Skydiving "Phases"

Today’s entry-level skydiver has multiple methods/student tracks for their first skydive: tandem, static line, accelerated freefall (AFF) and wind tunnel. Before we can discuss the pros and cons of each student track, we need to understand what happens during a skydive. For our discussion, skydiving is broken into five phases: suiting up, climbing to altitude, exiting the plane, free-falling and under parachute.

Suiting up involves inspecting your equipment and putting it on correctly. It sounds simple and it is. But it is important to get it right though. Forgetting your goggles or gloves can make an incredible experience not so incredible. Skydivers wear: a jumpsuit, a helmet, goggles, a harness or a parachute. If the weather is chilly, wearing gloves is a great idea too. You will need good dexterity to deploy your pilot chute and steer your main – do not forget your gloves!

Parachute attached and instructor(s) in tow, everyone will board the plane for the climb to altitude. Just like in an airliner, everyone has to put a seat belt on. Unlike an airline, you may or may not have a seat. Seats represent weight and extra weight means longer climbing times and more money out of the pilot’s pocket. Do not be alarmed if there are no seats. Find your assigned seat belt and buckle up.

Jump planes are designed to climb. Pilots who fly them are taught to fly at maximum performance. Good jump pilots will coax every bit of horsepower from the motors and as much lift as possible from the wings. The climb to altitude will be nothing like an airliner – hang on. Depending on type of plane, size of the “load”, and final jump altitude expect the climb to last 10-20 minutes.

Freefall is loud. You should expect speeds around 110-130 mph. At those speeds, it feels like you are resting on an air pillow. In freefall, look around and take in the scenery. Depending on where you jump in California, you can see the ocean and the snow in the mountains. If you can remember, ask your instructor to point out them out. Enjoy the ride; after all it is why you are here right?

Flying under parachute is the exact opposite of free fall. Things are quiet and peaceful. Instead of lying flat on your belly, you will be sitting upright suspended by your canopy. This is a great time to ask questions and take in the scenery. However most students are still swallowing their throats and processing what just happened.

For most, their first skydive was over in a quick rush of adrenaline. All told freefall was about a minute and flight under canopy 6-8 minutes.

What is next? Now that we know the phases, it is time to discuss your student track: tandem, static line, accelerated freefall (AFF) or wind tunnel. Each has distinctive features and depending on your perspective will be a pro or a con.

So you want to learn to skydive?

Perhaps you were bitten by the skydive ‘bug’ after watching a movie? Maybe you were playing a video game and one of the segments required you to skydive your character to safety? Regardless, you are bitten and the only ‘cure’ is to try skydiving – keep reading! Before we discuss methods to become involved with modern skydiving, lets take a look at skydiving’s origins.

History
According to United States Parachuting Association (USPA) the voluntary governing body of skydiving, skydiving has evolved quite a bit since, “Leonardo DaVinci’s pyramid-shaped, wooden framed parachute that Adrian Nichols jumped in the late 20th century.” USPA  Parachutes were used in World War I by observation balloon pilots as a means to escape their crippled craft. Later in World War II, military infantry units jumped into battle using parachutes. After the war, excess parachutes and people willing to jump them gave birth to the modern sport of skydiving.Parachutes used to be carried and deployed from the skydiver’s belly, opened round and were hard to steer. They were relatively heavy too. Early sport skydivers didn’t stay in the sport too long as injuries were common. Stressed backs from ‘hard’ parachute openings and knee injuries from challenging parachute landing falls (PLF) took a toll on the early sport skydiver.

Sport skydiving today
Modern parachutes are rectangular and take on the flying characteristics of a modern airplane wing. Today’s sport skydiver carries their parachute on their back, which increases skydiver stability during freefall. Packed and deployed properly, hard openings are a thing of the past. The modern sport parachute is designed for the skydiver to land on their feet and stay standing. The PLF and injuries associated with it are issues of the past.Skydiving has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years. In the last 20-30 years, application of new technology, and modern materials has made sport skydiving a safe and fun activity. Over the next week, we will discuss different disciplines associated with skydiving and how to get started.

What is next?
There are multiple entry points into the sport of skydiving: wind tunnel, tandem, static line and accelerated free-fall. Lets take a look at which one is best for you!

River Rafting the Kaweah!

The video is from a raft from last year's Kaweah River Rafting Adventure. 2100 cfs. If you think of 1 cfs as a bowling ball, imagine what 2100 of them every second would look like rolling down the lane. The let in, where we start is intimidating. It is a Class IV+ rapid. As soon as we get in the raft, it is all business. Please do not think you can go out the night before and get 'big', wake up early and make this thing happen comfortably. You will need your physical and mental selves to be functioning 100%.