If at first you don't succeed, well, so much for skydiving.

June 30, 2009 9:30 AM

• Canopy Formation Parachuting Record: 81 100
• Formation Skydiving Record: 400
• 69 :pɹoɔǝɹ uoıʇɐɯɹoɟ ƃuıʎlɟǝǝɹɟ [also, champion freeflying duo Spaceland Anomaly]
posted by not_on_display (18 comments total)

Alright, how'd you do that?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:33 AM on June 30, 2009

Alright, how'd you do that?
http://www.fliptext.org/
posted by datacenter refugee at 9:35 AM on June 30, 2009

"Skydiving 69" needs an SFW tag.

Or an MℲS tag, I guess.
posted by rokusan at 9:36 AM on June 30, 2009

While these videos are inspiring, I think I like my present hobbies just fine.
posted by maxpower at 9:50 AM on June 30, 2009

I went skydiving last summer in Gananoque, Ontario. Greatest time ever. As soon as I live in a town with a field (and have ~$3000 to spend on recreation), I'm getting certified. If you've got even a bit of curiosity, try it!
posted by Lemurrhea at 9:57 AM on June 30, 2009

I think I'd prefer going with a wingsuit.
posted by exogenous at 10:15 AM on June 30, 2009

Interesting note: when you get in trouble in the air, it is far safer to try to fly the plane down to the ground then to bail out with a parachute. You are very likely to hit the tail as the slipstream pulls you out the door (not giving you enough time to push away from the plane), breaking your back.

The one and only time I've been on an aerobatic flight, I was instructed to "try to crawl out on the wing as far as you can" if I had to bail. Not quite sure how to accomplish that in a flat spin.
posted by backseatpilot at 10:18 AM on June 30, 2009

Nifty.
posted by Smedleyman at 10:25 AM on June 30, 2009

when you get in trouble in the air, it is far safer to try to fly the plane down to the ground then to bail out with a parachute.

When I was taking flying lessons I was surprised how many people asked me if I wore a parachute while flying in those "small, dangerous" planes. Somehow they thought a Cessna was a death trap but jumping out of one over the greater Boston area was perfectly safe.
posted by bondcliff at 10:28 AM on June 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Interesting note-filter: It's lots safer to try to fly the plane to the ground for the people on the ground. Jumping out of a Cessna is plenty safe, I've done it many times and have never hit the tail as the slipstream pulls me out the door. Incidentally, the slipstream doesn't pull you out the door, either.

In short, don't leave the plane in flight if you weren't planning to.
posted by lothar at 10:55 AM on June 30, 2009

I love skydiving and if I had the time and resources I'd jump every week. But canopy work scares the bejeezus out of me.

A wing suit would AWESOME, though.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:01 AM on June 30, 2009

Be. Be awesome. Goddamn iPhone keypad.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:02 AM on June 30, 2009

Also, people don't use the word "nifty" enough.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:03 AM on June 30, 2009

"If an airplane is still in one piece, don't cheat on it; ride the bastard down." (attributed to Ernest Gann).

I was talking with an owner of an Extra 200 and was surprised to learn that type certificate made it legal to fly only when the one or two occupants wore parachutes, even if no aerobatics were performed.
posted by exogenous at 11:27 AM on June 30, 2009

Most aerobatic aircraft have seats that are designed to be used only when wearing parachutes. Not wearing a parachute would be at best uncomfortable, because the parachute is expected to provide much of the padding. If the seat is designed for seat-type parachutes, it can be downright dangerous.
posted by indyz at 11:59 AM on June 30, 2009

If you're at the Boston 10th meetup, I will relate a story about going up in a Chinese-built Yak with a stocky Norwegian if asked (and plied with beer). It requires bad Norwegian accents to tell accurately.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:04 PM on June 30, 2009

When I was taking flying lessons I was surprised how many people asked me if I wore a parachute while flying in those "small, dangerous" planes. Somehow they thought a Cessna was a death trap but jumping out of one over the greater Boston area was perfectly safe.

bondcliff, I'd say that once someone has been in one of the little Cessna planes used at dropzones, they'd be more inclined to consider the jump to be the safer part. Those planes are frankly terrifying. One of the people on a load I was on would reach up, peel aside part of the roof, and jerk the plane around using the control cables. Then he and the pilot would laugh at the rookies' pale faces and wide eyes.

Basically, give me a nice, under-loaded parachute over one of those deathtraps any day.
posted by ChrisR at 1:12 PM on June 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I just want to clarify part of backseatpilot's comment: You are very likely to hit the tail as the slipstream pulls you out the door

That's only when a plane is going down.

Otherwise, you cannot hit the tail of the plane, no matter how hard you try (and people have tried, hard, to slap the elevator a high-five)
When a plane is level and people are diving, they are diving.
As far as the slipstream goes, I've jumped a few times, and never noticed any sucking forces, but I wasn't in a nosedive, so I dunno.

The only bad thing I have to say about skydiving is that you should prepare for the aftermath. Once you're done, you might find yourself in an anticlimactic state, thinking, well shit, what now? Sex?
meh, boring...
That part really sucks.
posted by hypersloth at 12:35 AM on July 1, 2009