Sky diving

Skydiving, also known as  Parachuting, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute.

Parachuting is performed as a recreational  activity and a competitive sport.

History of skydiving

The history of skydiving starts with Andre-Jacques Garnerin  

who made successful parachute jumps from a hot-air balloon in 1797.

Early competitions date back to the 1930s, and it became an international sport in 1952.

A typical sky dive :

From an altitude of 1000-4000 m. If jumping from a lower

altitude the parachute is deployed immediately.

By manipulating the shape of the body in freefall, a skydiver can generate turns, forward motion,

backwards motion,

and even lift.

Safety

Fatalities are rare. In US , around 30 skydivers are killed

per year. AAD (automatic activation device) which

deploys the parachute in emergency. Carry two parachutes. Wear a oxygen mask if diving from a

high altitude.

Parachuting and weather

Parachuting in poor weather, especially with thunderstorms, high winds, and dust devils can be a dangerous activity.

It can cause cannopy collisions.

Training programmes

Vertical wind tunnels are used to practice for free fall.

Tandem skydiving -

Variations in dives –

Hit and rock

Stuff jumps

Pond swooping

Cross country

(immediate deployment)

Camera flying

Night jumps

Tracking

Drop zones

In parachuting, a drop zone or DZ is the area above and around a location where a parachutist freefalls and expects to land.

It is usually situated beside a small airport, often sharing the facility with other general aviation activities.

Some Records

Largest formation

-400 linked persons

8 Feb, 2006

thailand

Largest head

down formation

-108 linked persons

31 july, 2009

chicago

Worlds largest

canopy formation

100 persons

21 Nov, 2007

Florida , USA.