Six important instructions before you go parachuting

Six important instructions before you go parachuting

You know what they say about parachuting, right? This sport is regarded as the most dreaded exercise for most people. Skydiving is a sport designed for the person with an adventurous spirit. Once you have decided you're up for the adventure, take a few necessary steps and be on your way to experiencing an exhilarating jump from an airplane. In fact, there are old skydivers, and there are young skydivers. Before you go skydiving, you should choose a reliable instructor, because it's all that matters.

Six important instructions before you go parachuting:

1. Attach a group to go with you. This is because you need a witness to your courage.
2. Call skydiving operation in your area and interview them. You must establish that they are certified by an independent oversight agency, that they would take the time to answer your question, and that they present a professional attitude.
3. Verification of their safety record. Ask if they have had an accident. Contact the certification agency to inspect them.
4. Determine the type of jump. Perform their own jumps (jump solo) require that you complete a course of instruction, then jump using a static line. This line will automatically open your parachute when you exit the plane, eliminating the free fall. A tandem jump requires fewer instructions and allows you to experience skydiving instructor because you are bound to do all the work, pulling a parachute and jump control.
5. Make sure that you understand every element of instruction. Do not let yourself be rushed through. If the instructor does not answer your question to a level that makes you feel secure and confident, do not proceed.
6. Enroll in the certification course, if you want to pursue skydiving information. This instructor-led courses, multijump take several weeks or months and the cost is not cheap. As a certified skydiver, you will be allowed to perform parachuting in the future.

Formation Skydiving

Formation Skydiving

Formation skydiving is the art of building formations in free-fall with multiple people gripping each others' limbs or specially built "grippers" on their jumpsuits.

Formation skydiving can be further divided into several sub-categories, so named for the number of members in a team:

• 4-way sequential
• 4-way vertical sequential (VRW)
• 8-way sequential
• 16-way sequential
• 10-way speed
• Large formations (Big-ways)

A competition in 4-way formation skydiving (FS-4) takes place like this:

There are two kinds of formations, called randoms and blocks. The randoms are singular formations with full separation of all grips both before and after building the formation. The blocks are double formations with a special designated movement pattern in between, called an inter. The start formation may, or may not be similar to the ending formation. The inters are differently performed. Here are some examples:

Inter 1: The grips are released between some of the flyers, so they become two pieces of two team members. they both do a 270 degree turn, and reconnect to a different formation

Inter 2: Three people stay connected, and do a 360 turn, while the last person, flies alone.

Inter 15: All grips are released and everyone does a 360 turn back to the original formation.

Blocks are designated by numbers, while randoms got letters. Blocks are worth one point for each correct formation, that makes 2 points, and randoms count as 1 point. There are 22 blocks and 16 randoms.

A competition consists of up to 10 rounds, and each round consists of 5 or 6 points, which the teams are to repeat as many times as they can within the working time of 35 seconds. The score judging are based on the videographers material.

A competition draw may look like this:

1. C-E-B-13 2. 14-20-8 3. 15-16-H 4. J-O-1-D 5. 6-18-19 6. 5-F-21 7. 10-K-G-M 8. 22-3-P 9. 12-9-4 10. 11-17-Q

The winning team will be the team that has collected most points, by completing the most correct formations within time after the final round is ended. In case of weather or technical problems, or other causes, a competition will be valid as long as all teams has completed at least one round.

The current FAI world record for largest free-fall formation is a 400-way, set on February 8, 2006 in Udon Thani, Thailand by World Team. It was held for 4.25 seconds. They used five C-130 Hercules airplanes and exited from an altitude of 25,000 feet.

A recent sub-category of formation skydiving is vertical formation skydiving (VRW). Skydivers build formations using higher-speed body positions normally associated with freeflying, such as head down and sitflying.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_skydiving

Variations of Skydiving

Variations of Skydiving

In addition to disciplines for which people train, purchase equipment and get coaching/lessons, the recreational skydiver finds ways to just have fun. Today, there are twelve Variations of Skydiving:

1. Hit and Rock. "Hit and Rock" is a variant of Accuracy landing devised to let people of varying skill levels compete for fun. "Hit and Rock" is originally from POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society). The object is to land as close as possible to the chair, remove the parachute harness, sprint to the chair, sit fully in the chair and rock back and forth at least one time. The contestant is timed from the moment that feet touch the ground until that first rock is completed. This event is considered a race.

2. Freeflying

3. Tracking. Tracking is where skydivers take a body position to achieve a high forward speed, flying their body to achieve separation from other jumpers and cover distance over the ground.

4. Formation skydiving

5. Pond swooping. "Pond swooping" is a form of competitive parachuting wherein canopy pilots attempt to touch down at a glide across a small body of water, and onto the shore. Events provide lighthearted competition, rating accuracy, speed, distance and style. Points and peer approval are reduced when a participant "chows", or fails to reach shore and sinks into the water. Some danger involved with pond swooping is when pilots "chow" they land in the water and then the parachute slowly begins to sink. Some divers get tangled in the cord and are dragged to the bottom and drown. To avoid being dragged down, some divers will cut the cord if they sense that they cannot make it across to the shore.

6. Cross-country. A cross-country jump is a skydive where the participants open their parachutes immediately after jumping, with the intention of covering as much ground under canopy as possible. Usual distance from Jump Run to the dropzone can be as much as several miles.

7. Camera flying. In "camera flying", a camera person jumps with other skydivers and films them. The camera flier often wears specialized equipment, such as a winged jumpsuit to provide a greater range of fall rates, helmet-mounted video and still cameras, mouth operated camera switches, and optical sights. Some skydivers specialize in camera flying and a few earn fees for filming students on coached jumps or tandem-jumpers, or producing professional footage and photographs for the media. There is always a demand for good camera fliers in the skydiving community, as many of the competitive skydiving disciplines are judged from a video record.

8. Night jumps. Parachuting is not always restricted to daytime hours; experienced skydivers sometimes perform night jumps. For safety reasons, this requires more equipment than a usual daytime jump and in most jurisdictions requires both an advanced skydiving license (at least a B-License in the U.S.) and a meeting with the local safety official covering who will be doing what on the load. A lighted altimeter (preferably accompanied with an audible altimeter) is a must. Skydivers performing night jumps often take flashlights up with them so that they can check their canopies have properly deployed.

Visibility to other skydivers and other aircraft is also a consideration; FAA regulations require skydivers jumping at night to be wearing a light visible for three miles (5 km) in every direction, and to turn it on once they are under canopy. A chemlight(glowstick) is a good idea on a night jump.

Night jumpers should be made aware of the Dark Zone, when landing at night. Above 100 feet jumpers flying their canopy have a good view of the landing zone normally because of reflected ambient light/moon light. Once they get close to the ground, this ambient light source is lost, because of the low angle of reflection. The lower they get, the darker the ground looks. At about 100 feet and below it may seem that they are landing in a black hole. Suddenly it becomes very dark, and the jumper hits the ground soon after. This ground rush should be explained and anticipated for the first time night jumper.

9. Stuff jumps. With the availability of a rear door aircraft and a large, unpopulated space to jump over, 'stuff' jumps become possible. In these jumps the skydivers jump out with some object. Rubber raft jumps are popular, where the jumpers sit in a rubber raft. Cars, bicycles, motorcycles, vacuum cleaners, water tanks and inflatable companions have also been thrown out the back of an aircraft. At a certain height the jumpers break off from the object and deploy their parachutes, leaving it to smash into the ground at terminal velocity.

10. Skysurfing

11. Base Jumping

12. Wingsuit flying

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachuting

Tandem skydiving

Tandem skydiving

Tandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting the canopy, and landing. The student needs only minimal instruction before making a tandem jump. This is one of three commonly used training methods for beginning skydivers; the others being static line and Accelerated Freefall (known as Progressive Freefall in Canada).

Tandem skydiving is a very popular training method for first time skydivers, but it is more expensive than a static line skydive. It exposes first-time jumpers to skydiving with minimal expectations from the student. The training may consist of many of the activities performed by any skydiving student, for example, how to exit the aircraft, how to do maneuvers in freefall, and how to deploy the main canopy themselves. However, the tandem master remains primarily responsible for safe and timely parachute deployment.

Although it is the exception, many have commented that during a tandem skydive they experienced nausea and the feeling of passing out, which starts after the canopy deployment (never occurs during freefall) and goes away immediately after landing. It is believed to be caused primarily by the incorrect adjustment of the tandem harness affecting blood flow (this rarely occurs with a solo harness) and is more likely if the individual is at the upper end of the weight limit.

Equipment

Tandem skydiving requires equipment with several differences from normal sport skydiving rigs. All modern tandem skydiving systems use a drogue parachute, which is deployed shortly after leaving the plane in order to decrease the skydivers' terminal velocity. This is necessary for proper parachute deployment, lengthening the duration of the skydive, and allowing the skydivers to fall at the same speed as videographers. Tandem skydiving systems also use larger main parachutes (360 square feet and larger) to support the additional weight of two passengers. The FAA requires tandem parachute rigs to be equipped with a main and reserve parachute, as well as an automatic activation device (AAD), a safety device that automatically deploys the reserve parachute if it detects that the skydivers are still at freefall speed below a certain altitude.

Instructor certification

Most countries have varying laws or regulations regarding who may skydive with a passenger or student. In the United States, the FAA requires every potential instructor to have at least 3 years of experience skydiving, 500 skydives, and a master parachute license issued by an FAA-recognized organization (for the USPA, this is equivalent to a D license). Instructors are also required to pass a certification course given by the manufacturer of the tandem parachute system to be jumped. The USPA also requires potential instructors to possess a current FAA Class III Medical Certificate, and complete a USPA Tandem Instructor Rating Course.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandem_skydiving

Accelerated freefall

Accelerated freefall

Accelerated freefall (AFF) (known in Canada as progressive freefall) is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving training is called "accelerated" because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet "Above Ground Level" (AGL). In static line progression, many more jumps are required to experience solo freefall, but the jumps are less expensive for the student as one instructor can dispatch multiple students per load, whereas under accelerated freefall, one or sometimes two instructors are dedicated just to one student.

Training technique

In most AFF programs, two instructors jump with the student during their first three AFF jumps, although some programs may use only one instructor. On the initial levels, the instructor(s) hold on to the student until the student deploys their own parachute. Hence, this method is classified as "Harness Hold Training." The AFF instructors have no physical connection to the student other than their grip on the student, so once the student's parachute is deployed the instructors fly away and deploy their own canopies.

Deployment of the main canopy for students in an AFF program is generally 6000 ft AGL, down to 5000ft AGL on later levels. If the student experiences trouble in the deployment of their parachute, the instructors first use hand signals to remind the student to "Pull". If the student still experiences trouble, the instructors will assist their student by physically putting the student's hand on the pilot chute, but if the student still has trouble, the instructor will deploy for the student. The instructor may pull the student's main canopy at any time the student appears to be in danger. Extra "pull" handles are usually installed on student gear giving additional access for instructors.

Once the student has proven they can deploy their own parachute on the first few jumps, the student will be released on subsequent levels and will have the opportunity to prove to their instructors that they have the basic flying skills required to manoeuvre in free fall without assistance. Each AFF level including and after level three is called a 'release dive'. This means that the student is briefed by the instructor that at a certain point in the free fall, the student will be released, although the instructor aims to remain nearby to assist in safety and teaching. On release skydives there is a possibility the instructor may not be able to dock and assist at pull time, so it is important that the student has already learned the skills required to activate their parachute at the safe altitude and in the right way. For this reason, students may not progress to the next level of AFF until they have completed all the targeted learning objectives of the previous level.

Instructors on all AFF levels have a hard deck where they must pull their own parachute and save their own life. If they have not been able to assist their student by this altitude, the student's rig is equipped with an "Automatic Activation Device (AAD)" that will fire the reserve parachute if the student passes the activation altitude at freefall speeds. While it is extremely rare that a student will have an AAD activation, this final level of protection protects the student as much as possible from the consequences of being out of control or not being able to deploy their own parachute.

As the instructors freefall with the student, they are able to correct the student's body position and other problems during freefall by communicating with the student with hand signals in freefall and debriefing the student and conducting corrective training after the jump. Later levels only require one instructor and involve the student learning to perform aerial maneuvers such as turns, forward movement, flips, and fall rate control. The purpose of the maneuvers are to prove to the student and instructor that the student can perform a disorienting maneuver causing intentional instability followed by regaining control.

The instructor(s) determine when the student has passed the requirements or "Targeted Learning Objectives (TLOs)" for each level. During the AFF jumps, the student may have radio contact with ground personnel who direct the student's maneuvers under their parachute, however the student must have the skills for a solo landing in case the radio fails.

Licensing organizations and protocols

In the United States, there are no official government required training procedures. As long as a jumper wears equipment that meets certain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements in design and maintenance, anyone can intentionally exit an aircraft legally. However, the United States Parachute Association (or USPA), a non-profit organization that represents Skydivers and Drop Zone Owners, has written protocols and "Basic Safety Requirements (BSRs)" that guide USPA rated instructors on how to teach students to earn their USPA licences. While a licence is not required to jump legally, the USPA licence will allow the skydiver to travel to other USPA dropzones and use their licence to prove they have the skills required to jump.

The USPA protocol for training students is called the "Integrated Student Program" (ISP). The ISP is separated into "Categories", each with "Targeted Learning Objectives (TLOs) that must be met before the student progresses to the next level. Static Line, AFF, and Tandem Progression all follow the same categories, but use different methods to train within each category.

Many drop zones classify their AFF levels by numbers, such as "AFF 6", but the USPA classification is by category letter. Categories A through E are the instructional jumps where the student must be accompanied with an appropriately rated instructor. Since most AFF programs have seven jumps, but there are only 5 letters between A and E, some categories require more than one jump to complete. After Category E, students are cleared to self supervise. Categories F, G and H are completed as solo skydives or with the assistance of a rated coach or instructor. Once the student has completed 25 skydives, and has their A licence requirements signed off by an instructor or coach, they are eligible for their A licence and are no longer a student.

In the UK, there are 8 levels. The 8th level in the UK is what is known as a "hop and pop". A hop and pop is where a skydiver deploys the parachute immediately after exiting the aircraft. This is normally at lower altitude than AFF students are used to and there is a chance of panic setting in when jumping so close to the ground. The 8th level is part of the British Parachute Association requirements.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_freefall

What is Parachuting

What is Parachuting

Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal velocity.

The history of skydiving starts with Andre-Jacques Garnerin who made successful parachute jumps from a hot-air balloon in 1797. The military developed parachuting technology as a way to save aircrews from emergencies aboard balloons and aircraft in flight, later as a way of delivering soldiers to the battlefield. Early competitions date back to the 1930s, and it became an international sport in 1952.

Parachuting is performed as a recreational activity and a competitive sport, as well as for the deployment of military personnel Airborne forces and occasionally forest firefighters.

A skydiving center can be a commercial operation or a club, usually operates at an airport, and provides one or more aircraft that takes groups of skydivers up for a fee. An individual jumper can go up in a light aircraft such as a Cessna C-172 or C-182. In busier drop zones (DZ) larger aircraft may be used such as the Cessna Caravan C208, De Havilland Twin Otter DHC6 or Short Skyvan.

A typical jump involves individuals exiting an aircraft (usually an airplane, but sometimes a helicopter or even the gondola of a balloon), at anywhere from 1,000 to 4,000 meters (3,000 to 13,000 feet) altitude. If jumping from a low altitude, the parachute is deployed immediately; however, at higher altitudes, the skydiver may free-fall for a short period of time (about a minute) before activating a parachute to slow the landing down to safe speeds (about 5 to 7 minutes).

When the parachute opens (usually the parachute will be fully inflated by 800 meters or 2,600 feet) the jumper can control the direction and speed with toggles on the end of steering lines attached to the trailing edge of the parachute, and can aim for the landing site and come to a relatively gentle stop. All modern sport parachutes are self-inflating "ram-air" wings that provide control of speed and direction similar to the related paragliders. Purists in either sport would note that paragliders have much greater lift and range, but that parachutes are designed to absorb the stresses of deployment at terminal velocity.

By manipulating the shape of the body in freefall, a skydiver can generate turns, forward motion, backwards motion, and even lift.

When leaving an aircraft, for a few seconds a skydiver continues to travel forward as well as down, due to the momentum created by the plane's speed (known as "forward throw"). The perception of a change from horizontal to vertical flight is known as the "relative wind", or informally as "being on the hill". In freefall, skydivers generally do not experience a "falling" sensation because the resistance of the air to their body at speeds above about 50 mph (80 km/h) provides some feeling of weight and direction. At normal exit speeds for aircraft (approx 90 mph (140 km/h)) there is little feeling of falling just after exit, but jumping from a balloon or helicopter can create this sensation. Skydivers reach terminal velocity (around 120 mph (190 km/h) for belly to Earth orientations, 150-200 mph (240–320 km/h) for head down orientations) and are no longer accelerating towards the ground. At this point the sensation is as of a forceful wind.

Many people make their first jump with an experienced and trained instructor – this type of skydive may be in the form of a tandem skydive. During the tandem jump the instructor is responsible for emergency procedures in the unlikely event that they will be needed, therefore freeing the student to concentrate on learning to skydive. Other training methods include static line, IAD (Instructor Assisted Deployment), and AFF (Accelerated Free fall) also known as Progressive Free-Fall (PFF) in Canada.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachuting