You stand on the edge of the plane, the wind rushes around you and the landscape seems infinitely far away. You literally take a leap into the deep. What a thrill parachuting gives! Have you always wanted to do this? Read on, because we are going to tell you all about it.
Parachuting
Parachuting is also known as skydiving. An exciting extreme sport where a person jumps out of the plane with a parachute. The parachute has to go out at a certain height and ensures that you fall slowly and reach the ground safely. An activity that combines adrenaline with precision and technique. It all started with Leonardo da Vinci. He drew a parachute in 1485, claiming that any person from any height could land safely. Yet he was never believed and the parachute was not really developed until many years later
Preparation and equipment
Preparation for skydiving is essential. Safety comes first. This starts with an extensive briefing in which the jump procedure, safety techniques and emergency situations are discussed. The equipment used by a parachutist consists of a main parachute, a reserve parachute, a harness and an automatic activation device (AAD). The harness provides a connection between the parachutist and the parachutes, while the AAD automatically opens the reserve parachute if the main parachute is not opened in time.
The jumping process
- Take-off and aircraft preparation: The jumping process starts with the take-off in an aircraft and this is often a special aircraft. During the flight to the jump altitude, which is usually between 3000 and 4000 meters, the parachutists check their equipment again.
- Free Fall: Once you get to the right height, the skydivers will pop out. The first phase is a free fall and you fall down at speeds of up to 200 km/h. This takes about 30-60 seconds, depending on the height of the jump.
- Parachute opening: The parachutist usually pulls the rip cord around 1000 and 1500 meters to open the main parachute. The parachute then fills with air and the fall slows down to about 20 km/h.
- Navigation and landing: After opening the parachute, the parachutist navigates to the landing zone. It does this with the control cords of the parachute. A successful landing requires precision and control, with the parachutist usually landing in a soft, forward roll to minimize impact.
Safety and training
You can’t just go skydiving. It requires training and adherence to safety protocols. Yet skydiving is a unique combination of adventure, technique and precision. An adrenaline rush that gives you a feeling of security.
