Questions tagged [skydiving]

A controlled parachute jump out of an aircraft for sport.

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Has a wingsuit pilot ever flown inverted for an extended period of time (say more than 5 seconds)?

Has a wingsuit pilot ever flown inverted for an extended period of time (say more than 5 seconds)? (Additional content added to add length to "meet our quality standards") -- It seems it ...
quiet flyer's user avatar
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5 votes
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Steepest climb a wingsuit pilot can achieve?

There was a question yesterday about landing in a wingsuit; the main issue is, of course, the high speed, both vertically and horizontally. One way to reduce speed is flaring; another would be to gain ...
Peter - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
17 votes
4 answers
3k views

Landing Wingsuit on Solid Ground or Water

Is it possible to land with a wingsuit on solid ground or water? What does not count: Jumping from low height that does not allow to reach terminal velocity Landing in trees or other objects that ...
catalyst's user avatar
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4 answers
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How can skydivers start at 15,000 feet without the jumper suffering from hypoxia?

Many commercial skydiving facilities offer jumps at 15,000 ft. However, when I took my ground theory exams, it was reiterated many times that hypoxia starts at 10,000 feet. How does this work? Is it ...
Cloud's user avatar
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4 votes
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What are the wind speed limits for skydiving?

Obviously, there is the crosswind and steady wind speed limit of the aircraft you are jumping from, but that aside, what are the wind speed (including gusts) limits for the average tandem skydive?
Cloud's user avatar
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3 votes
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Could a plane catch up with a skydiver with a failed parachute?

Picture this scenario: A drop-plane drops off a group of skydivers. One of them pulls his chute and it fails, he pulls his reserve and nothing happens. The skydiver radios the plane to tell the pilot ...
Cloud's user avatar
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What is the lift to drag ratio of a human being?

If a person falls at terminal velocity, and tries to steer himself with his limbs, what is the maximum lift to drag ratio he can achieve, and what position would that be in?
Abdullah's user avatar
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Do aircraft have to be certified specifically for skydiving?

As a skydiver, I have jumped from many different types of aircraft. Most have been specially modified for the sport. Are there requirements outside of the mechanical modifications for an aircraft to ...
SDH's user avatar
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What would have happened if the space balloonists had opened their parachute immediately when jumping off?

What would have happened if Joe Kittinger, Felix Baumgartner and Alan Eustace had opened their parachute right after jumping off the capsule (respectively releasing oneself from the balloon in case of ...
Better not tell's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
141 views

What is the best way to determine Run-in direction for parachute activity?

I am very new into flying skydivers. The aim is to get skydivers to a certain altitude usually 14000ft as quick as possible. They have to be dropped into a certain direction to compensate for wind. ...
Ted Staggs's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
7k views

Why don't militaries use ram-air parachutes?

Military parachutes for use by humans (both paratroopers and distressed aircrew) tend to be of simple round or (more recently) cruciform design: (Image by the United States Army, via Wikimedia ...
Vikki's user avatar
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Please identify this unusual jump plane

Can anyone identify this aircraft: This plane was used in a horrible skydiving attempt where the person in the back attempted to climb out but was unable. As a skydiver, this made me very ...
SDH's user avatar
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Can private pilots drop skydivers if the pilot pays a pro-rata share?

This question was inspired by this other question. If a private pilot was to pay the pro-rata share of a flight for some skydiving friends, could they take those friends up and let them jump out? If ...
HiddenWindshield's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
220 views

What happened with the balloons of project Excelsior?

After the flight to the ISS yesterday I am reading more stuff about mankind in the universe. Reading about the Excelsior project makes me wonder what happened with the helium balloon after Joseph ...
user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

D.B Cooper incident - What caused the tail to move after a jump?

In the Wiki page on "D.B Cooper", the presumed moment he jumped out of the aircraft is described: At approximately 8:13 p.m., the aircraft's tail section sustained a sudden upward movement, ...
Cloud's user avatar
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Why/how is a downplane parachute configuration aerodynamically stable?

One of the most dangerous situations possible in skydiving is a so-called downplane, where both the main and reserve chutes deploy, and they shift outwards to the sides of the parachutist until ...
Vikki's user avatar
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21 votes
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What is the risk of a single skydive?

I've seen many articles that compares the risk of skydiving with other sports or activities like cycling or driving. However, they are very ambiguous in terms of how the risk was calculated (number of ...
Camilo Rada's user avatar
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Is a French PAC skydiving license equivalent to an AFF license?

I am planning to do a skydiving course and I was thinking of doing the course in France. That means, I would get a stage PAC license course instead of AFF. I want to know how PAC is different from AFF ...
Ankit Agarwal's user avatar
0 votes
4 answers
376 views

What should I expect to happen when I get on a skydiving flight

I am schedule to go on a short flight (skydive)* on a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan during an international visit to some friends. I found the serial number of the flight, here is it's record. Since ...
Cloud's user avatar
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1 vote
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Are there any safety data on the aircraft used for skydiving?

I am planning a (first) skydive, a tandem jump with an instructor. However, I have not picked which school I will use yet. I am convinced about the safety of the jump itself, but cannot find reliable ...
Cloud's user avatar
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8 votes
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Will the steep beta descent mode become illegal for new aircraft?

The PC6 is a popular skydiver carrier due to its ability to use steep nose down beta descent to get back to the ground quickly, even beating free falling skydivers. (YouTube) FAA AC25.1155x (I only ...
Pilothead's user avatar
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Why do high altitude sky-divers say 'Exit' multiple times?

This is something that has always puzzled me. https://sndup.net/6vn8/a Unfortunately, I can't find a video in which I heard them say it, but right before they left the plane, I heard Exit exit ...
HeavenlyHarmony's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
4k views

Is skydiving in IMC (through clouds) legal and safe?

(1) What are the legal considerations for skydiving into clouds? I see many skydivers did fall into and out clouds in online videos. However, the clouds are mostly scattered or thin-layered. How about ...
CrepuscularV's user avatar
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What is the purpose of D-Bag in skydiving parachute?

Recently I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the skydiving parachute. And I could not explain to my self the reason to use D-Bag and not pack main canopy directly in backpack compartment. I ...
f470071's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
397 views

How minimum runway length is calculated for PAC P-750 XSTOL?

I'm not a pilot, but have interest in the question from a safety perspective, as a skydiver and drop zone operator. I read the POH of PAC P-750 XSTOL, and tried reading a bit about the calculations, ...
Tommy's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
61k views

What is the maximum altitude a skydiving plane can fly?

Is there a standard maximum altitude which skydiving planes can fly? I am mainly asking about the sports activity, not military parachuting.
NitinG's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
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What effects to controllability are there when the rear doors are opened on a KC-130?

Many years ago, I was part of a LRRP drop taking photos from inside a KC-130 aircraft. The rear doors are (relatively speaking) huge. The top half pivots up and into the craft, while the bottom half ...
CGCampbell's user avatar
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7 votes
5 answers
2k views

How does skydiving flight cause shock cooling?

While answering this question (How can reducing power too quickly on a piston engine damage it?), barit1 said that: Skydiving planes see a LOT of shock cooling, and they pay for it at overhaul time ...
FreeMan's user avatar
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Do I need a stamp for my USPA license?

A few weeks ago I finally finished all of my USPA A license requirements. My instructor signed off the final things and even the card but forgot to put the stamp itself on the form. I was about to ...
user4243's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
5k views

What should I do to become a pilot for skydivers, in France?

What are the steps needed to become a pilot that can transport skydivers? I'm more specifically interested in the situation in Europe, France. I would expect lessons / certifications, then more ...
Guillaume's user avatar
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12 votes
5 answers
21k views

What happens if a parachute does not open while skydiving?

While skydiving we have to jump from the airplane at a certain altitude above Earth. So if for some reason the parachute doesn't open, then will that person (or any object similar to a human body) ...
AmitG's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is skydiving not NOTAMed in the US?

Recently there was a mishap at South Lakeland Airport in Mulberry, Florida where a Cessna 170 collided with a skydiver. Luckily all involved suffered only minor injuries. As far as I know, skydiving ...
falstro's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
1k views

If skydivers cannot jump on a flight, what should I take care of when landing?

Piloting an aircraft, if skydivers cannot jump on a flight, what should I take care of when landing? Are there any special recommendations which should be taken into account?
Lucas Kauffman's user avatar