In this installment of our skydiving guide we look at clothing and equipment.
Skydivers use several items of specialised equipment and clothing. For confidence, competence and safety reasons, jumpers must understand what each piece does and how it works.
The parachute has several components that are contained in different compartments of a pack worn on the skydiver's back. The pilot chute, or drogue, which sits in a pocket on the bottom of the chute pack is deployed first. When it inflates, it pulls on cords linking it to the main parachute canopy, which it releases. The main canopy sits in a container called the deployment bag - but more commonly referred to as the D-bag. Once the main chute has been deployed, hand toggles can be used to steer and brake. In case the main chute fails, the parachute pack also holds a reserve chute.
Another standard piece of equipment is the automatic activation device (often shortened to just AAD). This a sophisticated hand held computer that measures elevation and descent rate and automatically cuts a strap to deploy your parachute if you fail to do so by the appropriate height. It can literally save your life in the event that you black out or somehow become tangled.
An altimeter measures height above the ground and the rate of descent. This equipment is usually digital and is accurate to within a few meters. Altimeters work by sensing air pressure, which changes as the skydiver descends. They should be calibrated on the ground before the plane takes off.
Skydiving suits are worn to give protection from the wind whilst in the air and cuts and scratches on landing. They come in a variety of styles, with differences including tightness (the tighter they are the quicker you'll fall), materials (different ones have different aero-dynamic qualities), and how and where straps are attached (with different designs for different types of skydiving).
Parachutists are trained to land on their feet, but there is always a remote chance that a stumble or a gust of wind will cause a skydiver's head to hit the ground. A helmet protects against possible head trauma in such an event. Most helmets also have two-way radios to enable communication both in the air and from air to ground.
Skydivers use several items of specialised equipment and clothing. For confidence, competence and safety reasons, jumpers must understand what each piece does and how it works.
The parachute has several components that are contained in different compartments of a pack worn on the skydiver's back. The pilot chute, or drogue, which sits in a pocket on the bottom of the chute pack is deployed first. When it inflates, it pulls on cords linking it to the main parachute canopy, which it releases. The main canopy sits in a container called the deployment bag - but more commonly referred to as the D-bag. Once the main chute has been deployed, hand toggles can be used to steer and brake. In case the main chute fails, the parachute pack also holds a reserve chute.
Another standard piece of equipment is the automatic activation device (often shortened to just AAD). This a sophisticated hand held computer that measures elevation and descent rate and automatically cuts a strap to deploy your parachute if you fail to do so by the appropriate height. It can literally save your life in the event that you black out or somehow become tangled.
An altimeter measures height above the ground and the rate of descent. This equipment is usually digital and is accurate to within a few meters. Altimeters work by sensing air pressure, which changes as the skydiver descends. They should be calibrated on the ground before the plane takes off.
Skydiving suits are worn to give protection from the wind whilst in the air and cuts and scratches on landing. They come in a variety of styles, with differences including tightness (the tighter they are the quicker you'll fall), materials (different ones have different aero-dynamic qualities), and how and where straps are attached (with different designs for different types of skydiving).
Parachutists are trained to land on their feet, but there is always a remote chance that a stumble or a gust of wind will cause a skydiver's head to hit the ground. A helmet protects against possible head trauma in such an event. Most helmets also have two-way radios to enable communication both in the air and from air to ground.
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