Wall Street Journal

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

Hi folks,

It looks like the WSJ Weekend Edition for tomorrow will have a skydiving article; see the attachment.

Jerry Baumchen

[JerryBaumchen 1,046]

Hi folks,

Here you go: http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-scaredy-cats-guide-to-skydiving-1461256932

Jerry Baumchen

[377 20]

WSJ article makes skydiving look nearly foolproof.

I like to see more people enter the sport, but they should know what they are getting into risk wise. Not sure this article tells it like it really is. Makes it look like your gadgets will save you without fail if you screw up, so nothing to worry about.

As I recall most injuries and fatalities come from bad landings (which no AAD can prevent). The article makes it sound like a running stumbling landing is the worst case. If only that were true...

I've been jumping since 1968. Jumped yesterday. The surplus gear I started with has been replaced by far better stuff, but gravity hasn't changed one bit. The Grim Reaper still finds plenty to harvest at DZs.

I wish the author had consulted with Brian Burke for balance.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[jlmiracle 7]

I completely agree. They sure downplayed the dangers of skydiving. Sure hope it doesn't come back to bite them or others that were quoted.


Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Elisha 1]

JohnnyBoulder

Agreed - downplayed the risks substantially. IMO the sport is inherently dangerous, but with all of our fanatical attention to safety and detail skydivers have done a good job minimizing fatalities and injuries. This guy makes it sound like skydiving is up there with roller coaster rides.

PS Gypsy Moths, great movie!

(quoting a post from the locked crosspost thread)

But according to Jeb Corliss, skydiving is like walking across the street to get a muffin! Totally safe! (Unless one considers getting hit by a car crossing the street more dangerous than rollercoasters.)

[skycatcher68 7]

There wasn't anything said in the WSJ article that wasn't also said by Dan Brodsky-Chenfield in Above All Else. I read the article closely for something that someone could point to as wholly inaccurate and couldn't find it.

What if the Bible had been written by Stephen King?

[377 20]

WSJ uses fact checkers and I am pretty sure that no falsehoods or material inaccuracies were found. It's more about omitting facts than misrepresentation.

I shouldn't complain. If this article brings more people into the sport by reducing initial fear that's good.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[377 20]

"But according to Jeb Corliss, skydiving is like walking across the street to get a muffin! Totally safe! Laugh (Unless one considers getting hit by a car crossing the street more dangerous than rollercoasters.)"

Jeb wouldn't walk across the street, he'd hop from roof to roof on moving cars.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[jlmiracle 7]

skycatcher68

There wasn't anything said in the WSJ article that wasn't also said by Dan Brodsky-Chenfield in Above All Else. I read the article closely for something that someone could point to as wholly inaccurate and couldn't find it.

" A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude."

I find the above statement to be inaccurate.

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Croc 0]

The author seems to downplay the skill needed to land a parachute, but otherwise I think it's about right. I would not rank ordinary skydiving as an extreme sport. Swooping, CRW downplanes, even Mr. Bills make it extreme, of course.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[377 20]

One of the more extreme things I've seen in my 48 years of skydiving were the initial Skyhook demos at the World free fall Convention in Illinois. Those cutaways were done so low I was scared to watch.

Somebody complained and they stopped doing it.

Used to be a big deal if you just skydived. Now days you aint shit if you don't wingsuit within two inches of a granite face and have the YouTube video to prove it.

I'd like to see this WSJ author write an article on BASE jumping.

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[Spooky52 0]

Well, I guess I "ain't shit" because I have no intention of wingsuiting in any form. Guess I'm just old fashioned.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[skycatcher68 7]

Quote

" A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude."

I find the above statement to be inaccurate.

Judy

It is not inaccurate considering the context of the preceding two sentences:

Quote

All skydivers now carry reserve chutes in case something goes amiss with the first one (it rarely does). Even if you find yourself paralyzed with fear in midair, you’re likely not going to plunge to your death. A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude.

If an AAD isn't intended to open your reserve parachute if you're too paralyzed with fear to do so, what then is an AAD there for?

What if the Bible had been written by Stephen King?

[Croc 0]

I saw the Leap Frogs at one of the WFC take a CRW down plane down so far that one guy damn near hit a trailer. Scared the shit out of me! Now THAT was extreme.

"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

[jlmiracle 7]

skycatcher68

Quote

" A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude."

I find the above statement to be inaccurate.

Judy

It is not inaccurate considering the context of the preceding two sentences:

***All skydivers now carry reserve chutes in case something goes amiss with the first one (it rarely does). Even if you find yourself paralyzed with fear in midair, you’re likely not going to plunge to your death. A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude.

If an AAD isn't intended to open your reserve parachute if you're too paralyzed with fear to do so, what then is an AAD there for?

It activates it...does not open it. There is a difference. You AAD could activate and your reserve may not open.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[skypuppy 1]

It is the responsibility of the skydive school teaching a student to impress upon them the dangers implicit in skydiving, and get them to sign a waiver agreeing to such. It isn't the responsibility of the Wall Street Journal, or the author...

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[jlmiracle 7]

skypuppy

It is the responsibility of the skydive school teaching a student to impress upon them the dangers implicit in skydiving, and get them to sign a waiver agreeing to such. It isn't the responsibility of the Wall Street Journal, or the author...

Oh Okay. We should just tell them we can't breathe in freefall too. I guess the more mis-information the better huh.

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[skypuppy 1]

jlmiracle

***It is the responsibility of the skydive school teaching a student to impress upon them the dangers implicit in skydiving, and get them to sign a waiver agreeing to such. It isn't the responsibility of the Wall Street Journal, or the author...

Oh Okay. We should just tell them we can't breathe in freefall too. I guess the more mis-information the better huh.

unless they're just buying a rig and teaching themselves - it's the school's, and the instructors', job.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[TriGirl 268]

skycatcher68

Quote

" A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude."

I find the above statement to be inaccurate.

Judy

It is not inaccurate considering the context of the preceding two sentences:

***All skydivers now carry reserve chutes in case something goes amiss with the first one (it rarely does). Even if you find yourself paralyzed with fear in midair, you’re likely not going to plunge to your death. A small gizmo called an automatic activation device, or AAD, will blast the canopy open for you when you reach a predetermined altitude.

If an AAD isn't intended to open your reserve parachute if you're too paralyzed with fear to do so, what then is an AAD there for?
Why would you just open your reserve? Or to put it a better way, if you're just too paralyzed with fear to deploy your own parachute (don't look at the sentence before it that talks about a mal), then according to this article, the AAD will deploy your main for you.

Other than that little lack of clarity, I think the article is written just fine for what it's meant to do: demystify skydiving so the average whuffo will consider making a jump. If anyone could just walk off the street, rent or buy any old rig, self-manifest and get on a plane, then yeah, the article is missing a lot of important information! But since we have TIs and AFFIs to go over all aspects of safety, and a lot of other rules in place (both as an industry and the rules of the individual dropzones) for how and in what condition people skydive, I think the article is good.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[jlmiracle 7]

skypuppy

******It is the responsibility of the skydive school teaching a student to impress upon them the dangers implicit in skydiving, and get them to sign a waiver agreeing to such. It isn't the responsibility of the Wall Street Journal, or the author...

Oh Okay. We should just tell them we can't breathe in freefall too. I guess the more mis-information the better huh.

unless they're just buying a rig and teaching themselves - it's the school's, and the instructors', job.

You are right, they should just fly like Superman, do at least 5 minutes of freefall from 8 grand like in the movies, and wait for the AAD to DEPLOY their parachutes. Why bother with 2 parachutes and pilot chutes, its just away for the gear companies to make more money telling you need 2. Skydiving is super safe.

Its all just information.

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[skypuppy 1]

jlmiracle

*********It is the responsibility of the skydive school teaching a student to impress upon them the dangers implicit in skydiving, and get them to sign a waiver agreeing to such. It isn't the responsibility of the Wall Street Journal, or the author...

Oh Okay. We should just tell them we can't breathe in freefall too. I guess the more mis-information the better huh.

unless they're just buying a rig and teaching themselves - it's the school's, and the instructors', job.

You are right, they should just fly like Superman, do at least 5 minutes of freefall from 8 grand like in the movies, and wait for the AAD to DEPLOY their parachutes. Why bother with 2 parachutes and pilot chutes, its just away for the gear companies to make more money telling you need 2. Skydiving is super safe.

Its all just information.

I doubt any dropzones will turn away prospective students who call after reading the article. And when they come out to be trained, they'll sign the waivers and be told of the dangers...

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[377 20]

I took S/L training in 1968 and am still an active jumper. In my S/L class we had one young woman who just couldn't get it right on emergency procedures practice. She got confused, hesitated, and sometimes did the wrong thing. She was given a full refund and dismissed from the class even though she wanted to continue the training and jump. Does that ever happen these days?

377

2018 marks half a century as a skydiver. Trained by the late Perry Stevens D-51 in 1968.

[skypuppy 1]

I've seen people told to come back another day for drinking.

And I've seen people given refunds when they weren't able to jump after several attempts - they may have had to argue for that, though.

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone that absolutely COULDN'T perform during the training, but then again, procedures are a bit easier these days. So I don't think I've ever seen anyone told they couldn't do a 1st jump for that reason. And if it's a tandem they're doing, it's more up to the instructor anyways. If the instructor is really negligent, I think there would be a lawsuit anyways, despite whether the person was told it was safe or not.

I have seen people to told to leave during their student status after underperforming on several jumps.

I still have no problem at all with positive press in the media...

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone