With the advent of the bucket list craze, more and more people have committed to stepping out not just from their comfort zones but from their safety zones. This accounts for the popularity of certain kinds of extreme sports, like skydiving. Before you embark on this perilous enterprise, however, you should first be equipped with a trusty gizmo called a safety parachute.
The term extreme sports has been hackneyed so much that it is subsumed under definitional gray areas. Theres big wave surfing and base jumping, which we acknowledge to be dangerous and off the top. But theres also snorkeling which some people say with a knowing nod is an extreme sport. Anyway, for the purpose of this discussion, well define the aforementioned term as an activity in which one can die anytime given a niggling accident or mistake.
However you look at it, though, skydiving is qualified as such. Imagine jumping from an aircraft or airship at more than ten thousand feet above ground, only deploying a parachute at about five hundred feet or so. This parachute is a dome shaped equipment tailored from light and strong fabric, maybe silk or nylon. It operates by the rules of physics, lowering ones terminal velocity and increasing aerodynamic lift to ensure a safe landing.
Parachutes are gizmos from the eighteenth century. However, they still have not reached the zenith of their development. Inventors and innovators are still continually perfecting them. In fact, the most important improvements have only been made relatively recently, given the long history.
The statistics stand at injuries per one thousand jumps and fatalities per one hundred thousand jumps. In the US, for example, three million skydives occur every year and less than twenty five of those result in fatalities. To put into perspective, consider that ones probability to die from a car crash, for example, is one in six thousand.
Maybe you want to try out this sport but are worried about contributing to the statistics. In this case, all you have to do is undergo the specified training and preparing the required equipment. After which, you are all good to go, thought thats still not as easy as it sounds.
First time solo parachutists are required to undergo four to eight hours of ground training. And even after then they may opt for a tandem jump, in which they are strapped to an experienced instructor, who opens the parachute and deals with possible emergencies. All must carry with them a reserve parachute, which is personally inspected and packed by a certified rigger.
Specified attire and gears are required. This includes jumpsuits that protect the skin from corrosive conditions above, footwear that prevent ankle twists, helmets that absorb considerable shock, goggles that protect eyes from stinging winds and debris, and gloves, only if the wearer is comfortable. Reserve parachutes are absolutely and unconditionally important. They are periodically inspected and meticulously packed by a certified professional. The most important development, however, is the automatic activation device, or AAD. This tiny, portable computer calculates your free fall rate and optimum height. If the main parachute is still not opened at the predetermined altitude, it automatically deploys the reserve one.
The fact that fatalities are usually attributed to jumper errors is very telling. No matter the advances made in safety and equipment, they will all be for naught if jumpers dont take heed of basic training and instructions. Even if things take a turn for the worse, at least you can take comfort of the fact that you will be remembered as someone brave, rather than someone stupid.
The term extreme sports has been hackneyed so much that it is subsumed under definitional gray areas. Theres big wave surfing and base jumping, which we acknowledge to be dangerous and off the top. But theres also snorkeling which some people say with a knowing nod is an extreme sport. Anyway, for the purpose of this discussion, well define the aforementioned term as an activity in which one can die anytime given a niggling accident or mistake.
However you look at it, though, skydiving is qualified as such. Imagine jumping from an aircraft or airship at more than ten thousand feet above ground, only deploying a parachute at about five hundred feet or so. This parachute is a dome shaped equipment tailored from light and strong fabric, maybe silk or nylon. It operates by the rules of physics, lowering ones terminal velocity and increasing aerodynamic lift to ensure a safe landing.
Parachutes are gizmos from the eighteenth century. However, they still have not reached the zenith of their development. Inventors and innovators are still continually perfecting them. In fact, the most important improvements have only been made relatively recently, given the long history.
The statistics stand at injuries per one thousand jumps and fatalities per one hundred thousand jumps. In the US, for example, three million skydives occur every year and less than twenty five of those result in fatalities. To put into perspective, consider that ones probability to die from a car crash, for example, is one in six thousand.
Maybe you want to try out this sport but are worried about contributing to the statistics. In this case, all you have to do is undergo the specified training and preparing the required equipment. After which, you are all good to go, thought thats still not as easy as it sounds.
First time solo parachutists are required to undergo four to eight hours of ground training. And even after then they may opt for a tandem jump, in which they are strapped to an experienced instructor, who opens the parachute and deals with possible emergencies. All must carry with them a reserve parachute, which is personally inspected and packed by a certified rigger.
Specified attire and gears are required. This includes jumpsuits that protect the skin from corrosive conditions above, footwear that prevent ankle twists, helmets that absorb considerable shock, goggles that protect eyes from stinging winds and debris, and gloves, only if the wearer is comfortable. Reserve parachutes are absolutely and unconditionally important. They are periodically inspected and meticulously packed by a certified professional. The most important development, however, is the automatic activation device, or AAD. This tiny, portable computer calculates your free fall rate and optimum height. If the main parachute is still not opened at the predetermined altitude, it automatically deploys the reserve one.
The fact that fatalities are usually attributed to jumper errors is very telling. No matter the advances made in safety and equipment, they will all be for naught if jumpers dont take heed of basic training and instructions. Even if things take a turn for the worse, at least you can take comfort of the fact that you will be remembered as someone brave, rather than someone stupid.
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