? What would you say to someone looking to get into that world in a smaller, lighter body?
It was really frustrating when I started trying to keep up with these guys. But once I improved, it became incredibly rewarding to be able to fly with everyone. I love the community and the friendships I’ve built through this discipline. It’s all about bringing everyone together and doing things as a team.
When I saw the very first Flock and Flow videos, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I wanted to do it so badly, but I had the same reservations that many smaller pilots have. I didn’t think I could do it or that it was possible. But guess what, it is possible!
So if you’re a small jumper and you want to do this, do it! We’re here to help you achieve it if you want it. It’s not always easy to be a small pilot, but once you figure it out, it’s so rewarding. It might take some time and effort, but that’s what makes it worthwhile.
Do you feel there are things we’re missing as a community in canopy piloting when it comes to the learning and progression of lighter-bodied pilots? If so, how can we start to change that?
Yes, I believe there’s still a knowledge gap in how lighter jumpers progress, and many people still fall into the wing loading trap I talked about earlier. I’ve been there myself.
What’s crazy is that this information isn’t new, it’s just not widely understood or taught well. About eight years ago, Allison Reay and Laura Golly did a PIA Seminar called “Girls Can’t Fly Parachutes,” which covers this exact topic for small jumpers. I only recently learned about it, and I wish I had seen it when I started jumping.
In fact, everyone should watch it. I wish more people, especially instructors, understood and shared these concepts so we can teach them early on, instead of every smaller jumper having to figure it out on their own over a long period of time.
