kallend 1,623 #26 February 18, 2003 QuoteQuote I found this article written by Peter Katz, it is really interesting, "When Good Pilots Make Bad Decisions" Plane & Pilot, July 2002: p42. : "How Leisure Activities Compare" Activity Fatalities per mil. hours -Skydiving 128.71 -General Aviation 10.11 -Motorcycling 8.80 -Scuba Diving 1.98 -Swimming 1.07 -Snowmobile 0.88 -water skiing 0.28 -bicycling 0.26 Quote Well, first you have to decide the basis of the comparison? Risk per jump compared to risk per flight hour? Risk per year of participation in each activity? Reduction in life expectancy? ... Well heck, I don't know? But then who can really calculate life expectancy anyway... I guess I could get my calculator out and bleed down the numbers... but I don't see the need.... . Who has a million hours skydiving? Definition: STATISTICS: A highly scientific, and mathematically precise way to state a half-truth innacurately...And besides, statistics don't kill people...people kill people. The data quoted are pretty meaningless, as you stated, unless accompanied by some indication of the exposure to the risk. I manage about 5 hours of freefall a year, which puts my risk at about 1 in 1,600 of being killed skydiving during the course of a year according to the numbers quoted - seems about right to me. Actuaries generally assess risk on the basis of reduction in life expectancy. I recall seeing some data a while back that doing 100 jumps a year starting at age 20 will reduce average life expectancy by 2 years (which is to say, most will have no reduction, but a small number will die young, and the average works out at a 2 year reduction). By comparison, smoking a pack a day from age 20 results in 6 year reduction in life expectancy.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beowulf 1 #27 February 18, 2003 I try to asses how likely it is that I will die from each jump. If I feel the likelyhood of death is within my personal limits then I will do it. I would never do anything that would absolutely positively result in my own death(ie suicide). I dont want to die anymore then anyone else. I just choose to not let the fear of death stop me from doing things. Life with out risk would be very boring. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #28 February 18, 2003 QuoteTo me the risk of skydiving is lower than the risk of climbing: two parachutes, RSL, AAD - as compared to rope fraying on rock, me falling from rock, protection giving way, rockfall, mess on ground. Does this look like I've got it a bit backward to anyone else? As a deliquent rock climber (what can I say, I'm having too much fun skydiving right now to climb rock), both sports have their levels of risks. Without a doubt free soloing on rock (include class IV and V slopes) is more dangerous than skydiving. I'd also say that leading a trad rock climbing route is also likely more dangerous. Any sort of multi-pitch route (whether you're leading or following) is also dangerous on many different levels. But a top rope climb (assuming your belayer hasn't fallen asleep) is likely less dangerous. But in both sports, you have to rely on your gear, your training and while skydiving doesn't have this aspect, in any sort of rock climbing, ice climbing and/or mountaineering, you have to rely and trust your climbing partner(s). Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivegirl 0 #29 February 18, 2003 I think a good way to look at risk is per person exposed to the risk. I've looked on a government website a year or so ago which had shown deaths (not injuries but deaths) associated with an activity per 1 million people exposed. I can't remember exactly but here are some numbers it had listed: riding in automobile: 2 hundred something deaths per million commercial flights: .01 deaths per million use of an unvented space heater: 15 deaths per million skydiving: 14 deaths per million eating peanut butter: 8 deaths per million I originally researched this because 'parachuting activities' was listed on that site as having 2,000 deaths per million exposed. My professor (I was taking environmental risk assessment) proceeded to tell our class how much of an idiot I was for skydiving. When I defended myself... he basically said that he was right & I was obviously full of crap & lucky I wasn't dead. So I got some numbers from the USPA website to present to him. Which I did... in front of the class... on the overhead . It was fun! I'll try to find that site.. I'll post it if I can find it. Those crazy unvented space heater users!!!!! Pink Mafia Sis #26 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Push 0 #30 February 18, 2003 This puts it at about 1 death in 70,000 jumps. Sounds about right. -- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wonko 0 #31 February 23, 2003 Quote I must say that everyone I know thinks I am totally insane for jumping out of a plane ... Just do this and pretty soon you'll have a LOT of friends who think you are perfectly sane . What comes to risks - meeting mother earth at 120 mph is very convincing threat. It leaves no room for self-deception. Perceiving this threat helps me to do everything related to skydiving, with a feel of respect. I think this is a right mood to do this, and to enjoy the glory of flying free. Bad weather just spoiled this weekend. I feel sort of pathetic.villem life is what you make it to be http://www.youtube.com/villu357 http://www.flickr.com/photos/skybound Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
