The top eight finishers from the event, which starts on Friday at the Sydney Skydiving Centre, will compete as Australian representatives at the world championships in Russia, in August.

Current Australian team member, Wilton resident Michael Vaughan, said competitors had gained much experience from the current canopy piloting world champion Jay Moledzki, who visited the skydiving centre last week.

The Canadian skydiver, who has been competing for 16 years, was coaching, sharing his knowledge and offering some tricks of the trade to Australian competitors at the centre earlier this week.

He has completed more than 10,000 jumps, taken part in more than 100 canopy piloting competitions and has won six world titles.

Vaughan, who will be competing in the championships, said Moledzki had played a key role in preparing skydivers for the coming world titles.

``That was another reason why we brought Jay here to coach us all, help the top guys get better for the world championships, as well as develop the up and comers and future champions,'' Vaughan said.

The competitors will start from 7am and continue to late afternoon to vie for a spot in the Australian team.

If the weather is good, the competition could be finished by Saturday afternoon.

``Come out and watch Australia's best canopy pilots spiral their parachutes towards the ground,'' Vaughan said.

``Canopy piloting is a high speed parachuting event where pilots spiral their high performance canopies at speeds up to 100km/h then pull out at the last second to fly through a 1.5 metre high course that has been set up beginning over a lake and ending on dry land.

``There are three events, speed, distance and accuracy.

``We are hoping to have more than 40 competitors.''

The event is open to spectators.

Details: 9791 9155.