Parachute Safety Tips For Amateurs

If you find exciting the new idea you and your friendsinspect the company's parachutes and make sure you
shared late one afternoon of getting together over thecheck their materials for any problems or malfunctions.
following weekend to try parachuting, the hobby ofIn fact, parachutes can malfunction in several ways.
jumping off a moving training airplane while wearing aMalfunctions can range from minor problems that can
parachute, you better read the following tips, as yourbe corrected in-flight and still land safely, to
and your friends' safety literally depend on pulling thecatastrophic malfunctions that will require the unlucky
right type of cord at the right time.fellow to cut away the main parachute using a modern
Begin by researching the facilities at your area that3-ring release system and the reserve parachute to
offer these kind of extreme sports adventures andbe deployed. Most skydivers are also equipped with
then speak -in person- with the trainer who has to besmall barometric computers known as an Automatic
an experienced and professional skydiver. You shouldActivation Device (AAD) that will automatically deploy
be able to tour the facilities, ask for other people'sthe reserve parachute in case of emergency.
reviews, request their authorization and certificationSpecifically, if a skydiver does not deploy the main
documents, and generally learn through observationparachute to reduce his rate of descent by a preset
before putting your money, your time and your life ataltitude, the AAD device "reads" the malfunction and
the hands of someone not adequately trained to leadautomatically releases the reserve parachute.
you back to safety once you jump off a movingIf you are concerned whether or not this will happen
airplane.when you are going to be out there, statistical reports
Second, you have to inspect the gear you will beestimate that approximately one in a thousand main
wearing and using. By gear here we mean theparachutes experience some kind of opening
garment you should be dressed with, and mostmalfunction and must be cut away; although some
importantly, the parachute your life will depend on. Inskydivers have on their records many thousands of
order for a parachute to be of good quality andjumps and never had to cut away their parachute. But,
ready-to-use, it had to be carefully folded, or "packed"most accidents and fatalities in skydiving occur under a
to ensure that it will open reliably. In the U.S. and manyfully functional main parachute and are due to
developed countries, emergency and reserveturbulence or inexperience. Thus, ask, listen, and
parachutes are packed by "riggers" who must beessentially learn as much as you can from your
trained and certified according to legal standards.skydiving trainer before taking off and ultimately
Paratroops and sport skydivers are always trained tojumping off the plane.
pack their own primary "main" parachutes. Thus,