Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!haven.umd.edu!mimsy!umiacs.umd.edu!jerrys From: jerrys@umiacs.umd.edu (Jerry Sobieski) Newsgroups: rec.skydiving Subject: rec.skydiving FAQ sheet Message-ID: <35845@mimsy.umd.edu> Date: 20 Jun 91 16:04:37 GMT Sender: news@mimsy.umd.edu Reply-To: jerrys@umiacs.umd.edu (Jerry Sobieski) Organization: UMIACS, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 Lines: 201 Hey folks, I have composed a Frequently Asked Questions document. Has there ever been one posted previously? I don't want to re-invent the wheel (although I may have done so already:-). Anyway, Since I don't recall having seen one in the last year or so, I will post this one as a basis. Anyone can pick it apart (provided they know what they're talking about:-) and I will try to incorporate all suggestions. Then I'll repost it about every 6 weeks or so. Suggested mods to the FAQ can be e-mailed to me, or posted if you think they need discussing first. If you are making corrections (particularly technical points), please include any appropriate ratings/licenses that you have so that I can at least try to insure some level of acuracy. The FAQ sheet is not meant to be terribly technical, and is aimed at new readers of the group and prospective jumpers. Thanks all. -----------------begin here------------- PARACHUTE : An aerodynamic decelleration device. (Federal Aviation Administration) This posting constitutes a dynamic compilation of Frequently Asked Questions concerning the sport of skydiving, related activities, and the news group rec.skydiving. First, The news group rec.skydiving is an unmoderated group for the discussion of issues relating to sport skydiving. It obviously is not limitted to skydiving as there are many sports that share technology, history, common interests, and avid proponents; but these tend to be minor distractions for the hard core jumper:-). News or events to be held, or post-event reviews are commonly posted, as are questions about equipment, skills, regulations, theory, etc. And plane ol' remeniscing over "the good ol' days" by the old timers, and long exhuberent descriptions of newcomer's first jumps are posted here as well. It seems to me that there are a great many new readers every year of rec.skydiving, many of which stumbled across it and found it interesting but have never jumped. After a time, they seem to always ask the same questions. So in an effort to promote the sport, minimize redundant postings, and in general continue the comraderie of fellow free spirits there is now the "rec.skydiving FAQ sheet". The questions are not ordered in their "asking frequency". Instead, I have tried to order them so as to provide the information in a more easily understood manor. 1. How does one learn to skydive? ------------------------------ One looks in the phone book under "parachuting" for local drop zones (DZ). A phone call will generally provide you with enough information to make reservations to attend the next First Jump Course and/or how to reach the DZ. A friend or aquaintence who has jumped may be able to give you info as well. Most DZ will offer the First Jump Course (FJC) at least once each weekend. Some will offer it during the week or several times during the weekend. You will need to arrange it with your DZ. The FJC consists of about 5-6 hours of ground school followed by your jump - weather permitting. Some drop zones have promotional videos they will sell you (~$10) that describe the training and show you what it is all about. Almost every DZ these days use videos for training aids and will be glad to let you see them (for free!) if you stop by. 2. How do I tell a good Drop Zone from poor one? --------------------------------------------- Most dropzones that provide regular student training are "USPA Affiliated". The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is in effect the regulating body for sport parachuting within the US. USPA affiliation, while not required, does provide the DZ and students with liability insurance in case of damage to property, etc. USPA affiliation does not *guarantee* a DZ to be a "good" dz, and non-affiliation does not mean the DZ is "bad". These are just guidelines. You should always check it out before you jump. The USPA has had tremendous success in instituting rating programs for Jumpmasters, Instructors, Instructor-Examiners, etc to ensure that only properly trained and qualified people work with students. You should insist on USPA Instructors and Jumpmasters. They have compiled an excellent safety record over the years. 3. What does the training consist of? ---------------------------------- The FJC teaches the student every thing they need to know to safely make their first jump. There are several different "programs" available for 1st jumpers, the one you choose will depend on your personal preferences and circumstances. The differences of each is summarized below: Static Line (S/L) This method has evolved over the last ~30 years from its military origins into a sucessfull method for training *sport* parachutists. The student gets 4-5 hours of ground training and is then taken to 2800 feet for the jump. The jump itself consists of a simple "poised" exit from the strut of a small single engine Cessna (typically) aircraft. As they fall away from the plane, the student's main canopy is deployed by a "static line" attached to the aircraft. The student will experience about two seconds of freefall prior to the parachute opening. Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) The AFF program was instituted in 1982 as an alternative to the static line method. The ground training is a bit more extensive than S/L because the student will be doing a 50 second freefall (that's right!) on his/her very first jump. The student will exit the aircraft at 10,000-12,000 feet along with two AFF Jumpmasters who will assist the student during freefall. The jumpmasters maintain grips on the student, assisting the student as necessary to fall stable, perform practice ripcord pulls, monitor altitude, etc. The student then pulls his/her own ripcord at about 4000 ft. Tandem jumps. For those first jumpers that do not wish to go the S/L or AFF course, there is "Tandem" jumping. A tandem jump requires only about 45 minutes of ground training. It requires an experienced jumper called a "tandem master" (or pilot) and the student (or passenger). The passenger and pilot each wear a harness, however only the pilot wears the parachutes. The student's harness attaches directly to the front of the pilot's harness and the two of them freefall for 30 seconds together, open together, and land together under one *really BIG* parachute. In all of these methods, students are trained in normal and emergency procedures for all aspects of the jump - climb to altitude, exit, freefall, opening, canopy control, and landing. They are also shown the equipment and go over it so that they understand how it works. 4. What if your parachute doesn't open? ------------------------------------ Clearly, this is the most frequently asked question posed to all jumpers by all prospective jumpers. By law (FAA regulations), all intentional parachute jumps must be made with a single harness, dual parachute system with both a main canopy *AND* a reserve canopy. In other words, you have a second (or spare) canopy in case the first one doesn't open properly. However, it must be noted that the technology utilized in today's sport parachuting equipment is light years ahead of the old military surplus gear used in the '60s and '70s. The canopies are DRASTICLY different from the classic GIJoe round parachutes. You almost have to tie them in a knot to keep them from opening. The reserve canopies are even more carefully designed and packed. The reserve parachute must be inspected and repacked every 120 days by an FAA rated parachute "rigger" - even if it has not been used during that time. The student's main canopy is always packed either by a rigger or under a rigger's direct supervision by experienced packers. Additionally, most drop-zones now employ Automatic Activation Devices (AAD) as part of their student equipment. These devices sense the jumper's altitude and rate of descent. At a preset threshold, generally around 1500 feet, the AAD will automaticly activate the reserve canopy if the main canopy has failed to slow the descent to something reasonable. 5. How much does it cost? ---------------------- Prices vary from DZ to DZ. Typically, the S/L course runs ~$110-$140, AFF from $225-$275, and the tandem from ~$150-$175. Some DZs will offer to video tape the whole experience for a small additional fee. 6. How hard is the landing? ------------------------ The canopies used today bear little resemblance to the classic canopies of years gone by. Today, nearly all jumpers and jump schools use "square" canopies for parachuting. These canopies are actually rectangular in shape, and when open, act like an airplane wing (or an airfoil). They act more like gliders than umbrellas:-) The aerodynamics of the square canopy provide it with exceptional manuverability in the air, allowing the jumper to land pretty much wherever they wish. This wing shape also provides tippy-toe soft landings for even the novice jumper. The days of landing like a bag of flour are history. Most students land standing up on their first jump. ----------------end here----------------- -- Domain: jerrys@umiacs.umd.edu Jerry Sobieski UUCP: uunet!mimsy!jerrys UMIACS - Univ. of Maryland Phone: (301)405-6735 College Park, Md 20742