Knowing The Physics Of Skydiving Shows The Gravity Of The Situation
October 21st, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you want to understand all about the physics of skydiving – and who doesn’t?—then you need to know about gravity and acceleration. Having a healthy respect for gravity and acceleration will help your skydiving experiences be safer.
Gravity
Now, this is a no-brainer. Of COURSE you have to study gravity if you want to understand the physics of skydiving – YOU ARE DROPING OUT OF THE SKY. Just how far can you drop before you become road pizza? And, quite frankly, why doesn’t every body that plummets out of an airplane wind up road pizza?
Gravity was theorized long before the apple supposedly hit Sir Isaac Newton on the noggin, but he did come up with the laws of thermodynamics, including the forces involved with gravity. Leonardo da Vinci is attributed for trying to figure out why and how gravity works. We would not be able to successfully skydive today if it wasn’t for studying the works of Sir Isaac Newton to give us the physics of skydiving.
Basically, everything attracts. The bigger the object, the bigger it’s gravitational force on other objects. So, when a skydiver jumps out of a plane, he has much less of a gravitational pull than the earth. That is why the skydiver falls towards the earth and not the other way around. Wouldn’t that make life interesting if the planet leaped into space to meet every single skydiver taking a jump? This question can be answered with the physics of skydiving.
Acceleration
Now, when something falls, it falls at a certain rate of speed. However, if continues to fall, the gravitational pull on it becomes stronger, causing the plummeting object to fall even faster the further it goes.
For example, if you drop a penny a few feet from the ground, not much happens except the penny hits the ground. But if you drop it off of the Empire State Building, you can do some major damage to the very unamused New Yorkers below. Why? Because that feather light penny has speeded up (accelerated) so fast that it is now a lethal weapon. Why armies choose to rain bombs on enemies is beyond me – they could do significant damage just by dropping pennies.
This is why we have to have parachutes when skydiving. The physics of skydiving say that the farther the fall, the harder you will hit the ground. But the parachute significantly slows down your rate of acceleration, making your impact a lot less. Now, many skydivers still get hurt when they touch down (more like “slam down”) but at least they aren’t killed.
Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
October 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Experienced skydivers know that their skydiving suits are just as important to their jump as the parachutes. No two skydivers are built alike, so skydiving suits must typically be made to order, and tailored specifically to your particular body type. Without the right fit of suit, your freefall jump could be seriously affected.
Because skydiving suits should be tailored to the individual differences of each skydiver, it is generally not a wise idea to purchase these suits through online mass producers, unless you have a local shop that can tailor it to your body. Generally, online suppliers that specialize in skydiving suits offer specific ordering guidelines, so as to ensure a good fit.
Materials
Different skydiving suits are made up of different types of materials. The types of jumping you do will greatly affect the type of material you will want to have for your suit. Each different type of fabric used will create different air drag on the suit, and will affect the type of jumping you are doing accordingly. The most common materials used in skydiving suits are nylon, spandex, polyester, and cotton.
Types Of Suits
There are two basic categories of skydiving suits: freeflying suits, and RW (formation flying) jumping suits. Freeflying suits are typically used by more experienced jumpers who are advanced enough to attempt aerial acrobatics, sit flying (sitting down cross-legged in mid air), or head down flying (pointed headfirst toward the ground). Recreational style suits are used by recreational and competition jumpers, who spend more time belly flying (flat falling on your stomach) than freeflying.
Freeflying suits are typically made of lighter materials, so as to create less drag, and allow for more freedom of movement. Freeflying skydiving suits tend to consist of mostly cotton and polyester blends. RW suits, on the other hand, generally consist of denser fabrics, such as spandex and nylon, so as to allow for greater drag and lift, as well as for durability where grips are attached.
There’s no one-size fit all when it comes to skydiving suits. Each jumper must use his or her own judgment and experience to find the best suit for their particular style of jumping. Just remember to always try on your suit before you jump, so that you can ensure a proper fit. Jumping without the proper suit could be just as dangerous as jumping without a proper parachute. If you are new to skydiving, ask the advice of an experienced jumper to learn which of the skydiving suits would be best for you.
Finding A New Thrill With Simulated Sky Diving
October 19th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Do you long for the thrill of adventure? Want an adrenaline rush but aren’t quite the type that goes in for base-jumping? Then simulated sky diving may be the perfect solution for you! Available in virtually every state, and in dozens of countries, simulated sky diving has been offering thrill seekers around the world the opportunity of a lifetime for over fifty years.
History Of Simulated Sky Diving
The first wind tunnels used for simulated sky diving were constructed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1964. Used primarily for training paratroopers, these early wind tunnels simulated sky diving for training purposes for the Golden Knights, the Strategic Army Corps Parachute Team. The Golden Knights are a division of the Department of Defense, and still perform to this day
Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Las Vegas first made simulated sky diving available to the general public in 1982. A second facility by Flyaway was opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee shortly thereafter. The Flyaway facilities offer a safe and affordable way for millions each year to experience the thrill of human flight.
How It Works
Simulated sky diving takes place inside a controlled, vertical wind tunnel, in which air is propelled upward at roughly 120 miles per hour. The “skydiver” enters the tunnel, garbed in a jumpsuit, helmet, and goggles, and moves into the center of the tunnel. The force of the wind propels the body upward, and the “skydiver” is able to actually fly within the tunnel. Simulated sky diving is safe for everyone weighing more than 40 pounds, although most facilities do have height and weight restrictions to ensure the safety of everyone.
Before one can experience simulated sky diving, a certain amount of instruction is required. Instructional videos are provided which show you the proper way to hold your body when inside of the wind tunnel, which hand signals to use to signal your instructor or flying partner, and the proper way to fall. It is important to note that when you fall inside a simulated sky diving wind tunnel, it does not hurt as one may suppose. You aren’t actually “falling” so, the danger is non-existent, unlike if one were jumping from a real plane.
It doesn’t take any special skills or previous experience to experience the joy of flight through sky diving. With facilities in almost every state, you too can easily experience the thrill of flight at an affordable price. Simulated sky diving is a safe and fun activity that the whole family can enjoy!
Skydiving Equipment Has Wide Market Range
October 18th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
There is a hug market for used skydiving equipment usually the parachutes as some skydivers will either give up the hobby or graduate to smaller, more design specific shapes and designs. This is a plus for those just beginning to enter the hobby as the price of skydiving equipment can be relatively high. A person may go through several different parachute designs while keeping the pack and rigging throughout all their chute changes.
Before buying a used parachute or other attaching equipment, it should be checked by a licensed and experienced rigger. They are trained to look for signs of wear of skydiving equipment and also receive safety information related to the equipment and can offer advice on whether the equipment is safe to buy or should be thrown away. Until the jumper has been certified as a rigger, they should always have their chute packed by a licensed rigger to insure proper opening.
When looking to purchase skydiving equipment, there are many reasons for the used equipment to be available. The jumper may be using a different type of parachute and wants to get rid of the older style they had been using or a person may have bought all the equipment and following one or two jumps, realized it is not a sport for them. Helmets, goggles and clothing can often be found used, but in good condition, which can save a ton of money on skydiving equipment.
Advisable To Buy Used Until Sure Of Sport
Many people will jump from corporate companies or as part of a club that offers various parachutes and other skydiving equipment for rent until they are sure of the type of jumping that holds their interests. Once they know the size and shape of the chute that suits them, they can begin looking for used skydiving equipment to make sure they want to continue with the sport, before dropping a large chunk of change on new gear.
In many cases, a person will start with a large parachute that gently glides them to the ground, and once they become comfortable with jumping and their confidence level rises, they begin to look at smaller canopies. When they begin to feel exceptionally confident they may decide to participate in target jumping that requires a still small chute. When this happens and they progress through their experience, they usually sell off their skydiving equipment to help pay for the new gear.
In any case, it is always advisable to try before you buy to make sure you are not spending money to equip a sport that may not be appealing for a long time.
So What Is Skydiving Anyway?
October 17th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Skydiving, parachuting, base jumping… they are all extreme sports, but sometimes it can be hard for the lay person to tell the difference between them.
Asking “what is skydiving” is a fair question, because both skydivers and parachutists end up landing on the ground with the aid of a parachute after jumping from an aeroplane several thousand feet up in the sky.
So what makes skydiving different from parachuting?
The main difference is that with parachuting, your parachute opens as soon as you are clear of the aircraft. You then get to enjoy drifting back down to earth over the course of several minutes.
What is skydiving, on the other hand? Well, this is arguably a slightly more daring version of parachuting. You exit the aircraft and freefall without the aid of a parachute (either on your own or strapped to an instructor) for around sixty seconds or so before the parachute is eventually opened.
What Is Skydiving – More Dangerous Than Parachuting Or Not?
Arguably neither sport is more dangerous than the other. With proper safety measures in place there is no reason why you shouldn’t make hundreds of successful parachute jumps or skydiving jumps over the course of many years. Indeed many people do just this as a hobby or as part of a competition team.
What Is Skydiving – Expensive Or Not?
Many sports require a certain amount of investment, especially to begin with, as you will need to get the right equipment. In this case, once you’ve done your first jump with loaned gear from the skydiving center, you’ll want to buy your own jumpsuit, helmet and goggles if you are intending on skydiving on a regular basis.
Your initial training costs significantly more than subsequent jumps you make afterwards. This is because even if you decide to jump solo, you will still need instructors to jump with you to make sure everything goes smoothly.
What Is Skydiving Training Like?
Every reputable skydiving center will provide expert and hands on instruction for both tandem and solo jumps. The instructors are also well aware that skydiving – especially for the first time – is a very nerve-wracking experience. They will do all they can to put you at ease to enjoy the whole experience.
So what is skydiving? Well, it’s exciting, exhilarating, daring, nervy, demanding – and enormous fun. Many people struggle to go through with finding the courage for their first jump, but when they do they immediately want to do it again.
That’s skydiving in a nutshell.
Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
October 16th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
The first skydiving wind tunnel, capable of sustaining human flight, was erected at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1943. However, officials were unaware that it was capable of sustaining human flight until 1964. This was originally used to train paratroopers in the Army. Later, the Golden Knights, the Department of Defense’s demonstration team also began using the tunnel to train new members.
Flyaway Indoor Skydiving constructed the first skydiving wind tunnel for civilian use in 1982. Two tunnels were erected, one in Las Vegas, Nevada, and one in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. These indoor skydiving wind tunnels are still in use today, and many more locations across the country have opened so as to offer the thrill of human flight to thousands nationwide.
How It Works
A skydiving wind tunnel propels the body of the “skydiver” vertically through the shaft, with the use of wind generated by powerful fans that can produce winds of up to 120 miles per hour. Using their arms and legs as rudders to control their position in the tunnel, indoor skydivers are able to experience the thrill of human flight with little, or even no, experience.
A skydiving wind tunnel, otherwise known as an indoor skydiving tunnel, can be used safely by anyone who weighs more than 40 pounds. Many facilities place weight and height restrictions so as to further ensure the safety of their customers.
History
Francis Herbert Wenham, a Council Member of the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain, invented the first enclosed vertical wind tunnel in 1871. Although not capable of sustaining human flight like our current skydiving wind tunnel, Wenham’s invention served as the basis for modern technology.
Prior to the use of the vertical wind tunnel at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio as a skydiving wind tunnel, it was used to test parachutes and spin test model airplanes. In 1964 Jack Tiffany, a skydiver and parachute tester for the Pioneer Parachute Company, decided to see if the tunnel would sustain a human being. It did, and the sport of indoor skydiving was born. It would be another 18 years before the first skydiving wind tunnel was constructed for civilian use; but the tunnel at Wright Patterson began being used immediately to train paratroopers in the United States Army.
Whether you’re new to skydiving, or you’ve got a thousand jumps under your belt, an indoor skydiving wind tunnel is a safe way for you and your whole family to experience the thrill of flying.
