Skydiving Gear Makes Jumping Safer, More Attractive

A lot has changed in the way of skydiving gear since it was first used by the military in World War I, with new advances in technology and parachute design making it one of the most popular recreational extreme sports in the country. The experience of free falling at speeds that can exceed 120 miles per hour is a great experience to some, while others find it to be a terrifying thought.

One of the most visible changes in skydiving gear is the parachute design. Originally, it as a round nylon cloth in the shape of half of a ball with a hole in the center to allow air to flow through. Today’s parachutes resemble wings and offer greater control of the glide direction and speed. The fall rate of 120 miles per hour can quickly drop to about 12 miles per hour once the parachute is deployed. Additional skydiving gear for safety is an altimeter worn by the jumper, telling them when to open the chute, as opposed to the original jumpers who made the determination by visually calculating their distance to the ground.

Possibly one of the most important pieces of skydiving gear, other than the parachute and reserve chute, is the altimeter. Knowing how far a jumper is from the ground tells them when to open their chute, giving the chute sufficient time to fully deploy deploy before hitting the ground. Some of the older, mechanical altimeters often gave false readings if the jumper was inverted, but newer skydiving gear, include those that are accurate regardless of the position.

Chute Design Varies With Activity

When buying a parachute, its shape and size will be determined by the type of jumping a person is going to be doing. Wing design, arrowhead shape or the old standard round parachutes are some the skydiving gear for which jumpers are looking. Helmets are another major part of skydiving gear that must meet safety standards. Not that a helmet will be much good if the chute fails to open, but if the jumper falls upon landing, the helmet can provide protection if their head hits the ground.

Parachutists closely examine their skydiving gear frequently, looking for signs of wear and weakness in the chute materiel, the cords and the backpack, as well as the harness straps that keep them attached to the parachute. The clothing they wear as part of their skydiving gear is also closely examined for tears that could affect their direction of travel on their way back to terra firma.

More About Skydiving:

• Adventure Sky Diving – The Thrill Of A Lifetime
• The Ups And Downs Of Skydiving
• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving
• Advantages Of Ohio Skydiving
• Recreational Sky Diving Requires Trust

The Versatility Of Skydiving Icons

If you have a favorite hobby or sport, the chances are you want to show it to others.  You love talking about it, reading about it and of course doing it.  Skydiving is no exception.

And there are plenty of ways to integrate it into your life – even when you’re not doing it.  Finding or creating some skydiving icons is just one way of doing this.

What Exactly Are Skydiving Icons?

An icon of any kind is basically an image.  It can be a character – as in a computer typeface, for example – or it can be an image of almost anything you can think of.  If you join a particular website and need to create a profile, for instance, you may be asked to upload an icon to represent yourself.  These are also known as avatars.

So what has all this got to do with skydiving?

Well, if you’re a dedicated skydiver or you enjoy watching it as a sport, you can tell everyone about it by using skydiving icons to represent yourself – both online and off.

Choosing A Style

When you think of skydiving icons, your first thought will probably be of a skydiver in the middle of a freefall.  This always looks impressive, and if you dive yourself you can always use a picture of yourself as your icon.

But a real photo isn’t the only option you have.  You can also use a cartoon image or a simple outline of a person in a freefall position.  If you are good at drawing you can create your own.

Words can also be incorporated into skydiving icons.  The most obvious would probably be Geronimo, written underneath a picture of a skydiver.

Where To Find Skydiving Icons

Try searching the internet for free online icons to see what’s available – you can then upload any that you like straight onto your computer.

If you find a particular one that appeals to you, you can use it on clothing as well.  Many skydiving jumpsuits are tailor made and designed by and for their owner – perhaps you could get your icon printed on the back of yours?

You may even end up with a whole selection of skydiving clothes emblazoned with your icon.  Imagine arriving for your dive wearing a baseball cap and bomber jacket, both displaying your icon for all to see.

Whatever type of skydiving icons appeal to you, they could soon be more than just a way of identifying you online.  They could make you stand out as a true skydiver.

More About Skydiving:

• Adventure Sky Diving – The Thrill Of A Lifetime
• Skydiving Gear Makes Jumping Safer, More Attractiv…
• The Ups And Downs Of Skydiving
• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving
• Advantages Of Ohio Skydiving
• Recreational Sky Diving Requires Trust

The History Of Army Skydiving

Today we enjoy skydiving as a breathtaking leisure sport, but its origins lie within the army.  The history books are chock full of dates and occurrences where skydiving has played an important part.

Army skydiving had a big role to play in the Second World War, when paratroopers dropped into enemy zones to fight – all the time relying on equipment far less sophisticated than the parachutes, helmets and jumpsuits we know today.

Skydiving is a natural sport to develop from army training.  Not surprisingly, sport in general is a big factor in army life, and many expert skydivers found their passion after joining the army.

Army Skydiving Teams

The past few decades have seen many army skydiving teams enjoying the sport and becoming experts at what they do.  Indeed, many of these teams are competition winners when it comes to aerial acrobatics.

Perhaps one of the most famous army skydiving teams is the Red Devils.  The history of this team begins in 1964, and since then they have performed at air shows all over the world, impressing crowds of people with formation skydiving in their distinctive red jumpsuits.

Why Are Army Skydiving Teams So Popular?

The answer to this lies in the job they do.  Army life can be extremely dangerous, and the training instils a need to communicate and work well together as a team, sometimes with little or no verbal communication.

This skill transfers exceptionally well to skydiving, as the team members need to rely on each other to attain the proper positioning and manoeuvres during freefall.  Army skydiving teams are usually made up from volunteers, who serve as part of the team in addition to their usual duties.

Life After The Army

There have been occasions where army personnel have continued with skydiving as far more than a hobby upon leaving the army.  Some personnel have set up professional skydiving centers as part of a whole new career, passing the skills they have learned on to many eager newcomers to the sport.

Such skydiving schools have been extremely successful, not least because of their esteemed history.  Who better to teach you how to skydive than an army professional?

So it seems army skydiving has gone from being a skill developed to get into enemy territory quickly and efficiently, to a spectator sport appreciated by the masses.  Decades of experience and army training have ensured that American army skydiving teams are among the best in the world.

More About Skydiving:

• Adventure Sky Diving – The Thrill Of A Lifetime
• The Ups And Downs Of Skydiving
• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving
• Advantages Of Ohio Skydiving
• Recreational Sky Diving Requires Trust

Yes, There Is Such A Thing As Extreme Skydiving

To most people who read, “extreme skydiving” is a redundancy.  But there is a difference between skydiving and extreme skydiving.  And yes, people still use parachutes.  Perhaps the ultimate extreme skydiving would be to not use any kind of parachute, but so far that has not caught on.

Right, Then!  What Is It?

In regular skydiving, you jump out of a plane and pull the parachute chord and float down to earth.  You have to learn that before you can do extreme skydiving.   After several jumps of normal skydiving, things start getting a bit blasé and you decide to make things just a little more interesting.  Then you get into the area of extreme skydiving.  Invest in a video camera and, if possible, a paratrooper cameraman.  You will really want to film this.

Taking The Plunge

Before you have to pull the parachute cord, there is about a minute or so of freefall, depending on how high the plane is above the earth.  If is during the freefall that extreme skydiving happens.

There are teams that make patterns in the air before they have to pull their ripcord.  There are couples who prefer to get married while dropping out of the sky – a most apt metaphor for marriage if there ever was one.  You could even do what “Jonas” did in Sweden in May of 2007 – he was the first person in the world to receive a tattoo while freefalling.  Now that is EXTREME extreme skydiving.

Fleafall

Depending on what species you are, just making any kind of skydiving attempt is extreme skydiving.  A Dachshund named Brutus holds the current world record for extreme skydiving dogs – he’s made the highest jump of any dog.

Now, Brutus is not kicked out of a plane.  He is strapped snugly underneath his extreme skydiving owner, Ron Sirull (who is the author of the term “Fleafall.”)  Brutus shows none of the signs dogs in distress give off when in a jump.  Brutus does not cringe, show his teeth or go off his food.  Brutus has jumped over 100 times – more times than I would ever do.

Not An Olympic Event

So far, extreme skydiving is not an Olympic event or even an exhibition event.  Skydiving is still considered an extreme sport like bungee jumping, extreme ironing (I kid you not) or base jumping (which is illegal.)  There has not been enough evidence to support that extreme skydiving is a sport, with judge able criteria on how to judge that one extreme skydiver is better than any other skydiver.  Perhaps Brutus could write the rule book.

Links:

• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving
• Advantages Of Ohio Skydiving
• Recreational Sky Diving Requires Trust

Finding A New Thrill With Simulated Sky Diving

Do you long for the thrill of adventure? Want an adrenaline rush but aren’t quite the type that goes in for base-jumping? Then simulated sky diving may be the perfect solution for you! Available in virtually every state, and in dozens of countries, simulated sky diving has been offering thrill seekers around the world the opportunity of a lifetime for over fifty years.

History Of Simulated Sky Diving

The first wind tunnels used for simulated sky diving were constructed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in 1964. Used primarily for training paratroopers, these early wind tunnels simulated sky diving for training purposes for the Golden Knights, the Strategic Army Corps Parachute Team. The Golden Knights are a division of the Department of Defense, and still perform to this day

Flyaway Indoor Skydiving in Las Vegas first made simulated sky diving available to the general public in 1982. A second facility by Flyaway was opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee shortly thereafter. The Flyaway facilities offer a safe and affordable way for millions each year to experience the thrill of human flight.

How It Works

Simulated sky diving takes place inside a controlled, vertical wind tunnel, in which air is propelled upward at roughly 120 miles per hour. The “skydiver” enters the tunnel, garbed in a jumpsuit, helmet, and goggles, and moves into the center of the tunnel. The force of the wind propels the body upward, and the “skydiver” is able to actually fly within the tunnel. Simulated sky diving is safe for everyone weighing more than 40 pounds, although most facilities do have height and weight restrictions to ensure the safety of everyone.

Before one can experience simulated sky diving, a certain amount of instruction is required. Instructional videos are provided which show you the proper way to hold your body when inside of the wind tunnel, which hand signals to use to signal your instructor or flying partner, and the proper way to fall. It is important to note that when you fall inside a simulated sky diving wind tunnel, it does not hurt as one may suppose. You aren’t actually “falling” so, the danger is non-existent, unlike if one were jumping from a real plane.

It doesn’t take any special skills or previous experience to experience the joy of flight through sky diving. With facilities in almost every state, you too can easily experience the thrill of flight at an affordable price. Simulated sky diving is a safe and fun activity that the whole family can enjoy!

Links:

• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving

Get a Skydiving Tattoo Or A Tattoo Skydiving –Your Choice

A Swedish man only referred to as “Jonas” in May, 2007 combined two loves of his life – skydiving and tattoos. He received a tattoo while at over 13,000 feet. The tattooist had to jump, too. It was not a very complicated tattoo, being only four letters long – WFFT (for World’s First Freefall Tattoo) — but it counts as a skydiving tattoo to the Guinness World Book of Records. Perhaps you find getting a tattoo challenging enough without worrying about dropping out of the sky. You can then get a tattoo of a skydiver with your first firmly on the ground.

Why?

Out of all the images you could have permanently impaled into your skin, why choose a skydiving tattoo? Perhaps you feel as if it is perfect symbol of your life – there are many dangerous forces like gravity around, but you are not only in control of your decent, you are a master of it. Or perhaps your favorite book is What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. Or, just maybe, you might be a skydiver.

The image of a skydiver sailing down to earth with a colorful fully opened parachute is a graceful image in and of itself. You might want to add clouds or startled birds passing by. To emphasize how much in control the skydiver is through the seeming anger, you could have him smoke a cigarette on the way down. If you are into the exciting part of life, you might want a skydiving tattoo of a paratrooper in freefall. If you are into puns, your skydiving tattoo could be of the Native American chief Geronimo who yells “ME!” while jumping out of the plane. The imagination and your chosen tattoo artist’s talents are the only limits to your skydiving tattoo.

Some Basics

Choose your tattoo artist carefully, whether he or she is a skydiver or not. The tattoo parlor should be clean with sterile equipment. The tattoo artist should be pleased to show you samples of his or her past tattoos, which may or may not include skydiving tattoos. Talk about your idea of the perfect skydiving tattoo with the artist – he or she should be able to give hints or tips. Perhaps a silhouette of a skydiver would be more economical and less painful for you than a full palette of colors.

Your chosen artist for your skydiving tattoo would then need a template – a black and white outline that he or she can easily transfer to your skin. The outline is usually done in black ink. Putting on different colors may take many sessions at the tattoo parlor.

Links:

• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving

I Landed Safely On The Sky Diving Drop Zone First Time

Sky diving drop zone is the area above and around a location where a skydiver or parachutist freefalls and expects to land. The term also refers to the area in which freefall skydiving and parachute descents take place.

Three Methods Of Sky Diving

A sky dive drop zone is a place where you can learn to skydive, or skydive for fun. Depending on how much time you have, how much money you want to spend and how strong your nerves are, you have three selections to choose that will fit your style of sky diving. There are three methods of learning to skydive, tandem static line, and accelerated freefall. These three methods vary to some degree to give you a quick experience and introduction to skydiving while others use more experienced jumps on their own, with a friend (s), or a team (s).

The method you take will be about the experience you will get out of each of these jumps and, also, the reasons why you are sky diving drop zone in the first place. Now you have picked one for your first jump. Whichever method you choose to expose yours elf to the sport of skydiving is to have fun, broaden your horizons and shift your boundaries.

Your First Basic Tandem Jump

Tandem skydiving is a popular training method for first time skydivers. It exposes first time jumpers to the entire skydiving routine with minimal effort on the part of the trainee.
All modern tandem skydiving systems use a drogue parachuted, which is a parachute designed to be deployed from a rapid moving option to a more slower pace and easier to use for training purposes.

The first sky dive drop zone method is the Tandem jumping. This should be your first jump. Most drop zones are set up to offer tandem skydives under two different scenarios, the “one-time fun jump” which is part of the initial training method, or sometimes called tandem progression.

Tandem skydiving refers to a type of skydiving where the student is connected by a harness to an experienced skydiver. A student (trainee) generally needs only minimal instruction before making a tandem jump.

The second sky dive drop zone method is called the static line, which connects the deploymet bag of the parachute to the aircraft from which the parachutist jumps. Static lines are used in order to make sure that a parachute is deployed immediately after leaving the plane, regardless of any actions taken by the skydiver.

The third sky dive drop zone is called the accelerated freefall and is the fastest way to experience solo freefall. In most accelerated freefall two instructors jump with the trainee during their first three jumps, although, many use just one instructor. If the trainee has trouble deploying the parachute, the instructor will assist their trainee by physically putting the trainees hand on the pilot chute and pulling the chord. If the trainee still has trouble, the instructor will deploy the parachute for the trainee.

The instructors determine when the trainee has passed the requirements for each dive for the sky dive drop zone area. Your will experience the thrill of pulling your ripcord from your parachute and knowing that you passed. Congratulations!

Links:

• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving

Sky Diving Safety Tips And Advice For Beginners

Jumping from an aircraft with a big piece of material strapped to your back to help you to a safe landing isn’t everyone’s idea of having a good time, but if you’re considering having a go at skydiving there are some good sky diving safety tips you should be aware of in order to minimise any possible risks while doing it.

Be Health Wise – And Be Honest

You might be desperate to do a skydive, but when you read the form you are required to sign in order to take part in a jump you notice you have a medical condition which means you cannot sign the form honestly.

This does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to make the jump, but the sky diving safety tips you will be given are there for your own protection, and you should always be completely honest about any medical conditions which may prove to be a problem. For certain conditions you may be required to obtain your doctor’s approval.

Other Sky Diving Safety Advice To Consider

In other cases your instructors should be able to give you sky diving safety advice on what to expect during the jump itself. Landing back on solid ground makes many people nervous, although you probably won’t need to worry about having to tuck and roll as you land. Most people touch the ground and walk away without incident.

It’s quite understandable to be nervous for your first skydive, even if you are doing a tandem dive and letting your instructor do the hard work. Fear of the unknown is responsible for a lot of this, so it’s always a good idea to talk to your instructor and ask any questions you may have before you jump.

Good Advice For Beginners And Pros Alike

Your frame of mind is an important sky diving safety factor to consider when jumping. However experienced you may be, and however eager you are to make your next jump, you should always go through the procedure of checking your equipment.

Make sure your helmet, goggles and jumpsuit are all in good condition and are comfortable to wear. It might sound like a small thing to consider, but even an itchy chinstrap can be a distraction – and that’s the last thing you need when you are about to deploy your parachute on the way down.

So always remember to listen and learn when it comes to sky diving safety tips. You can never be too careful.

Links:

• Indoor Flight In A Skydiving Wind Tunnel
• Choosing The Right Skydiving Suits
• Skydiving Arizona Style
• Sky Diving Record All Over
• The Truth About Skydiving Deaths
• Good Reasons To Try San Diego Sky Diving
• First Sky Dive In Las Vegas
• A Brief History On Skydiving