Updated: February 2026 | Last verified: February 2026
On September 5–6, 2026, Skydive Latvia will organize the first-ever national record attempt in freefly head-down — the most technically demanding and extreme skydiving discipline. Nine experienced skydivers will build a formation during freefall while flying head-down at speeds reaching 300 km/h. No national record in this discipline has ever been registered in Latvia, meaning any successful attempt will become a historic milestone for Latvian skydiving.
The record attempt will be officially supervised and validated by the Latvian Skydiving Federation (LIF) — the governing body for skydiving in Latvia and a member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
📺 Media Coverage
The record attempt has been featured on TV3 Latvia and published on DELFI.lv — one of the largest news portals in the Baltics. Stay tuned for updates!
What is freefly head-down — and why is it so difficult?
Head-down freefly is the pinnacle of skydiving — a position where the human body becomes the fastest flying object without an engine. In the classic belly-to-earth position, a skydiver reaches roughly 200 km/h. In head-down position, the reduced body drag pushes freefall speed beyond 300 km/h — nearly twice as fast.
At this speed, any uncontrolled movement can destabilize a jumper and endanger everyone in the formation. Building a head-down formation requires hundreds of hours of wind tunnel and freefall training, absolute body control, and perfectly synchronized teamwork. This is precisely what makes head-down formation skydiving the highest level of difficulty in the sport.
Skydive Latvia team participating in training camps in Spain for the world head-down record. Video: Skydive Latvia.
Record attempt details
Nine athletes will exit the aircraft at 4,500 meters and build a predetermined geometric formation in head-down position during a 50–60 second working window. The formation must be locked and stable for official validation. A professional skydiving cameraman will document the formation from multiple angles during freefall.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Discipline | Freefly Head-Down Formation |
| Participants | 9 skydivers + cameraman |
| Date | September 5–6, 2026 |
| Location | Langači-Limbaži Airfield, Skydive Latvia |
| Altitude | 4,500 m (14,764 ft) |
| Speed | Up to 300 km/h (186 mph) |
| Organizer | Reinis Rūtentāls — Head Instructor, Skydive Latvia |
| Supervision | Latvian Skydiving Federation (LIF / FAI) |
Why does this matter for Latvian skydiving?
Latvia has a long skydiving tradition, but the freefly head-down discipline has never had an officially registered national record. The current Latvian national record in classic group formation (belly-to-earth) is a 29-skydiver formation set in 2021. Skydive Latvia's head-down attempt will become the first achievement of this kind in the country's history.
For context — the world head-down formation record was set in August 2025 in the United States, when 174 skydivers from 53 countries built a formation above Skydive Chicago airfield in Illinois. While Latvia's nine-person attempt is not comparable in scale to the world record, in a national context it marks a significant step proving that Latvian athletes are ready to compete at the highest level of the sport's most demanding discipline.
Skydive Latvia athletes participating in training camps in Spain in the head-down discipline. Photo: Skydive Latvia archive.
Reinis Rūtentāls: "This record will prove that Latvia has athletes who can fly at the highest level"
"Head-down freefly is the pinnacle of skydiving — a discipline where the human body becomes an aircraft moving at speeds that even a freely falling object in the classic position cannot reach. We have been preparing for this moment for years, training in wind tunnels and international camps. This record will be not only a sporting achievement, but also proof that Latvia has athletes who can fly at the highest level."
— Reinis Rūtentāls, Head Instructor at Skydive Latvia and organizer of the head-down record. 25 years in the sport, 3,000+ jumps.
How is the team preparing for the record attempt?
The record participants are experienced skydivers with hundreds and thousands of jumps who regularly train both in Latvia and at international camps. Since 2024, the Skydive Latvia team has been attending skills camps in Spain, where Europe's largest skydiving center in Empuriabrava offers optimal training conditions alongside high-level freefly coaches.
Skills camp in Empuriabrava, Spain. Video: Skydive Latvia
Beyond freefall training, the team uses wind tunnel sessions to refine body position and movement precision in controlled conditions before applying techniques in real jumps. This systematic approach — combining wind tunnel training, international camps, and practice jumps in Latvia — forms the foundation for the record attempt.
Skydive Latvia team training in the wind tunnel. Video: Skydive Latvia
Official sources and media coverage
The Latvian Skydiving Federation has published an official announcement on their website, confirming their supervision of the record attempt. The event has also been covered on TV3 Latvia and published on DELFI.lv — one of the leading news portals in the Baltics.
Follow the record preparation updates on our Instagram and at skydive.lv.
Author: Aleksandrs Tuls — skydive coach, Skydive Latvia