Hitting 200 skydives is a milestone most jumpers daydream about when they're still working through their A license. You've stopped panicking when the plane door opens, can hold a stable belly-to-earth position without overthinking it, know your deployment sequence in your sleep, and can track away from a group without drifting into their flight path. You're no longer a "newbie"---but you're also not quite ready to sign up for head-down freefly formation camps or wingsuit training just yet. The gap between "competent beginner" and "advanced skydiver" is filled with small, intentional skill builds, not giant, reckless leaps. The five maneuvers below are the perfect next steps for anyone with 200+ jumps under their belt: they're challenging enough to keep your jumps exciting, build critical skills for future specialties, and are achievable with consistent, safe practice.
Controlled Angled Tracking
For most new jumpers, tracking is a flat, belly-to-earth position with arms swept back and legs tight together, designed to move horizontally as fast as possible. Angled tracking takes that a step further: you tilt your body 15 to 30 degrees to one side, shifting your weight to generate horizontal speeds of 60 mph or more, and carve smooth, controlled turns without losing altitude or stability.
Why it's worth mastering
Angled tracking is the foundation of all wingsuit flight, a critical skill for getting clear of other groups quickly during emergencies, and a game-changer for tracking-only jumps or competitions. It also lets you adjust your glide path mid-freefall to line up with your landing zone far more accurately than flat tracking.
Training tips
Start in a wind tunnel first if you have access to one: 15 minutes of tunnel coaching will teach you body position far faster than 10 random freefall jumps. When you take it to the sky, start at 10,000 ft AGL, do 10-second bursts of angled flight, then return to a stable belly position to check your altimeter and reorient yourself. Focus on tilting from your hips, not your shoulders, to avoid spinning out of control.
Safety rule
Never practice angled tracking near other groups until you can hold the position for 30+ seconds consistently, and always have a clear, practiced fallback to stable belly flight if you start to spin or lose orientation.
Sustained Back Fly
Most 200-jumpers have tried a 2-second back fly burst on a casual jump, but holding a stable, controlled back fly position for 30 seconds or more is a whole different skill. In back fly, you fall on your back, limbs held in a neutral, relaxed position, looking up at the sky, falling at roughly the same 120 mph speed as belly flight.
Why it's worth mastering
Back fly is the non-negotiable foundation of all freefly disciplines. Once you can hold it consistently, you'll be able to fly in close proximity to other freeflyers, participate in small back fly formations, and build the body awareness needed for more advanced moves like head-down flying or sit fly transitions later on.
Training tips
Wind tunnel time is your best friend here: a coach can correct your hip position and arch in real time, which is impossible to do mid-freefall. On jumps, start with 5-second holds, working up to 30+ seconds over a few jumps. Have a coach video you from below to check if your hips are level---a common mistake is tilting one hip down, which sends you spinning sideways.
Safety rule
Test your gear accessibility before you board the plane for your first back fly jump: make sure you can reach your main and reserve handles easily while lying on your back, as bulky gloves or a misadjusted harness can make this impossible mid-freefall. Never do back fly alone until you can hold the position for 30 seconds without drifting or spinning.
Low-Speed Controlled Sit Fly
Sit fly is the first "seated" freefly position, where you fall in a seated position, knees bent, arms out for balance, falling at roughly 100 mph (slower than belly or back fly). For 200+ jumpers who are bored of standard belly flight, it's the perfect first step into dynamic freefly.
Why it's worth mastering
Sit fly lets you fly face-to-face with other jumpers, participate in sit fly formations, and build the core strength and body control needed for more advanced freefly moves like head-up or head-down flying later. It's also way more fun than standard belly flight for casual fun jumps.
Training tips
Start with 10-minute wind tunnel sessions focused on hip control: the biggest mistake new sit flyers make is letting their legs drift up toward their chest, which makes them tumble forward. On jumps, start at 12,000 ft AGL, focus on keeping your hips pushed forward, knees at a 90-degree angle, and your weight evenly distributed between your butt and the back of your thighs. Work with a freefly coach for your first 10 sit fly jumps to get real-time feedback.
Safety rule
Never practice sit fly near groups of belly flyers or trackers until you're completely stable, as your slower fall speed can cause you to drift into their flight path. Always have a clear, practiced transition back to belly flight if you lose control.
Small Group Tracking Formations
By 200 jumps, you're probably jumping with 2-4 person groups already, but most of those are just standard belly formation jumps. Taking that a step further to build small, coordinated tracking formations (lines, diamonds, or V-shapes with 3-5 jumpers) is a great way to build group spatial awareness.
Why it's worth mastering
This skill is non-negotiable if you want to move into larger formation skydiving (FS) or tracking competitions later. It also teaches you to adjust your speed and altitude to match other jumpers, a critical skill for any group skydive.
Training tips
Start with 2-person tracking lines first: practice matching your speed and glide path with one other jumper, using pre-agreed hand signals to communicate if you need to speed up, slow down, or adjust your position. Work up to 3-5 person groups over a few jump days, and have a coach video the exit and formation to give you feedback on your positioning.
Safety rule
Only jump with skydivers of similar skill level for your first tracking formations, and agree on exit order, formation shape, and deployment altitude before you board the plane. Never fly a tracking formation near freefly groups, as your faster horizontal speed can put you on a collision course.
Rear Riser Canopy Piloting
Most 200-jumpers are still using only their toggles to steer their canopies, but mastering rear riser control is a game-changer for canopy safety and precision. Rear risers are the straps that connect your harness to the rear of your canopy: pulling them down increases the canopy's angle of attack, letting you turn faster, slow down more quickly, and land with far more precision.
Why it's worth mastering
Rear riser control lets you make tight, fast turns to avoid obstacles (like trees, power lines, or other canopies) mid-flight, slow down quickly in unexpected strong winds, and land in tiny, tight landing zones that would be impossible to hit with toggles alone. It's also the first step toward more advanced canopy piloting maneuvers like swooping or canopy formations later on.
Training tips
Start on a large, docile canopy (like a 2.1 size Navigator or Sabre 2) first, as smaller, more responsive canopies are harder to control for new riser pilots. At 3,000 ft AGL, practice small, gentle rear riser pulls to get a feel for how the canopy responds, then work up to full rear riser turns at higher altitudes. Practice landing using only rear risers on a calm, empty landing area first before trying it in tight spots.
Safety rule
Never practice full rear riser turns below 2,500 ft AGL until you're completely comfortable with small pulls, and never do rear riser maneuvers near other canopies. Always keep your toggles in your hands as a backup if you lose control of the canopy.
Non-Negotiable Rules for Learning New Maneuvers
200 jumps is still a relatively low experience level, so don't cut corners when building these skills:
- Always train with a certified, experienced coach for each new maneuver. Don't rely on random YouTube tutorials to learn high-risk skills.
- Use wind tunnel time whenever possible: it's far safer than learning mid-freefall, and you'll progress 10x faster.
- Never push beyond your comfort level. If a maneuver feels wrong or scary, abort it immediately and return to a stable position you know.
- Always do a full gear check before every jump, especially when practicing new maneuvers: make sure your handles are accessible, your altimeter is working, and your harness is adjusted correctly.
- Start low and slow: practice new maneuvers at higher altitudes first, with plenty of time to correct mistakes, before trying them near the ground or around other jumpers.
Mastering these five maneuvers won't just make you a better, safer skydiver---it'll make every jump more fun, open up new jump types (from tracking competitions to freefly fun jumps), and build the foundation you need for even more advanced goals down the line, whether that's wingsuiting, formation skydiving, or even becoming an instructor. Remember: skydiving isn't about how many jumps you have, it's about how intentional you are with every single one. Take your time, train smart, and enjoy the ride.