A skydive involves jumping from an aircraft at altitude and falling for a short while before opening a parachute and returning to earth. That falling or “freefall” as it’s known is what distinguishes a skydive from a parachute jump. Free-fall is probably the closest you are going to get to a magical feeling of flying. During an average skydive from 14,000 feet, you get about 65 seconds of free-fall! The only warning you need is that it is addictive – once you try it you will want to do it again and again.
Interesting Facts:
- In 1797, Andre Jacques Garnerin jumped from a hot air balloon with a parachute, – the first skydive. The activity was refined throughout the 1800s, and the military adopted the practice in the 1900s for troop deployment and for airmen in stricken planes, who were ejected with a parachute to save their lives .
- Most skydivers liken the sensation of free-fall to how they imagine flying or floating on a cushion of air. There is no sensation of “falling” as most people imagine and there is no ‘roller-coaster’ feeling.
- It takes about 80 yards of 48” wide nylon to build a 220-square-foot canopy. (That’s the length of a regulation youth football field.)
Tips:
- Due to the force of the wind during freefall, you cannot hear or be heard. So you need to memorise ten key hand signals because it is how you will communicate with your instructor.
- Relax and enjoy your tandem skydive while the instructor handles all the technical parts of the jump.
- Depending on the wind conditions, you may land with a gentle “standup” or an equally gentle “butt-slide” landing.