It's a quick death...isn't it?

[b_dog 0]

A year ago I went tandem jumping by myself. I had fun and it went smoothly, now in a couple of weeks I'm going to do it again with a couple of friends. Doing it with friends should add a new level of enjoyment.

Strangely, I'm more freaked out about safety issues this time than I was for the first jump. It doesn't help that there is a fatality database at this forum listing the recent deaths in the sport.

Even though I know rationally that these are largely isolated incidents and that thousands of people jump around the world without much trouble each year, the possibility of being that unfortunate 1 out of 1,000 brings me pause.

The fact is, this is a dangerous sport, as everyone is obviously well aware. Despite all the competence of modern equipment and experienced jumpers, you are in fact jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and racing toward a 7,900 mile diameter rock at around 120 or so miles per hour, destined to become a splatter on the ground if you did not have your equipment. If just one thing goes wrong, you're screwed.

So, in consideration of this danger, in the instance that the parachute and the reserve both fail or if I fall out of the harness or other such uh-oh, at least smashing into the ground would pretty much be an instantaneous, and therefore almost painless death, no?

Impacting the ground at terminal speed, I'm sure the sudden extreme transfer of energy will ensure that your bones and other insides will result in only a millisecond of severe pain. I hope so, at least. It would sure suck to be a crumbled mess on the ground, all your nerves sending the reality of your present situation to your brain as it slowly loses consciousness for good.

That is all assuming a full speed impact of course. I know people have died after impacting with spiraling canopies or colliding with other objects with a lesser speed; I'm sure those were painful before blacking out.

But I try to keep a sense of humor about things. Should I find myself on that day having fallen out of the strap or something, I'd like to think that instead of screaming in absolute horror as I fast approach oblivion's embrace, I'd do something silly like flap my arms and think to myself, 'Well, at least I get to die doing something awesome' and remind myself that despite having lived a short life that I should be grateful I was one of the lucky ones to have even been born at all.

It's a morbid thought, I know. But even for seasoned skydivers, I would imagine that even many of them would, before each jump, think that this could be the last. At least they lived life to the fullest.

[Elisha 1]

...and your point is?

Either you accept the risk involved and the consequences or you don't.

[b_dog 0]

Of course, if one participates in this sport, one accepts the risks. I was not claiming otherwise. I accept the risks and I think it's worth doing something so extraordinary. That doesn't mean one can't reflect on those risks and imagine themselves in such a situation. My post didn't really have a 'point,' just random thoughts.

[DSE 3]

I'm certain you aren't the only one in Xtreme sports that feels this way.
In Yosemite several years ago, I met a climber that claimed that if anything ever happened to him on El Cap, he'd sing his way down.

Surely enough, later that same year he did exactly that.

[b_dog 0]

Someone also once told me that if I were to go skydiving and the parachute failed, that in freefall I should turn my head, place one arm around my back, place the other around my torso, and cross my legs. Not because it would save my life, but because they'd sure have a hell of a time prying me from the ground.

[kelpdiver 2]

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So, in consideration of this danger, in the instance that the parachute and the reserve both fail or if I fall out of the harness or other such uh-oh, at least smashing into the ground would pretty much be an instantaneous, and therefore almost painless death, no?

Sorry, there's no guarantee of this, and in fact I'd venture that most are not quick. These days accidents tend not to be at terminal, and the person suffers bad internal trauma and bleeding. On the tandem side, there was one drowning last year.

Doing one jump, the numbers are in your favor, but I wouldn't rationalize the risk away by thinking it won't hurt. It probably will.

[matt1215 0]

Nope, it'll hurt really badly.

Listen to your instructors, learn your EP's, ask lots of questions, and hopefully you won't suffer that fate. Personally I'd rather die doing something fun than an unexperienced old man.

[Eule 0]

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Strangely, I'm more freaked out about safety issues this time than I was for the first jump. It doesn't help that there is a fatality database at this forum listing the recent deaths in the sport.

Strangely, I'm more freaked out about Bakersfield than I was a few minutes ago. A baby died of being shaken too hard. Another kid was beat to death. A 55 year old lady was killed in a hit-and-run. A semi hit a car on Highway 223; one person died and another person was seriously injured. Several elderly people died of old age, illnesses, etc. It doesn't help that the Bakersfield Californian newspaper lists all the recent deaths in the area.

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If just one thing goes wrong, you're screwed.

It's true that there are some single points of failure, but quite a lot of effort is put into removing them. A single-engine airplane usually has two fuel tanks and two ignition systems; some DZs have multi-engine airplanes. The container has a main parachute and a reserve parachute. Usually there's just one way to get the main out, but there are up to _three_ ways to get the reserve out - ripcord, reserve static line (the cut-away main pulls the reserve), and automatic activation device (a computer that senses speed and altitude).

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Impacting the ground at terminal speed, I'm sure the sudden extreme transfer of energy will ensure that your bones and other insides will result in only a millisecond of severe pain.

Actually, the one that really gets you is the second landing, after you bounce back up in the air. If you grab the grass really tightly after you first hit, you won't bounce, and your chance of survival is high. If you're not sure that you'll be able to grab the grass, you could do [url "http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2400402;#2400402"]this[/url ] with your shoe instead.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[b_dog 0]

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Strangely, I'm more freaked out about Bakersfield than I was a few minutes ago. A baby died of being shaken too hard. Another kid was beat to death. A 55 year old lady was killed in a hit-and-run. A semi hit a car on Highway 223; one person died and another person was seriously injured. Several elderly people died of old age, illnesses, etc. It doesn't help that the Bakersfield Californian newspaper lists all the recent deaths in the area.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I acknowledged the irrationality of such reasoning in the post even though I was experiencing fear, so that wasn't necessary.

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It's true that there are some single points of failure, but quite a lot of effort is put into removing them. A single-engine airplane usually has two fuel tanks and two ignition systems; some DZs have multi-engine airplanes. The container has a main parachute and a reserve parachute. Usually there's just one way to get the main out, but there are up to _three_ ways to get the reserve out - ripcord, reserve static line (the cut-away main pulls the reserve), and automatic activation device (a computer that senses speed and altitude).

I understand that there are things one can do if put in a displeasing position. Even so, as a newbie with an expert on my back, I doubt there's much I could do to help my instructor if something went wrong.

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Actually, the one that really gets you is the second landing, after you bounce back up in the air. If you grab the grass really tightly after you first hit, you won't bounce, and your chance of survival is high. If you're not sure that you'll be able to grab the grass, you could do [url "http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2400402;#2400402"]this[/url ] with your shoe instead.

You're not funny.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Actually, the one that really gets you is the second landing, after you bounce back up in the air. If you grab the grass really tightly after you first hit, you won't bounce, and your chance of survival is high. If you're not sure that you'll be able to grab the grass, you could do [url "http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2400402;#2400402"]this[/url ] with your shoe instead.

You're not funny.

Actually, that's pretty funny and not original... it's a timeless joke in this sport.

One thing you will learn is that death is a reality in this sport; a dark sense of humor is often the way of processing and coping with that reality. If you didn't find that joke funny, you may not want to spend a lot of time at dropzones, because the jokes get a lot darker than that.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[b_dog 0]

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One thing you will learn is that death is a reality in this sport; a dark sense of humor is often the way of processing and coping with that reality.

Uh huh, and I suppose my appreciation of that wasn't already apparent in the OP. (Why doesn't this forum have a roll-eyes smiley? Grr.)

I got the joke. I'm saying he wasn't funny for posting that, as I took it as being a smart-ass reply to my post. The joke in itself, I understand.

[NWFlyer 2]

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as I took it as being a smart-ass reply to my post.

There's absolutely none of that in this sport. Sorry he gave you the wrong impression of skydivers.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[yamtx73 0]

No smart asses in skydiving? Dam'n it, now I'm either going to have to stop being a smart ass or quit skydiving....

The only naturals in this sport shit thru feathers...

[Eule 0]

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You're not funny.

You are in dire need of a safety meeting. If you don't lighten up, there isn't a rig made that can handle your weight.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[StreetScooby 5]

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I'm sure the sudden extreme transfer of energy will ensure that your bones and other insides will result in only a millisecond of severe pain. I hope so, at least. It would sure suck to be a crumbled mess on the ground, all your nerves sending the reality of your present situation to your brain as it slowly loses consciousness for good.

Uhm, no one has come back to say... So, we really don't know.

We are all engines of karma

[DottieBear 0]

I went through a phase right after I got off student status, up until I got my A almost, that I suddenly became more aware of the risks. I made a point to read ALL the fatalities, I read everything I could find about how to be safer in this sport, and I listened and learned from EVERYONE who offered advice to me when I made little mistakes at the dz....mistakes that at my level weren't a huge deal, but I as I got more experienced, downsized more, and did more challenging things, they could have ended up with me getting really hurt.

Now I've gone through the first fatality of a friend, but I hasn't kept me out of the sky. Its a risk you have to accept. Its a knowledge and fear that will make you give the sport the respect it deserves, and that respect will help keep you alive and in one piece. But for me, skydiving gives me a pure happiness that nothing else in my life has ever given me....and its worth it.

~Dottie

“Everything looks perfect from far away.”
Postal Service, Such Great Heights

[Ronaldo 0]

I still get this feeling occasionally, especially when go jump after being on the ground for a couple of weeks.
If you decide to join the sport one thing that would help you overcome this feeling is learning as much as you can about your equipment. Learn how to pack, inspect and assemble (with supervision or with a final inspection from your rigger). Learn the mechanical aspects and philosophies between different brands of gear, ask and read a lot. Once you learn how it works and start to jump your own pack jobs you’ll feel much more confident on the equipment and on yourself. Modern skydiving equipment is very safe and simple. Accidents are almost always caused by human error so do your best to reduce this.
My second jump was the worst in terms of fear, simply because I had tasted all the adrenaline and fear of the first jump and was now asking myself if I wanted to go through all of this again. Believe me, it was worth.
Safe skies!

Engineering Law #5: The most vital dimension on any plan drawing stands the most chance of being omitted

[Feeblemind 1]

Since humor is not my fortay I will be forward,

I believe the actual fatality rate is 1:100,000. (I may be wrong, but that was the number told to me)

You have two choices as I see it:

1) Live life to the fullest!! you get only get one turn on the planet (some believe otherwise). Enjoy the ride and live life to the fullest. Yes death may find you along the journey, but you will have a smile when that time arrives.

2) Lock yourself in a closet and patiently wait for death to arrive, it will eventually and how much enjoyment will that be?

Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

[matt1215 0]

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I believe the actual fatality rate is 1:100,000.

Much better odds than the fatality rate on life itself. Last I checked, that was 1:1.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I dont worry about me dying, I worry about others being subjected to the scenes of my death. A year and a half in the sport and "are they next?" is in my friendship. Kitty told me a long time ago, stay in it long enough and either you or your friends will die for it and thats the hardest part of this sport.

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[JT_76 0]

A run in with the earth at terminal speed and you won't feel a thing because you'll be mush in a millisecond.

Impacting under a spiraling canopy is where the pain would be but then it again it will depend on how fast you're coming down. You're likely to get knocked out right away if it doesn't kill you instantly or you'll at least go into shock so the pain probably wouldn't hit it's worst until you're in the hospital. If you're still alive that is.

But then again that brings up the age old question. If grasshoppers had machine guns would birds fuck with them? (It's a joke, chill) Some things are best not over analyzed. But there is a risk, accept it or not.

[mrGuy 0]

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....the possibility of being that unfortunate 1 out of 1,000 brings me pause....

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Yikes!! I don't think you should do it again! Seriously....Those are really bad odds, and you have to ask yourself.."whats the point?"


-regarding the pain of bouncing...I bet its sort of like being thrown from a car at 120 miles per hour and slamming into a bridge abutment. Probably doesn't feel that great.

[b_dog 0]

There's nothing wrong with being a smart-ass. I appreciate humor in any form. I just took this particular instance the wrong way. You know, context and all. Ah well, no harm done.

Remember the internet is a crappy from of communication. No nonverbal messages, no tone or inflection in voice, so you have to be careful about using sarcasm or other such stuff.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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A run in with the earth at terminal speed and you won't feel a thing because you'll be mush in a millisecond

people have bounced and lived

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[airtwardo 6]

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Nope, it'll hurt really badly.

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That's right!

Won't hurt LONG...but really, REALLY BAD!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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