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Africa the sport is managed by the
Parachute Association of South Africa.
In Australia it is The Australian Para-
chute Federation.
A typical jump involves individuals
jumping out of an aircraft (usually an
airplane, sometimes a helicopter or
even the gondola of a balloon), at
approximately 4,000 meters (around
13,000 feet) altitude, and free-falling
for a period of time in which aerial
maneuvers can be preformed be-
fore activating the parachute at
a safe altitude, which slows
the fall rate and glides you
gently to the ground.
Once the parachute is
opened, the jumper
can control his
or her direc-
tion and
speed
with
tog-
gles so
he or she
can aim for the
designated landing
spot on the DZ.
Drop Zone: In parachut-
ing/skydiving a drop zone or
DZ is the area above and around a
location where a parachutist freefalls
and expects to land. It is usually
situated beside a small airport, often
sharing the facility with other gen-
eral/private aviation activities. There
is a landing area designated specifi-
cally for parachute landings. Drop
zone staff include the DZO (drop
zone operator or owner), manifestors,
pilots, instructors, coaches, cam-
eramen, packers, riggers and other
general staff.
Weather: Parachuting/skydiving
does require good weather condi-
tions, in poor weather, especially with
thunderstorms, high winds, and dust
devils skydiving can be a dangerous
activity. Reputable drop zones will
apply a “jump number limit’ for cer-
tain conditions and suspend normal
operations during
inclement
weather.
Restrictions:
No ex-
perience
is re-
quired
but
there are
weight restriction.
The
maximum weight
for
Tandem skydives &
learning
to skydive (AFF) is
generally
“15” stone / 100
kgs /
220Ibs because
of weight
restrictions on the
parachute
equipment. (This
weight
can vary depend-
ing on the
DZ and country)
Skydiving
History
People
have been using
para-
chutes for hun-
dreds of years, even back to China
in the 1100s. Around 1495, Leonardo
DaVinci designed a pyramid-shaped,
wooden framed parachute that
Adrian Nichols jumped in the late
20th century. It descended slowly
enough to land, but Nichols worried
the heavy contraption might crush him
to death. So at a safe altitude, he
released from it and landed under his
reserve.
The modern history of the sport
began in the late 18th century
with Jacques Garnerin from
France who performed
display jumps from
balloons flying over
Europe. Later
in the 19th
century,
women,
who
still
number
only between
15 and 20 percent
among skydivers, began
to appear on the scene.
Kathe Paulus from Germany
jumped professionally in Germany
around the turn of the 20th century.
Tiny Broadwick, another professional
parachutist in the U.S., became the
first woman to jump from an airplane
in 1913 and the first to make a freefall
in 1914.
During World War I, parachutes
were introduced as rescue devices
for observation balloon pilots, but
airplane pilots were instructed to land
with their aircraft. The first emergency
bailout from an airplane didn’t occur
until 1922. In 1925, early experi-
ments with stable, extended freefall
began.
After World War II, an abundance of
surplus parachutes and former soldiers
with the courage to jump them for
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SEXY X2
MAGAZINE - OCTUBER 2012