Parachuting

Parachuting, or skydiving, is a recreational activity, competitive sport and method of deployment of military personnel (and occasionally, firefighters). It involves the breaking of a free fall from a height through the use of a parachute.

Training

There are ways to practice different aspects of skydiving, without actually jumping. Wind tunnels can be used to practice skills for free fall, while virtual reality skydiving simulators can be used to practice parachute control.

Related Topics:
Wind tunnel - Virtual reality - Skydiving simulator - Parachute

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Beginning skydivers seeking training have a few different options available to them: tandem, static line, IAD, and AFF.

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Tandem

Tandem jumps are perhaps becoming the most common type of jump selected by first-time or one-time skydivers. The jump is usually done from 10,000+ feet--often as high as 14,000 feet. As mentioned earlier, the jumper is strapped to the front of a jumper, known as the "Tandem Master," who has been specially trained and certified for the specific brand of tandem equipment to be used.

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This method is popular with those who only want to make one skydive, since it requires very little training to experience freefall. If desired, someone who starts off with a tandem jump can progress into student training to become an experienced jumper.

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Static line

In a static line jump, students exit the plane on their own and their parachute is activated as they exit by a static line attached to the aircraft. These initial jumps are usually conducted from 3,500 feet and the student receives one-way radio guidance from an instructor on the ground from deployment until landing. If the student desires to continue training using this method, the first few jumps are static line jumps. After a few static line jumps, students are introduced to new equipment allowing them to deploy their own parachutes; generally, most modern parachutes are activated by removing a small parachute, about 3 feet in diameter, called a "pilot chute" from a pocket on the rig and throwing it away from the body. This small parachute is inflated and drags out the main parachute. Before allowing students to activate their parachutes on their own, they generally conduct one or two static line jumps simulating throwing out their own pilot chutes. Then, students are gradually introduced to freefall with gradual increases in altitude, first activating after a five-second count. Once students are comfortable activating their own parachutes, they are gradually introduced to use of altimeters and further increases in altitude.

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IAD

Instructor Assisted Deployment, or IAD, is the successor to static line. The main difference is that instead of being deployed by a static line, the student's jumpmaster (who is in the plane with them) deploys the student's parachute by throwing the pilot chute out the door as the student exits.

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Among the benefits to IAD are increased reliability and the ability to use the same parachute equipment as the students will use when they progress to deploying their parachutes on their own.

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AFF

Accelerated Freefall -- AFF -- is a method of training preferred by many for those students who are serious about wanting to become skydivers. The "accelerated" comes from the fact that instead of building up the amount of freefall the student is exposed to, the student exits at maximum altitude (12k-14k feet) starting with the first jump. Instructors jump with the student during AFF jumps, and as they freefall with the student, they are able to monitor and correct the student's body position and other problems during freefall. Later exercises include things such as turns, backflips, and being able to dock. During the first several AFF jumps, as with the other training methods, the student has radio contact with ground personnel while they are under canopy.

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