CRW / CF: What Is Canopy Formation and How to Get Started

If you have 200 jumps and think you know every skydiving discipline, CRW is probably the one you're missing — and the one that will make you reconsider what it really means to fly a canopy. Canopy Relative Work, or in the more recent FAI/IPC designation Canopy Formation (CF), is the discipline in which you fly in formation under already-open parachutes, physically docking your canopy onto another skydiver's. It is not a variation of freefall. It's something else entirely. And you understand that the first time you watch a four-person rotation turning at 1,500 meters, with suspension lines deliberately and deliberately intertwined.

CRW and CF: Two Names, One Discipline

The term CRW (Canopy Relative Work) is the historical one, coined in the 1970s in the United States by analogy with RW (Relative Work) in freefall. The FAI and IPC (International Parachuting Commission) later standardized the name to CF — Canopy Formation — which is the official term in international competition. In Italy both terms are in circulation: at older drop zones you still hear CRW, while in competitive contexts CF is used. For practical purposes they are synonymous, and in this article I'll use them interchangeably.

The discipline has two main competitive formats:

Sequential (SEQ): a sequence of different formations to be built and broken within a time limit.

Rotation (ROT): a single formation that rotates on itself, with the number of complete rotations counted within a given time.

Both are contested by teams of 2, 4, or 8 people, with judges evaluating the formations via video shot by a camera flyer flying alongside the team.

The Physics of Formation Flying Under Canopy

Before understanding how it's done, you need to understand why it's difficult — and why it's dangerous if approached without adequate preparation.

In freefall, two skydivers closing on each other have a manageable relative approach speed because they're moving through the same medium (air) with similar dynamics. In CRW, different canopies have different descent rates depending on wing loading, canopy type, and applied inputs. Closing one canopy on another means managing differentials in both vertical and horizontal speed, with the added complication that every control input simultaneously affects both components.

The dock typically occurs between the foot of the upper skydiver (the one approaching from above) and the leading edge or front lines of the lower canopy, though the exact technique can vary depending on the formation type and instructor. The person receiving the dock is the base (or "center" in larger formations); the person docking is the docking parachutist. Once docked, the combined system has different physics from either canopy alone: descent rate increases, maneuverability changes, and any control input propagates through the entire formation.

The wrap — the involuntary entanglement of one canopy's lines around another canopy or around a skydiver — is the primary emergency in CRW. It is not uncommon, it is not always quickly resolvable, and it requires specific emergency procedures that are not the same as those for a standard malfunction. A wrap can render the involved skydiver's reserve unusable if not handled correctly. This is why CRW is not something you learn on your own by watching YouTube.

Canopies: You Can't Do CRW Under Just Any Canopy

This is the point that separates those who understand the discipline from those who don't. CRW requires canopies specifically designed for this activity, or at the very least suited to it. The characteristics you're looking for:

Low wing loading: typically around 3.9–5.4 kg/m² (0.8–1.1 lb/sqft for those using international standards). The lower the wing loading, the slower the descent rate and the easier it is to manage the approach.

Low-internal-pressure cell profile: dedicated CRW canopies (such as the Icarus Sabre2 at low wing loading, the historic Jalbert Para-Foil — the category's founding design, now out of production — and the Performance Designs Silhouette, also now discontinued) have profiles that better tolerate the deformations induced by docking and maintain lift even under asymmetric loading.

Robust suspension lines and riser configuration: some CRW canopies have riser configurations optimized to facilitate docking and reduce the risk of a wrap.

No aggressive slider reefing: a soft, predictable opening is a higher priority than opening speed.

Using a high-performance canopy (elliptical, high wing loading) in CRW is not just suboptimal — it's dangerous for you and for those around you. The higher descent rate makes docks violent, and the twitchy control response makes fine management of relative position much harder.

One often-overlooked detail: in CRW you fly without a helmet or with a smooth, snag-free light helmet, and you wear soft shoes or thick socks. The reasons are practical — lines wrap around anything that protrudes, and a foot dock needs to be able to slide free without dragging the skydiver along. This detail alone says a great deal about the physical nature of the discipline.

Real Prerequisites: What You Need Before You Start

CRW has one of the highest entry bars of any discipline in terms of canopy piloting competence. Not in terms of absolute jump numbers — though numbers do matter — but in terms of the quality of canopy control. Concretely:

Reasonable minimum prerequisites (these are not regulatory thresholds — they are technical assessments):

At least 200–300 jumps under a ram-air canopy, with a significant portion on low-wing-loading canopies.

The ability to land consistently and accurately on a designated spot in variable wind conditions.

A thorough understanding of the approach pattern: altimetry, canopy traffic management, wind reading.

Practical experience with canopy emergencies: line twists, partial malfunctions, cutaway procedures. Not theoretical — practiced in ground school and mentally consolidated.

Familiarity with the specific canopy you'll be using for CRW: every canopy behaves differently, and bringing a canopy you don't know well into a formation is an unnecessary additional risk.

In Italy, to practice CRW in a structured way, you need the CS (Certificazione di idoneità a Tecniche Speciali) required by ENAC regulations for special disciplines. The specific requirements should be verified against the current regulations and with your ENAC-certified parachuting school, as they may be updated. Don't improvise: the CS is not bureaucracy for its own sake — it's the filter that ensures you have the foundations to avoid putting yourself and your formation partner at risk.

How It's Learned: Progression in CRW

Progression in CRW must be guided by a specialized instructor — not a friend who has been doing CRW for years, but someone with specific teaching experience in the discipline. The learning curve has well-defined phases:

Phase 1 — Approach and positioning (no-contact). The first jumps in a CRW configuration involve no docking. The work is on the ability to hold a stable relative position with respect to another canopy at varying distances. It sounds straightforward. It isn't. Managing your own descent rate to stay in position relative to a canopy that's doing something slightly different requires fine inputs and anticipation, not reaction.

Phase 2 — First dock (2-way). The first dock happens in a 2-way configuration with an instructor as the base. You learn the docking technique: approaching from above and slightly to the side, slowing with the brakes, placing your foot on the lower canopy's leading edge with the right amount of pressure — enough to maintain contact, not enough to deform the base canopy. You also learn how to release in a controlled manner, which is equally important.

Phase 3 — Emergency management. Before moving on to any more complex formation, the instructor introduces emergency scenarios: what to do if your foot becomes entangled in the lines, how to communicate with your partner if something goes wrong, when and how to cut away. This phase is never skipped. Ever.

Phase 4 — More complex formations and rotations. With consolidated 2-way experience, you progress to 3-way and 4-way, then to rotations. Each additional person in the formation multiplies the complexity: the system's physics change, communication must be more precise, and emergency procedures become more involved because they affect multiple people in different positions within the formation.

Safety: CRW-Specific Emergencies

CRW has a different risk profile from freefall. The risks are not necessarily greater in absolute terms, but they are qualitatively different and require specific emergency procedures that those without experience in the discipline simply don't know.

The wrap: as mentioned, this is the primary emergency. A wrap can be partial (one or a few lines entangled, the canopy remains functional) or total (the canopy is completely wrapped and generating no lift). Procedures vary depending on your position in the formation, available altitude, and the type of wrap. The general rule is: immediate communication with your partner, attempt to resolve if altitude permits, coordinated cutaway if it doesn't resolve. Coordination is essential: two people cutting away in an uncoordinated manner can create further problems.

Canopy collision: approaches that are too fast or poorly controlled can lead to collisions that deform both canopies. A deformed canopy may not recover its normal shape without specific inputs — or may not recover at all.

Reserve deployment in a wrap: this is the most critical scenario. If you are in a wrap and your main canopy is compromised, deploying the reserve can interact with the entangled lines in unpredictable ways. For this reason, reserve procedures in CRW are explicitly discussed during the pre-jump briefing, and it is established who does what and in what sequence.

One detail worth highlighting: the AAD (automatic activation device) in CRW can be a double-edged sword. If you are in a wrap at low altitude and the AAD fires, the deploying reserve can worsen the wrap. Some experienced CRW practitioners discuss AAD settings with their rigger before taking up the discipline. This is not a conversation to skip.

CRW in Italy: Where It's Practiced and Who Does It

CRW is a niche discipline — and that's true worldwide, not just in Italy. The community is small, tight-knit, and generally very welcoming to those who approach it seriously. Finding a CRW instructor in Italy takes some research: not every drop zone has someone with specific teaching experience in the discipline. Drop zones with a history in CRW tend to have a small group of practitioners who organize dedicated sessions, often on weekends.

At the competitive level, the IPC organizes the Canopy Formation World Cup, and CF has been included in some editions of the World Games among the featured disciplines. Italy has had competitive CF teams, and the AeCI manages the sport side and FAI representation for those who want to compete internationally.

If you're interested in getting started, the practical path is:

Check with your drop zone whether there are CRW practitioners available to act as mentors or instructors.

Contact the AeCI for information on the sport and competitive side.

Check with your ENAC-certified school for the requirements for the CS relating to applicable special techniques.

Consider a CRW camp: they are organized regularly across Europe and are the most efficient way to log many guided jumps in a short time with specialized instructors.

In Summary

CRW / CF is one of the most technically demanding disciplines in skydiving — not because it requires superhuman reflexes, but because it demands a deep understanding of canopy flight that many skydivers with 200+ jumps have not yet fully developed. It is also one of the most rewarding: building a four-person formation that rotates smoothly at 1,500 meters is an achievement that requires coordination, mutual trust, and genuine technical competence.

The conditions for getting started: a solid canopy piloting foundation, a suitable canopy, a specialized instructor, and the appropriate ENAC CS. There are no shortcuts, and you shouldn't want any: CRW emergencies require specific preparation that can only be built through the correct progression.

If you have the prerequisites and the curiosity, it's worth exploring. It's a discipline where jump numbers matter less than the quality of what you've learned to do with your canopy.