FAQ
Everything you want to know about skydiving
A:
Absolutely not! The USPA claims that over 500,000 skydives were performed last year. Millions of people have gone skydiving, including Aubie!
A: Skydiving has a reputation for being a dangerous sport but it is
actually much safer than people expect. It doesn’t matter how you
crunch the numbers, the result is that you are in more danger of injury
just driving a car. Skydiving has come a long way since the days of
round parachutes and no altimeters, and safety has been the number one
concern in the development of all the new equipment.
Skydivers
today use a square parachute that you can actually fly and steer down
for a soft landing, similar to stepping off of a chair. Equipment
failure is extremely rare and there are backups for everything that
might go wrong. The majority of skydiving accidents are from the
skydiver making an error trying a high performance maneuver. Accidents
among student and novice jumpers are extremely rare.
A: "As far as the government
is concerned, there is no minimum age for skydiving in
the U.S."
At our dropzone, we let adults skydive.
However, the requirement is to be an adult, not to act like one!
A: This is probably the most popular question asked and there is a
very good answer for it. Every parachute rig contains a reserve
parachute that is manufactured and packed under strict regulations from
the FAA (
Federal Aviation Administration) and USPA (
The United States Parachute Association).
If there is a malfunction with the main parachute, the skydiver pulls
the ‘cutaway handle’ to release the main parachute. The skydiver then
pulls the ‘reserve handle’ that fires the reserve parachute. On our
rigs, we have an RSL (Reserve Static Line) that is attached to the main
parachute and to the reserve parachute pin. When the cutaway handle is
pulled and the main parachute is released, the RSL pulls and fires the
reserve parachute for you. This is a safety precaution incurred due to
disorientation that may happen during a malfunction.
The
reserve parachute is highly reliable and made to open very quickly and
accurately. The pilot chute that pulls the reserve chute out of the
rig is spring loaded and engineered to react very fast. The reserve is
also required to be packed by a FAA Licensed Rigger every 180 days
regardless of whether it has been used or not. This helps to make sure
that the equipment is regularly checked by a qualified professional and
to see that it remains in proper working order.
.
A: Another precaution taken for an instance where a skydiver cannot
pull their own parachute is an AAD (Automatic Activation Device). The
AAD is a computer that reacts to vertical velocity and altitude to
determine if a skydiver is still in freefall. If a skydiver is falling
at a preset velocity at a preset altitude, the AAD reacts and fires the
reserve parachute for the skydiver. This system has drastically
reduced the already small number of injuries that occur from this
happening.
The AAD used in our parachutes are manufactured by "FXC." They are required to be maintained and calibrated every 2 years, and they undergo regular testing to ensure that they work. When one of these is equipped and activated, it would be impossible to fall into the ground without a parachute firing.
A: Being in good physical condition does help in the sport of
skydiving and will provide a more enjoyable experience. Body weight is
also a concern because it is a deciding factor for what parachute you
will be flying whether with a Tandem Instructor or on your own as a
student. In general, if you weigh over 225 pounds you should call the
drop zone to make sure that they have a parachute and rig that will fit
and an instructor that will be a good match.
Medical
conditions are also a concern when considering skydiving. Someone who
experiences fainting spells, blackouts, has a weak heart, or back
injuries should not be jumping. Someone with respiratory illness may
have a problem due to atmospheric changes at altitude. Very few people
have medical or physical conditions that prevent them from skydiving.
In any case, tell your instructor of any and all conditions or injuries
you may have or have experienced. Something may seem fine on the
ground and then cause trouble in the air, so don’t be shy about asking
your instructor or the drop zone questions.
A: When you leave the aircraft, you are moving horizontally at the
same speed as the aircraft, typically 90-110mph. During the first 10
seconds, a skydiver accelerates up to about 115-130mph straight down (A
tandem pair uses a drouge chute to keep them from falling much faster
than this). It is possible to change your body position to vary your
rate of fall. In a standard belly-to-earth position, you can change
your fall rate up or down by 10 to 20 mph. By varying your position to
a head down or stand up style in freefall, an experienced skydiver can
learn to reach speeds of over 160 mph. Speeds of over 200mph require
significant practice. The record freefall speed, done without any
special equipment, is 321mph. However, one would slow back down to
about 110mph before opening their parachute.
Once under
parachute, descent rates of 1000ft/min. are typical. A lighter student
with a bigger canopy may come down more slowly and a heavier person may
have a slightly faster descent. Experienced jumpers can descend (in
normal glide) at up to 1500ft/min. and during radical turns, the
descent rate can go well over 2000ft/min.
A:
Asking this question is grounds for removal from the Auburn Skydiving Club.