5.SKY DIVING AND PARACHUTING

Parachuting is not as dangerous as one might expect and there are less than one fatality per 150,000 thousand jumps. These are rarely due to equipment failure but are often caused by badly executed radical moves too close to the ground.

Although many people do a jump for charity just learning the basics, the complex skills can take thousands of jumps to master. The basics include safety, free fall manouvers, parachute operation and how to land. The first jump can be a tandem jump where you are attached to your instructor.

Jumps can be from balloons or helicopters but are usually from aircraft. A typical jump is freefalling from 4000m with the parachute opening at 2500m. It must be the nearest thing to flying like a bird that a man is likely to experience.

Surprisingly sky divers do not normally feel a fall sensation. Once they reach terminal velocity anything between 120 and 200 mph they no longer are accelerating so don't feel as though they are falling.

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