About Vertical Training Systems

Built on Experience. Driven by a Passion for Skydiving.

Vertical Training Systems (VTS) was founded by Louis Delair, drawing on more than three decades of experience in parachuting, military leadership, professional skydiving instruction, and a longstanding commitment to developing the next generation of instructors.

Louis made his first parachute jump in 1995 as a Recon Marine attending the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. What began as military airborne training eventually developed into a passion for sport skydiving, beginning with his first civilian skydive at the legendary Raeford Parachute Center in North Carolina.

Over the next 30 years, that passion grew into extensive experience as a skydiver, instructor, evaluator, and mentor. His qualifications include USPA Coach, Accelerated Freefall Instructor, Tandem Instructor, Static Line Instructor, and Instructor Assisted Deployment Instructor ratings; Coach Examiner and Tandem Examiner qualifications; and FAA Senior Parachute Rigger certification.

VTS grew out of that experience and the recognition that the skydiving community benefits from accessible, high-quality professional training and technical expertise. Rather than focusing exclusively on introducing people to skydiving, the company was established to support those seeking to advance their skills, earn professional qualifications, and contribute to the development of others.

Since retiring from the Marine Corps, Louis based VTS in Northern Virginia and combines practical experience, professional standards, and a disciplined approach to training. The company remains closely connected to the skydiving community while building relationships throughout the broader aviation industry and government training sector.

Today, Vertical Training Systems represents the next chapter in that journey: transforming decades of experience, instruction, and mentorship into a company dedicated to advancing the sport and the professionals who sustain it.