7 Taboos You Should Know About Skydiving
Skydiving is a very popular aerial extreme sport. In China, you can occasionally spot skydivers in the sky. With its unique charm, let’s have Learning editor tell you what you need to know about skydiving.
Types of Skydiving:
Accuracy Landing
A skydiving event where divers jump from an aircraft at a specified altitude, maneuver their parachutes, and land within a designated area. The jump altitude is not lower than 700 meters. A landing target is set on the ground as a mark for the landing zone. The distance from the first point of contact of the diver's body to the nearest edge of the target center is measured—the closer to the center, the better the score. Hitting the bullseye earns 0 meters (commonly called “hitting the point”), which is the best score.
It can be individual or team-based. Team events involve multiple people exiting the aircraft on the same flight path over the target and landing within the same target zone. The competition consists of several rounds, and the total accuracy distance across all rounds determines the diver’s (or team’s) score—the shorter the total, the better.
An individual accuracy record refers to the number of consecutive bullseyes plus the distance of one non-bullseye landing; a team accuracy record refers to the number of consecutive bullseyes by the whole group plus the distance of one non-bullseye landing. Categories include four-person and eight-person teams.
Additionally, tower skydiving includes a two-person accuracy event, where two athletes exit from two steel arms at the same height in succession, deploy their parachutes, and land in the same target zone. The score is calculated based on the sum of each team member’s accuracy distances.
Freestyle Skydiving
An aircraft-based skydiving event. After exiting the aircraft and before deploying the parachute, during freefall, divers use aerodynamic forces to perform a series of prescribed maneuvers in mid-air. The jump altitude is 2200 meters. There are four sets of required maneuvers, each consisting of four 360-degree turns and two 360-degree backflips.
Competitions usually consist of 3–5 rounds, with one set of maneuvers performed per jump. Judges record the time taken to complete the full set of maneuvers (accurate to 1/100th of a second) and assign “penalty seconds” for non-standard moves based on severity.
Each round’s score is the time taken plus any penalty seconds. The total score across all rounds determines the individual’s overall performance—the shorter the total time, the better. Freestyle records are based on the exact time taken to complete a set of required maneuvers without any non-standard actions.
Formation Skydiving
An aircraft-based skydiving event. Two or more skydivers exit from one or more aircraft along the same flight path. During freefall before parachute deployment, they use aerodynamic forces to approach each other and hold hands, arms, or legs to form various prescribed formations.
Events include the 10-way Speed Star (a former record event), Largest Formation (a record event), and Sequential Formation (both a competition and record event).
Safe Methods for Skydiving:
One method is using a Static Line System. In this system, the parachute is connected to the aircraft’s fuselage. When you exit the aircraft, the static line opens the container and deploys the parachute canopy. Because the parachute only exits the container after the lines are fully extended, this system helps prevent the lines from tangling with the canopy. The static line system is cheaper than other methods but may require more time to learn the same skills.
Another method is Accelerated Freefall (AFF). With AFF, you actually jump from the aircraft at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters), freefall for about 40 seconds, then pull the ripcord to deploy the parachute. During freefall, you must maintain a stable, streamlined body position.
The third method is Tandem Skydiving. The advantage of this method is that almost anyone can enjoy skydiving without attending a training course. In tandem skydiving, you are essentially just a passenger flying alongside an instructor. The instructor handles the entire flight from takeoff to landing.
Having been involved in paragliding for some time, I’ve witnessed many accidents, especially among beginners. Many mishaps stem from poor or insufficient training. But because they’re new to the sport, beginners often can’t judge right from wrong, or even end up with instructors who can’t fly well themselves. So I’ve summarized some characteristics (principles) to help those interested in learning to judge whether they’re in a substandard training environment… Hopefully, with greater awareness, these “three-minute instructors” will disappear in Taiwan.
Taboos for Skydiving:
First Commandment: Your ground training is less than ten hours
Explanation: Paragliding is a high-risk sport and takes place in three-dimensional space. Think about it—wouldn’t it be harder than something two-dimensional like learning to drive a car? You spend ten hours practicing in a driving school and then more time adapting to real-road driving. Comparing the risks, which do you think requires longer training?
Second Commandment: Your first solo flight should have complete gear, including main parachute, harness, reserve parachute, radio, and helmet
Explanation: These are all basic requirements. Of course, the more protection your harness offers, the better. The newer the parachute gear, the better, and you should pay attention to the safety rating and weight range of the gear. Ensure the radio is charged and has good reception, etc. Some may tell you that since you won’t be flying high, you don’t need a reserve parachute—that’s absolutely wrong. Would you rather fall from 50 meters or 60 meters? Either could be fatal.
Third Commandment: Before your first flight, ask your instructor what you should do if your radio fails or is jammed and you can’t hear their instructions—how should you handle being alone in the sky?
Note: Be prepared to handle all possible scenarios before takeoff. Radio interference or battery contact issues caused by collisions during takeoff can happen. Know how to respond—your instructor should provide you with the proper procedures. For your own safety, ask about these before you take off!!
Rule 4: Observe your instructor. Is his takeoff as smooth as—or even better than—other skilled pilots?
Note: Before choosing a mentor, pay attention to all pilots and observe what constitutes a good takeoff versus a bad one. Naturally, someone who claims to be an instructor should have superior skills and knowledge. Would you want someone incompetent as your teacher??? I once saw a so-called first licensed instructor in Taiwan fail to launch his own paraglider after sending his student up. It’s truly saddening for the student...
Rule 5: When preparing for your first flight, ask yourself—can I perform my takeoff as well as others?
Note: You must practice your takeoff technique until it is extremely proficient. In real flight situations, your takeoff often performs worse than during practice. Moreover, the canopy won’t recognize whether you’re a novice or an expert—if the maneuver isn’t executed properly, you could end up falling off a cliff. Be extremely careful!!
Rule 6: Choose suitable weather conditions for flying.
Note: Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Paragliding relies on the atmosphere, and not all weather conditions are suitable. There are also different optimal conditions for beginners. Knowing the dangers before takeoff—and avoiding them—is the mark of a smart flyer...
Ask your instructor: What kind of weather is suitable for flying? What kind of weather is dangerous?
Rule 7: Maintain a humble mindset.
Staying humble helps you improve your skills and expand your social circle in the flying community. That way, when unusual situations occur or are about to happen, you’ll receive plenty of advice and solutions.
The power of nature is immense. Today you might skillfully ride the thermal currents, soaring high above numerous ridges, and perhaps feel a bit excited or smug. But the forces of nature remain unconquerable, and you are still vulnerable in the natural world.