Italian Angle Flying Coaches: Who They Are, Where to Find Them, How to Choose

Angle flying is, by most observers of the Italian skydiving scene, the discipline that has seen the fastest growth among advanced flight disciplines over the past decade — evolving from a niche pursuit for bored freeflyers into a structured discipline with competitions, records, and, finally, a small coaching ecosystem. The problem is that finding a serious Italian angle flying coach still takes more effort than it should: there is no registry, no ENAC-specific certification, and the word 'coach' is used with a generosity that sometimes raises a smile. This article is an attempt to bring some order to the situation, with concrete criteria for evaluating a coach and a map — necessarily partial and subject to change — of the active reference figures in Italy.

What Angle Flying Really Is — and Why Coaching It Differs from FS or Freefly

Before talking about coaches, it is worth clarifying what we are actually discussing. Angle flying (or angle skydiving) is inclined flight: the body is oriented at roughly 30–50° relative to the horizontal — neither in a flat, belly-to-earth boxman position nor in a vertical head-down. Vertical speed varies significantly depending on the angle and suit, falling somewhere between boxman and head-down values — but the horizontal component is far greater than in classic FS. This creates a radically different flight physics: formations are built in motion, docking involves complex velocity vectors, and break-off management is a chapter unto itself.

An experienced FS coach who has never flown angle has an advantage in terms of body awareness and jump discipline, but cannot teach angle as though it were inclined relative work. Equally, a freeflyer with thousands of head-down jumps may struggle to manage the horizontal component typical of angle formations. Angle coaching requires a specific profile: direct experience in the discipline, the ability to fly different slots (lead, tail, lateral slots), and — ideally — wind tunnel experience for working on body position in intensive sessions.

The Regulatory Framework: What ENAC Says — and What It Doesn't

Let's start with the regulatory facts, because this is the point that generates the most confusion. ENAC does not provide a specific certification for 'angle flying coach.' ENAC regulations govern Instructor ratings, IPS (Senior Parachuting Instructor) ratings, and Examiner ratings, as well as Special Technique Certifications (CS) for particular disciplines such as freefly, wingsuit, and canopy formation. Angle flying, as an emerging discipline, does not yet have a dedicated CS in the strict sense — the regulatory situation is evolving, and I encourage you to check the current version of the ENAC regulations at enac.gov.it.

In practice, this means anyone can call themselves an 'angle flying coach' without any governing body verifying their qualifications. It is not an ideal situation, but it is the current reality. The practical consequence for anyone seeking a coach is that the résumé must be evaluated directly, using the criteria I will outline shortly. The only formal guarantee you can ask for is that the coach holds a current ENAC parachutist licence (currency: 15 jumps in the last 12 months, including 1 in the last 3 months, and a valid Class 2 medical certificate) and — for those operating in structured instructional contexts — an ENAC Instructor rating.

Criteria for Evaluating a Coach: A Practical Checklist

Here are the parameters I use when evaluating an angle flying coach, in order of importance:

1. Volume of documented angle jumps — Not the total jump number, but specifically angle jumps. A coach with 3,000 total jumps of which 50 are angle is less relevant than one with 800 total jumps of which 400 are angle. Ask to see the logbook, or at least a documented estimate. As a rough benchmark, most reference-level coaches have at least several hundred documented angle jumps, though overall technical background remains a determining factor in the assessment.

2. Experience in different slots — A coach who has only ever flown as lead (the front position in the formation) does not know what it feels like in the tail slots or the laterals. A good coach must have flown every position and must be able to diagnose a student's problems from any slot.

3. Wind tunnel experience — Not mandatory, but highly indicative. The tunnel allows body position to be isolated without the pressures of a real jump. A coach who has done tunnel work — even just 10–15 hours — generally has a more analytical understanding of angle flight physics.

4. Disciplinary background — The best angle coaches typically come from one of these backgrounds: FS with a transition to freefly and then angle, or freefly with an interest in formation flying. A tracking background is a third valid path. Each brings different strengths: an FS background brings formation discipline, freefly brings three-dimensional body awareness.

5. Ability to communicate in debriefing — This is the point that separates coaches from 'skilled jump buddies.' A coach must be able to watch the video, identify the specific problem (e.g., 'you're pressing downward because your knees are too high — you're creating asymmetric drag'), and propose a corrective exercise. If the debriefing amounts to 'hey, that was pretty good, try again,' that is not coaching.

Italian DZs with Structured Angle Activity

Angle flying in Italy is not evenly distributed. The discipline requires a minimum volume of enthusiasts to be practiced safely — angle formations with 4+ people need an aircraft loading enough skydivers with a shared interest. DZs with the critical mass needed for regular angle sessions are typically those with high seasonal jump volumes.

Cumiana (TO) — A very active DZ in northern Italy and a reference point for many Piedmontese skydivers. In recent years it has seen growing interest in advanced flight disciplines including angle, with some local figures who have built significant experience in the discipline. The jump volume allows dedicated loads to be organized on peak weekends.

Fano (PU) — Historically one of Italy's most active DZs for freefly, with a pool of advanced skydivers from which angle flying has drawn naturally. The local scene has produced reference figures in advanced disciplines over the years, some of whom are still operating steadily in the area.

Treviso — A DZ with solid infrastructure and a core of advanced skydivers. Angle has found fertile ground within a community already oriented toward disciplines beyond classic FS.

Casale Monferrato (AL) — Another northern DZ with a history in freefly and an openness to new disciplines. Its geographic position makes it a reference point for the Piedmont-Lombardy catchment area.

Roma / Viterbo — In central Italy, the DZs in the Rome area have a community of advanced skydivers that includes angle practitioners, though with less dedicated coaching structure than in the north.

An important note: this list is necessarily partial and subject to seasonal changes. Coaches move around, DZ volumes shift, and communities evolve. The most reliable way to get up-to-date information is to contact the manifest at the DZs you are interested in directly and ask explicitly whether there is structured angle activity and who the local reference figures are.

How to Structure an Angle Flying Coaching Camp

Once you have found a coach you are interested in, the next question is how to organize the work together effectively. Angle flying is not learned with the occasional jump here and there — it requires concentrated sessions. Here is how to structure a productive camp.

Minimum prerequisites before starting angle coaching — There is no universal magic number, but most serious coaches require that the student have:

Typically coaches require a significant number of jumps — often in the hundreds — but the requirement varies from coach to coach; verify directly with your reference, with a current ENAC licence.

Basic tracking experience (the ability to fly horizontally safely during break-off).

Basic FS formation flying ability (at least some 2-way or 4-way jumps).

Familiarity with break-off and group separation procedures.

If you do not meet these prerequisites, the right coach will tell you to come back once you have consolidated them. If they tell you 'you're fine as you are,' find a different coach.

Typical structure of a 2–3 day camp — A well-structured camp includes:

Initial briefing — assessment of the student's level, camp objectives, explanation of angle flight physics and the specific safety conventions (separation, break-off altitudes, emergency management in inclined formations).

1:1 or 2:1 jumps — the first jumps are with the coach in a close observation position, ideally with a camera. Simple formations: 2-way angle, then progression toward 3-way.

Systematic video debriefing — every jump is reviewed with the coach. Video is not optional in a serious coaching camp.

Controlled progression — no moving to larger formations until the fundamentals are solid. A coach who puts you in a 6-way on your second camp jump is optimizing their load, not your learning.

Final consolidation session — jumps with less direct supervision to verify that the corrections have been internalized.

The Suit Question: Tracking Suit, Angle Suit, or Standard Jumpsuit?

A question that comes up frequently from skydivers approaching angle: what suit should you use? The answer depends on your level and goals.

Standard jumpsuit (FS suit) — Perfectly adequate for the first angle jumps and for anyone who wants to understand the discipline without additional investment. Horizontal speed will be lower than for someone flying an angle suit, but this is not necessarily a disadvantage in the early stages: less speed means more margin to correct mistakes.

Tracking suit — An interesting middle ground. It adds surface area but is not optimized for structured angle flying. Useful as a transition, less useful if the goal is angle formation flying with others using dedicated suits.

Dedicated angle suit — Suits such as those from Tony Suits and other manufacturers have geometries specifically designed for angle flying: surfaces on the arms and legs that increase horizontal lift without reaching the surface area of a wingsuit. They are the right tool for anyone who wants to fly angle seriously and in a structured way, but should be introduced gradually and — ideally — with a dedicated first flight coach, exactly as with wingsuits.

A good angle coach will help you understand when the time is right to move to a dedicated suit and which geometry suits your flying style. Be wary of anyone who pushes you to buy an angle suit on your very first jump: that is commercial optimism, not coaching.

How to Find a Coach: Practical Channels in 2025

In the absence of an official registry, the most effective channels for finding an Italian angle flying coach are:

Your DZ manifest — ask directly who flies angle regularly and who has coaching experience. The manifest knows everything.

Italian skydiving Facebook and Telegram groups — there are active groups where the Italian angle community gathers. Search for 'angle flying Italia' or 'paracadutismo avanzato Italia.'

Events and boogies with track/angle camps — some Italian boogies include dedicated camps with national or international coaches. Keep an eye on the calendars of the major DZs.

Tunnel camps with an angle session — some organizers combine wind tunnel sessions with angle jumps. It is a highly effective format for accelerated learning.

Word of mouth in the community — in the end, skydiving is still a world where reputation is built jump by jump. Ask the more experienced angle skydivers at your DZ who they would trust as a coach.

In Summary

Angle flying coaching in Italy is in a maturing phase: there are competent figures out there, but the formal structure that exists for AFF or tandem is not yet in place. That means the due diligence is on you. The criteria for evaluating a coach are concrete — documented angle jump volume, experience in different slots, video debriefing ability, disciplinary background — and should not be negotiated downward simply because 'they're the only angle coach available locally.' If you cannot find a suitable coach near home, it is worth traveling for a camp at a DZ with more structured activity, or waiting for a boogie with international coaches. Angle flying is learned better through fewer well-guided jumps than through many solo jumps that entrench mistakes which become very hard to correct later.