Out of 10,000 feet of fall, always remember
that
the last half inch hurts the most
Note: some of these questions and answers are from the general FAQ available at the Skydive! Archive.
I want to learn skydiving, what should i do?
I am an experienced skydiver, where can I jump?
Is skydiving safe?
From the safety point of view it is like rock climbing, horseback riding or SCUBA diving: there is a real risk of serious injuries or death. Proper training, appropriate procedures and fully functional equipement are a necessity to keep a high level of safety. All students have to attend a ground school and the jumps are made under the supervision and responsibility of qualified instructors.
Why jump out of a good plane ?
Have you made up your mind to take your first step in skydiving? Or you are wondering why would anyone want to do jump out of the plane. Perhaps you can relate to the metaphysics theories on the adrenaline rush but could not explain this to your friends and relatives.
The desire to skydive can be difficult to put into words. Some says "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand". Skydivers embrace the sport with passion, always getting the sense of physical freedom and exhilaration of freefall, the peace and grace canopy ride and the rush at a safe landing.
To some skydivers, learning skydive has changed their perspective on daily life that are not under our direct control. The learning process is a series of physical, mental, psychological and philosophical hurdels one has to cross and challenge to oneself.
Skydiving is statisctically a safer activity than many more accept pursuit. The danger is always on human fault ? carelessness, egoism.
Skydiving is not just a sport, it is a lifestyle.
What is tha age requirement ?
Most dropzones will require you to be 18 years or older to make a skydive. There is no maximum age limit.
What are the physical requirement ?
In general, you shoud be in reasonably good physical shape, this is a sport after all. You will be required to wear around 35 lbs of equipment, endure opening shock, maneuver the canopy, land and possible trudge distances on foot. You will experience 30 degree swings in temperature, atmospheric pressure changes, 4 hours of lecture and lots of BEER!
But seriously, problems may arise when you are too heavy (over 250lbs / 110kg) or if you have medical conditions which may impair yourself during the activity. If you experiences fainting spells, blackouts or has a weak heart, you should consult your doctor prior to taking any high-adrenaline sports, such as skydiving. Respiratory illness may be a problem due to atmospheric changes at altitude. If you have any doubts, do consult your doctor.
How Do I Start ?
1. Do some background research. Learn a little more about the sport ( "look before your leap" ). Understand what you are putting yourself into. Yes, this is important. Because once you get the kick, you just get more "air-bugs".
2. Decide on training method. There is more than one way you can start with your first jump. Whether you should go for Tandem, Static Line, AFF or IAF. Each method has its own costs and particulars. Some involve a First Jump Course (FJC) which is about 6 hours long; others involve a 30-60 minutes briefing. Some involve freefall on the first jump, others do not. And some involve a solo canopy descent where you alone fly the parachute to the ground with ground-to-air radio assistance.
3. Locate a skydiving center or dropzone, DZ. Uou are most welcome to contact us. It is important to obtain the experience and credential of your instructor, after all, satefy is the most important of all.
4. Set a date. When you have contacted the DZ and spoken to your instructor, now, get your butt on and set a date.
5. Go! Let's go have some FUN!
What if the parachute does not open ?
Clearly, this is the most FAQ questions. By law (FAA regulations), all international parachute jumps must be made with a single harness, dual parachute systems with both a main canopy AND a reserve canopy.
The technology utilized in today's sport parachuting equipment is light years ahead of the old military surplus gear used in the '60s and '70s. The canopies are drastically different from the classic G.I. Joe round parachutes. The materials are stronger, lighter and last longer, the packing procedures are simpler, the deployment sequence is much more refined.
The reserve canopyies are even more carefully designed and packed. The reserve parachute must be inspected and repacked every 120 days by an FAA rated parachute Rigger, even if it has not been used during that time.
The student's main canopy is always packed either by a rigger.
There are also additional safety features employed to ensure canopy deployment such as Automatic Activation Device (AAD) which add still more layers of safety. Most dropzones make it a mandatory to jump with a AAD. And most skydivers would not jump without a "last-line of defense".
What if i can't steer the parachute properly?
First, your instructors will train you prior to your first (non tandem) jump. They also have to evaluate your capacity to steer the canopy. In addition, you will have some help from the ground, either with appropiate visual signals, or with a radio. Nowadays most of the students use a radio as long as needed.
How fast do you fall ?
When you leave the aircraft, you are moving horizontally at the same speed as the aircraft, typically 90-110MPH. During the first 10 seconds, you can accelerate up to about 115-130MPH straight down. (A tandem pair uses a drouge chute to keep them from falling much faster than this). It is possible to change your body position to vary your rate of fall. In a standard face-to-earch position, you can change your fall rate up or down a few (10-20) miles per hour. However, by diving or "Standing up" in freefall, you can reach speeds of over 160-180MPH. Speeds of over 200MPH requires significant practice to achieve. The record freefall speed, done wihout any special equipment, is 321MPH. Obviously, it is desirable to slow back down to 110MPH before parachute opening.
Once under parachute, decent rates of 1000ft/min are typical. A lighter student with a bigger canopy may come down much more slowly, and obviously, a heavier person may have a somewhat faster decent. Experienced jumpers can canopy descent ( in normal glide) up to 1500ft/min. During radical turns, the decent rate can go over 2000ft/min.
How hard is the landing ?
The canopies used today bear little resemblance to the classic round canopies of years gone by. Today, nearly all jumpers and jump school use "square" canopies for parachuting. These canopies are actually rectangular in shape, and when open, act like an airplane wing (or an airfoil). They are more like gliders than umbrellas.
The aerodynamics of the square canopy provide it with exceptional maneuverability, allowing the jumpers to land almost anywhere they wish. This wing shape also provides tippy-toe soft landings for even the novice jumpers. The days of landing like a sack of flour are history. Most students land standing up on their first jump.
How do I breathe in feefall ?
Through genetically developed gills.
Generally, breathing is not a problem in freefall. However, due to the high speed of terminal fall, the jumper's body is exposed to more O2 molecules at a much higher rate than someone walking around on the ground. The body is able to absorb the necessary O2 through skin. This is why jumpers flamp their cheeks in freefall, it presents a larger surface area to the airstream for oxygen osmosis. Once under canopy, the jumper resumes breaking normally.
This is also why jumpers do not jump on cloudy days or when they might risk going through clouds. The moisture in clouds can condense on their exposed skin surfaces preventing the absoption of the necessary oxygen resulting in suffocation. However, the cloudy sceners are usually avoided for not only jumpers, but also pilots flying the airplane.