I Landed Safely On The Sky Diving Drop Zone First Time
November 2nd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Sky diving drop zone is the area above and around a location where a skydiver or parachutist freefalls and expects to land. The term also refers to the area in which freefall skydiving and parachute descents take place.
Three Methods Of Sky Diving
A sky dive drop zone is a place where you can learn to skydive, or skydive for fun. Depending on how much time you have, how much money you want to spend and how strong your nerves are, you have three selections to choose that will fit your style of sky diving. There are three methods of learning to skydive, tandem static line, and accelerated freefall. These three methods vary to some degree to give you a quick experience and introduction to skydiving while others use more experienced jumps on their own, with a friend (s), or a team (s).
The method you take will be about the experience you will get out of each of these jumps and, also, the reasons why you are sky diving drop zone in the first place. Now you have picked one for your first jump. Whichever method you choose to expose yours elf to the sport of skydiving is to have fun, broaden your horizons and shift your boundaries.
Your First Basic Tandem Jump
Tandem skydiving is a popular training method for first time skydivers. It exposes first time jumpers to the entire skydiving routine with minimal effort on the part of the trainee. All modern tandem skydiving systems use a drogue parachuted, which is a parachute designed to be deployed from a rapid moving option to a more slower pace and easier to use for training purposes.
The first sky dive drop zone method is the Tandem jumping. This should be your first jump. Most drop zones are set up to offer tandem skydives under two different scenarios, the “one-time fun jump” which is part of the initial training method, or sometimes called tandem progression.
Tandem skydiving refers to a type of skydiving where the student is connected by a harness to an experienced skydiver. A student (trainee) generally needs only minimal instruction before making a tandem jump.
The second sky dive drop zone method is called the static line, which connects the deploymet bag of the parachute to the aircraft from which the parachutist jumps. Static lines are used in order to make sure that a parachute is deployed immediately after leaving the plane, regardless of any actions taken by the skydiver.
The third sky dive drop zone is called the accelerated freefall and is the fastest way to experience solo freefall. In most accelerated freefall two instructors jump with the trainee during their first three jumps, although, many use just one instructor. If the trainee has trouble deploying the parachute, the instructor will assist their trainee by physically putting the trainees hand on the pilot chute and pulling the chord. If the trainee still has trouble, the instructor will deploy the parachute for the trainee.
The instructors determine when the trainee has passed the requirements for each dive for the sky dive drop zone area. Your will experience the thrill of pulling your ripcord from your parachute and knowing that you passed. Congratulations!
Choosing A Method Of Skydiving Lessons
November 1st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
There are three options you can choose from when taking skydiving lessons. Which you decide to do will depend on how much time you have, how much you are willing to spend for instruction and how well you handle your nerves. For your first jump during skydiving lessons you can choose between tandem, static line and accelerated freefall or AFF. Each of these methods varies in how much skydiving lessons are involved. Some are just a quick experience in skydiving while others offer a full first jump course that starts you towards becoming a certified skydiver. You will want to consider the experience each of these methods has to offer and choose the one that appeals to you the most.
Tandem Skydiving
For the first jump many choose tandem for their skydiving lessons. This allows individuals to experience skydiving first-hand without having to deal with the stress of a more involved program. Many schools will offer two types of tandem skydiving lessons: either as a fun jump or as the first step to further skydiving lessons. For a fun jump you typically only go through thirty minutes of ground instruction while the other type will require a standard first jump course that can take up to four hours or more. With tandem skydiving you will jump while attached to the instructor and follow some basic instructions. If you don’t remember what to do the instructor can easily take over control of the jump.
Static Line Jumps
Over a period of thirty years, static jumping has changed from the original military use into an effective method of training sport parachuting. With this option your skydiving lessons will consist of four to five hours of ground training and then you will jump from about 3,000 feet. You follow a poised exit from the aircraft and a static line deploys your main canopy. You get about two to three seconds of falling experience before the parachute opens.
You will have about fifteen minutes of preparation before a second static line jump and then you will be trained to pull the ripcord by yourself after about two good jumps with the static line. Although you will still do three more static line jumps while pulling a dummy ripcord to show you are ready even though the static line is still deploying your parachute for you. Then you will be cleared for your first freefall jump.
Accelerated Freefall
This AFF program started in 1982 as accelerated skydiving lessons compared to the method of static training. This is the best option if you want a true taste of the modern sport of skydiving. You will often have about five hours of ground training because you will have to do a fifty second freefall on your own during the first jump. Then you will jump from about ten to twelve thousand feet while being assisted throughout the jump by two instructors. You then pull your own ripcord at about four thousand feet.
A Brief History On Skydiving
October 31st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
There is a long and rich history on skydiving, but this article will give you just a brief history on skydiving. Although many of the skydiving milestones occurred within the twentieth century, the history on skydiving goes back much further. Parachuting actually originally started in China around the 1100s, which is almost a thousand years ago. Even though there was no airplanes at that time, individuals found natural formations where they could leap and float relatively safely to the ground below. In addition, Leonardo Da Vinci created a design that showed a wood frame parachute in a pyramid shape, proving that parachuting is a lot older than many think.
The Sport Of Skydiving
When it comes to skydiving as a sport, the history on skydiving then has a more recent start. The first person to do this was Jacques Garnerin who jumped from balloons in the late eighteenth century and performed fanciful displays. After performing his jumps he would use a parachute to land safely. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that women started participating in this sport as well. Kathe Paulus is one of the more famous women in the history on skydiving who parachuted in Germany near the end of the nineteenth century and she became well known for her skill.
The history on skydiving moves to another level when the airplane was invented. As the airplane evolved it became possible to parachute from a faster-moving mechanical device and causing more spectacular skydiving routines. Tiny Broadwick was the first woman to jump from a plane in 1913. She was also the first woman to make a free fall from an airplane in 1914.
Although it is interesting to note that in the history on skydiving, it wasn’t actually declared skydiving until the mid-1950s and the term was applied to Raymond Young. Before this time everyone referred to it as parachuting. After World War II the art of skydiving changed from a novelty act to an actual sport. This was a result of parachutes and skydiving being used as a tactical move during the war. In fact, during World War I pilots were told to land their planes rather than bail out and often weren’t given parachutes. After the first successful bailout of an airplane in 1922, parachuting became a more popular form of bailout for pilots.
Skydiving then became more of a mainstream hobby after World War II. Especially since the returning soldiers enjoyed the ski diving aspect and had the courage to attempt freefall. The soldiers often engaged in competitions when they returned home which led to skydiving becoming a sport. For commercial purposes the first skydiving schools started to appear around 1957. Today skydiving is both a popular hobby and an extreme sport.
The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
October 30th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Skydiving is an incredibly popular pastime, not only in the United States, but also in many countries around the world. Sadly, there are some skydiving deaths each year, but they are very rare in comparison to the number of jumps involved. It is estimated that there are roughly thirty skydiving deaths in the United States each year, an average of one death for every one hundred thousand jumps.
The majority of skydiving deaths occur due to climatic conditions, as opposed to parachute failure as so many assume. While many equipment failures do occur, with main parachutes failing to open, all skydivers are required to carry a backup parachute inspected and packed by a certified professional. There are also devices called Automatic Activation Devices that will, as the name suggests, activate the spare at a certain altitude, in the event of failure of the main parachute.
Cause And Prevention Of Skydiving Deaths
The most common occurrences of skydiving deaths happen upon landing due to climatic conditions and human error. Recent studies have shown that the most common factor in recent years’ deaths were due to errors by skydivers during what is known as swooping, an advanced maneuver in which a skydiver glides parallel to the ground in the process of landing.
Strong winds and downdrafts are another major source of skydiving deaths. Parachutists are caught by shifting winds, which then add greater spend to the landing, thus causing the skydiver to crash. Crosswinds and down winds increase the potential for danger when skydiving. There is a much higher risk of death involved in skydiving activities like BASE (standing for the four fixed objects that one can parachute from: Building, Antenna, Span, Earth) jumping and sky surfing.
In order to prevent equipment failure, parachutes are inspected and packed by highly trained, certified parachute riggers. Also, those wishing to skydive must be at least eighteen years old, and must have a certificate of physical fitness from a qualified physician.
Skydiving deaths, while not common, can be prevented by ensuring that you have a qualified instructor with you at all times when diving; that you have adequately checked all of your equipment to make certain that it is in proper working condition; and that you are wearing the appropriate gear, both for safety and comfort.
Skydiving is a fun and fascinating pastime for thrill seekers of all ages. Practicing a little common sense, and following your instructor’s directions will help to ensure that your dive is a safe one. Anyone wishing to experience the thrill of skydiving can rest assured that it is only under the most infrequent of circumstances that skydiving deaths occur.
Sky Diving Record All Over
October 29th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Everyone knows that it was Neil Armstrong that took the historic one small step to the Moon. Technology and bravery are merging to create a new sport of spacing diving. People are ready to talk their free fall of a lifetime! The hope of skydiving records, is to shatter a four decades old record by freefalling from the edge of space, break the speed of sound on the way down, and lives to tell about it.
Record History of Skydiving
Parachuting, or skydiving is an activity involving a free fall from a height using a parachute. Skydiving or parachuting is the act of jumping from a high place, usually an airplane and safely returning to the ground with the aid of a parachute The history of skydiving began with a descent from a balloon in the late 18th Century. Skydiving has been used by the military since the beginning of 20th Century, including use in World War I and World War II. Early competitions dated back to the early 20th Century and it became an international sport in mid 20th Century. Skydiving takes place for a variety of reasons. The most common is recreation, competition. Some people want to break sky-dividing records. Each year millions of people skydive all across the United States simply for the thrill of it. Besides being a recreational activity there are also professional careers that require skydiving. These include airborne soldiers from the military, firefighters and at times, medical personnel. For At first glance skydiving may seem an extremely hazardous thing but in actuality deaths are very rare. This is because of the training and modern equipment skydivers now use. In most countries a skydiver will need to complete 20 jumps with at least one certified instructor before they can parachute alone. These jumps can only take place after classes on parachute safety and procedures are completed on the ground. There are some pretty impressive skydiving records and people have been trying to break them form the moment Andre-Jacques Garnerin made that first jump in 1797.Whether set by bravery or foolishness, skydiving records are in competition to keep breaking the latest skydiving record. A history lists of some skydiving records that are noted at this time.
Most Jumps in a single day was 600. Free Fall record was sent in mid 20th century by jumping 80,325 feet. Oldest Male Skydiver was in Australia at age 101. Youngest Skydiver is hard to tell but it might have been as early as two years old. Largest Free Fall Skydiver in the world was a skydiving jump with 4000 people in Thailand.
Skydiving is a great and thrilling sport and today and people are still trying to break the latest record. It is a thrilling sport and quite an adventure!
When Not To Choose Tandem Sky Diving
October 28th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Often tandem sky diving will be your first jump if you have never done sky diving before. Tandem sky diving is where you are harnessed to an experienced skydiver who has complete control over the dive. You will have some simple instructions to do during the jump, but the instructor can take over if you forget something. Tandem sky diving is a very safe way to make your first skydive.
However, tandem sky diving isn’t for everyone. Skydiving has some health risks involved that you should consider in addition to the risk of jumping out of an airplane. In fact jumping out of a plane isn’t as bad as the health risks that are commonly associated with anxiety and high altitude that causes very lack of oxygen and low air pressure.
Health Conditions To Consider
Those with neurological problems should be checked by a doctor before doing tandem sky diving. This includes anyone who has had epilepsy, blackouts, a head injury or stroke. The tissues in your head can expand or contract due to the low air pressure which can increase the neurological damage. Although partially paralyzed individuals can do tandem sky diving with no problem.
Those with uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure should not do tandem sky diving. A hypertensive crisis can result from the anxiety, lack of oxygen and air pressure changes. If you are taking medication for your hypertension and you have it under control then you should check with your doctor before attempting a tandem sky diving.
Always check with your doctor before doing tandem sky diving if you have any kind of cardiovascular condition including heart problems or a history of stroke. You can have a heart attack as a result of the lack of oxygen at the high altitudes. In addition, those with chronic bronchitis, emphysema or asthma should check with their doctor before doing a tandem skydive. Those with pneumothorax or a collapsed lung should not skydive.
You need to have good musculoskeletal structure in order to land. You should tell your instructor if you have had previous fractures, back problems or arthritis. If you have ear or sinus problems you can do tandem sky diving but you should check with your doctor first and be prepared since it can be very painful.
Lastly you should avoid tandem sky diving if you are very anxious or tend to freak out when overly anxious. This would make the skydive unsafe for both yourself and the instructor. However, if you are in good health and physical shape then tandem sky diving can be both safe and fun. If you have any health conditions it is generally best to check with your doctor before you skydive to find out if there are any restrictions.
