Posts Tagged ‘skydiving’

What to expect when skydiving is the topic for this part of our go skydiving guide.

In skydiving, a jumper exits an airplane at heights of 10,000-18,000 feet (3,050-5,500 m) and moves through the air – downwards and horizontally – before opening a parachute.

At the point of exiting the plane, the force of gravity is far stronger than that of air resistance, causing a rapidly accelerating descent. After a few seconds, and a few hundred or a thousand feet, the two forces become equal and the jumper reaches terminal velocity. This speed varies according to the person’s body and posture, but will be between 120-180 mph (193-290 kph).

The actual speed depends on the size of an individual’s body and the posture assumed. Most people position their bodies with the arms spread out and the face and belly pointing to the ground, but higher speeds can be achieved through a diving-like posture with head down, arms together or by the side and legs together.

Once the parachute cord is pulled, the main canopy is released and fills with air. This increases air resistance and the fall immediately begins to decelerate because of the sudden increase in air resistance. If the chute is opened at a safe height, the jumper will land at roughly 10 mph.

The risks of skydiving (malfunctioning equipment, turbulence, mid-air collisions, etc.) are relatively low, with only about 1 jump in 100,000 leading to a fatality every year, but it’s important to be alert and safety conscious at all time.

Depending on the type of skydiving you want to do – Tandem, Static Line, AFF (accelerated free fall) – you may spend anywhere from an hour to eight hours training, which will cover: some basic physics about how the body and parachute work together; how to use a lot of complex gear safely; how to jump from the plane; the different falling / flying techniques; how to land safely.

Skydiving isn’t cheap. It can cost between $50 and $200 for a jump, depending on the type of skydive and the status, facilities and location of the skydiving school. Equipment is not always provided by the school and skydivers may need factor in the expense of buying or hiring gear.

In this part of our go skydiving guide we’ll give you an overview of tandem jumps.

In tandem jumping – a popular way to start skydiving – a beginner jumper and an instructor are attached together by a harness. They exit the plane and descend together, remaining attached throughout.

The two parachutists remain attached until after the landing and the instructor is in complete control of the jump, the free fall and the canopy release. He or she pilots the paired skydivers both horizontally and vertically through the entire jump, so the novice can just enjoy the skydiving experience.

This lets a beginner experience skydiving with the least possible training, risk and stress. Many people follow tandem jumping with static line or accelerated freefall training, and ultimately with solo jumping. Tandem jumping is also usually cheaper than other options as jumper need very little instruction and need not buy or hire their own equipment.

Whereas other jump programs require several hours of ground instruction, tandem jumping can be participated in on your first day. There’s still often some amount of training on the ground required for tandem jumping though, since there’s a certain amount of cooperation needed to exit the plane safely and descend properly, but this will normally take just a few hours.

When you exit the plane, the instructor will nearly immediately deploy a small chute (called a drogue) to help slow your descent to the normal free fall speed, about 120 mph (193 kph). Without it, the combined weight of you and the instructor would result in a descent speed of about 200 mph (321 kph), which is much faster than a first time skydiver should experience.

At the appropriate elevation above ground level (about 3,000 feet – 914 m), the instructor will pull a cord to deploy the main parachute canopy, shortly after which you’ll then descend at the normal rate, about 10 mph (16 kph), until you touch down on the ground.

We look at the basics of the sport in this installment of our go skydiving guide.

Skydivers exit airplanes at heights of 10,000-18,000 feet (3050-5500 m) and freefall through the air before opening their parachutes to slow their descents to a safe speed before landing.

When a skydiver leaves the plane, the force of gravity is much stronger than the air resistance and the speed of descent rapidly accelerates. But within a few seconds, and a descent of a few hundred or a thousand feet, the two forces equalize and acceleration ceases. The jumper has reached terminal velocity and is now falling at roughly 120-180 mph (193-290 kph).

Your exact speed will be dependent on the shape and area taken up by your body as you fall. You’ll achieve a higher speed of free fall if you’re pointed nose down with your arms and legs together than the common position of arms out, face and belly down.

Once the jumper pulls the parachute cord, the main canopy is released. It fills with air, increasing the air resistance, which causes deceleration. The descent will slow down to a safe landing speed of about 10 mph.

The risks of skydiving (malfunctioning equipment, turbulence, mid-air collisions, etc.) are relatively low, with only about 1 jump in 100,000 leading to a fatality every year, but it’s important to be alert and safety conscious at all time.

Depending on the type of skydiving you want to do – Tandem, Static Line, AFF (accelerated free fall) – you may spend anywhere from an hour to eight hours training, which will cover: some basic physics about how the body and parachute work together; how to use a lot of complex gear safely; how to jump from the plane; the different falling / flying techniques; how to land safely.

Skydiving can be expensive. Jumps can cost from $50 to $200, depending on the type of skydive being undertaken and the skydiving school’s location and reputation. Jumpers also need to consider the costs of hiring or buying equipment if it is not provided by the skydiving school.

In this installment of our go skydiving guide we look tandem jumping.

In tandem jumping – a popular way to start skydiving – a beginner jumper and an instructor are attached together by a harness. They exit the plane and descend together, remaining attached throughout.

The two parachutists remain attached until after the landing and the instructor is in complete control of the jump, the free fall and the canopy release. He or she pilots the paired skydivers both horizontally and vertically through the entire jump, so the novice can just enjoy the skydiving experience.

It allows you to get acquainted with skydiving with minimal risk, minimal anxiety and minimal training. Many people use this as a preliminary to static line or accelerated freefall training, and ultimately to solo jumping. It’s also tends to be the cheapest option as you don’t have to purchase or hire your own equipment and you require less pre-jump instruction.

Whereas other jump programs require several hours of ground instruction, tandem jumping can be participated in on your first day. There’s still often some amount of training on the ground required for tandem jumping though, since there’s a certain amount of cooperation needed to exit the plane safely and descend properly, but this will normally take just a few hours.

When you exit the plane, the instructor will nearly immediately deploy a small chute (called a drogue) to help slow your descent to the normal free fall speed, about 120 mph (193 kph). Without it, the combined weight of you and the instructor would result in a descent speed of about 200 mph (321 kph), which is much faster than a first time skydiver should experience.

At the appropriate elevation above ground level (about 3,000 feet – 914 m), the instructor will pull a cord to deploy the main parachute canopy, shortly after which you’ll then descend at the normal rate, about 10 mph (16 kph), until you touch down on the ground.

Flyaway indoor skydiving and indoor skydiving in general is more prevelant since the early 80′s due to its popularity. Due to the popularity of indoor skydiving more and more cities around the country are starting to build indoor wind tunnels. Las Vegas indoor skydiving is a sport that is not only enjoyed by everyday vacationers but also by the famous who want to have some form of escape.   Indoor skydiving is a much safer way to experience the flight of freefall, and is also much more cost effective.  

Training

Basic safety and flying techniques will need to learned before you embark on your first indoor skydiving adventure. Indoor skydiving classes in Las Vegas are offered throughout the day and are reepeated over and over again so that anyone wanting to take the class will be able to get in.   After the class, instructors will take the individuals into the tunnel to help them take flight for the first time.   Once they give them the basic techniques of flying, individuals can take to the air and practice.

If jumping out of an airplane catches your interest then you might consider indoor skydiving as a starting point. Since the velocity of the wind tunnel air is normally around 120 miles/hr a person can indulge in free falling techniques to prepare for an airplane jump. Many experts use indoor skydiving as a means to practice and gain more air time thereby reducing the cost you would norally have in renting an airplane.

In order to participate in indoor skydiving in Las Vegas, individuals should wear comfortable clothing and have to be at least forty pounds. In order to participate children will have to be with their parents.   All ages of people can participate in flying since it is a relatively low impact sport, and if the safety rules and techniques are followed, there is a relatively low chance of injury while participating as well.   There are some weight restrictions for flying, however, since the height to weight ratio affects the ability for the individual to be able to take flight. If you are a man you cannot weigh more than 180lbs if your are under 5′ 6″. For a women the weight limitation is 160lbs and the height is 5′ 6″.

Skydiving is not an activity to be taken lightly, and having the absolute best skydiving equipment is a must for obvious reasons.  Many people trust their skydiving company to choose the proper equipment, after all, they know their own domain better than you do, however the other side of the coin is that it’s you who is going to jump out of that plane.

Of course, if you jump out of a plane with faulty equipment, their company will subsequently suffer from it, but in a very different way than you will. It is for this reason that you should take looking at sky diving equipment into serious consideration as you plan your skydiving adventure.

Although it should be a given that every company’s skydiving equipment is of top quality, unfortunately, such things can not be taken on faith. Of course, no company will want to cause problems, but companies frequently take a rather lackadaisical approach to buying and maintaining equipment. People who work in the business of skydiving are familiar with jumping every day, many times a day.

For customers getting ready to jump, sky diving is not at all an every day occurrence; the feeling of getting ready to jump is totally different for the jumper than for the people who go up with the plane every day to facilitate clients skydiving adventures. Sky diving equipment, though high on the list of importance for safety reasons, is not a focal point for people who see sky diving up close every day of the week. Of course, they are not looking to cause accidents, but for them, a parachute is a parachute, not a magic wand.

Skydiving equipment should be of top quality to begin with as well as being flawlessly maintained and carefully checked after each jump. As you choose a company that will be your host for your sky diving equipment, make sure that quality is highest on your list of priorities.

Be sure to read lots of consumer reviews when choosing skydiving gear and when you are actually in the shops, ask lots and lots of questions. When buying gear as expensive of this, you have the right to engage a sales associate, even for hours, if you need their help. You should feel confident walking out with your gear, not like you were just ripped off and that you’re not sure of the quality of the gear you purchased.

Everyone getting ready to go skydiving should make absolutely sure that they have the appropriate gear. You will want to look into your own comfort while sky diving, but also, the essential is the safety equipment used. All of this appropriate skydiving equipment is what makes the differences between being able to enthusiastically tell the story of your skydiving experience for many years to come. The right skydiving gear will turn the trip into an exhilarating experience that you will never forget.

In order to go sky diving in style, you will need everything from a suit to boots and head gear.  Skydiving is an activity that often times warrants renting equipment instead of purchasing it because of the sheer cost of buying everything that is needed for an activity that you’re going to do only a couple times a year.

In fact, most companies that offer their services for taking people up into the sky and advising them on the moment to drop include the price of equipment rental in their fee. It is only logical that sky diving gear should be provided by the company who is taking you sky diving.

On the other hand, some people are die-hard fans, and if you are a serious sky diver and really want to do more and more of it, purchasing the necessary gear is not out of the question. In fact, it could make the experience that much more enjoyable for you. For the basic skydiving gear, you will want to focus on comfort. You don’t want to have boots or clothing that will hinder your movement in any way.

Skydiving equipment should be of top quality to begin with as well as being flawlessly maintained and carefully checked after each jump. As you choose a company that will be your host for your sky diving equipment, make sure that quality is highest on your list of priorities.

Check and double check the company’s history with concern to their planes and everything inside them as well as the jumper’s equipment from parachute to head gear. Though ultimately, this is the company’s responsibility, every jumper should take the importance of safety and proper equipment into their own hands. When in doubt, seek a second opinion, and always get more recommendations for a sky diving company than you would for a hairdresser.

Find additional information on  skydiving visit Used Skydiving Equipment as well as Extreme Skydiving Adventures