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Melbourne Skydiving: How To Make It Safer

Jul 4

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

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You would be amazed at just how many skydiving centers there are around Melbourne, makingMelbourne skydiving a really competitive area. The thing is, you can speak to every one of them, and they will obviously say they are the safest. If you’re really thinking about Melbourne skydiving, and are concerned about safety, you have to wonder how sane you really are.

So what are the most important things you can consider when looking at skydiving, be it single or tandem jumps? Firstly, you should be aware of the various licenses and qualifications a center has. These can be as simple as an accolade from a trade association, but can look as official as any document. The important ones are obviously for safety, and the main concern anyone normal would have is the quality of the parachute you’re using. You can alay your fears as much as possible by using a Melbourne skydivingcenter with the Civil Aviation Authority, the regional parachute federation or the national parachute federation. What these bodies do is ensure that any Melbourne skydiving school has regular audits of their safety equipment.

Secondly, you need to know that the plane you are going up in is as safe as it can be. Okay, you may bejumping out of it, but you don’t really want it falling on you afterwards. This is dealt with by the civil aviation authority, who will inspect aircraft and certify their airworthiness. Of course, any Melbourne skydiving center will most likely be certified in all of these things, so once you’ve checked all their credentials, you can move onto more fun things.

Does the center you’re looking at allow for cloud diving? If you don’t know what this is, you’ll want to make sure you do it. Literally diving though cloud is one of the most amazing experiences you can have on earth (or just above it anyway), and it would be a shame to plump for one school, when the next one along is certified to safely jump through clouds.

Then, of course, there’s the height issue. How high will you be able to jump from? This may vary from spot to spot, and you are more than likely to have other things on your mind while jumping. Worth thinking about before you choose a Melbourne skydiving school.

If you’re looking for a group jump, perhaps if you all have never jumped before, you’re likely to want to all jump together. In this instance, the size of the aircraft and any added value on-site facilities might sway it for you. Having dorms on site, or some kind of special deal is well worth looking at if you are jumping as agroup. Remember, if you are looking for a Melbourne skydiving center, ensure you spend time thinking about it, because you wont have time to think about it coming down, that’s for sure.


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Parachuting Is Fun Too

Nov 29

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Skydiving | No Comments

Tandem in freefall over Chicagoland Skydiving ...
Image via Wikipedia

There is, by definition, a basic risk associated with the sport of parachuting. After all, you are leaving the safety of an airplane that has elevated you to 10,000 or more feet in the air. It is no surprise that one of the first items of business attended to when a novice skydiver signs up at a skydiving school is a registration form that includes an acknowledgment of the risks associated with the sport. If you can believe it, skydiving has been around for hundreds of years. Some historians have traced the first parachutes back a thousand years ago to China.

Once you have completed parachute training you will be tested regarding your knowledge. Oral, written and practical tests are part of the testing skydivers must undergo. Oral testing is used to develop decision-making abilities, while written tests give students the opportunity to explain their knowledge and understanding of parachuting. Practical testing is of vital importance as well to demonstrate reactions and skills.

When it comes to taking your first jump, a tandem free-fall is often the most common form of parachute jump. A tandem jump means that the jump is done while the student and the instructor are attached to the same parachute system. You will free-fall for about thirty to fifty seconds, depending on the altitude. Both the instructor and student descend together under one single parachute that has dual controls.

Another method that is used is called accelerated free-fall, and is done with two instructors exiting the airplane with the student. All three fall together for about thirty to fifty seconds, depending on the altitude. The instructors will maintain a grip on the student’s harness. This is for “in the air instructional purposes” as well as helping stabilize the student, if necessary. When a level of about 4,000 feet above the ground has been reached, the student is instructed to open the parachute and pilot it to the landing area.

Another form of skydiving is called the instructor-assisted deployment, also called the static-line method. This is done after classroom instruction of the essentials has been completed, and includes climbing out and exiting of the aircraft, free-falling, canopy flight, landing and emergency procedures. A key difference with this method is that the parachute will deploy immediately upon leaving the aircraft. This is typically done at about 3,500 feet. The student will then pilot the parachute to the ground.

Still another training technique used in the sport of skydiving is called the vertical wind tunnel. It is a large fan that produces a current of air which is strong enough to support a person or a small group of people. Instructors sometimes use this technique to teach stability and maneuvering prior to an actual free-fall.

Parachuting lessons and jumps sites can be found from coast to coast, from California skydiving to Florida skydiving, no matter if you are a beginner looking for your first tandem ride or a seasoned veteran looking for your next adrenalin rush. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) has a list of skydiving schools and drop zones on its website at www.uspa.org, and has a list of the basic safety requirements that prospective parachutists will need to meet.

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Skydiving Sport Done Indoors Too!

Nov 29

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Skydiving | No Comments

Recirculating indoor vertical wind tunnel.
Image via Wikipedia

A vertical wind tunnel allows almost anyone to experience what it feels like to float on air. What is a vertical wind tunnel, you ask? Vertical wind tunnels, or simply VWTs, are tunnels that blow air up in a column and are used for recreational as well as training purposes. Most of the time, VWTs are advertised as equipment to be used for body flights or indoor skydiving. They are also a very helpful parachute training tool that many skydivers utilize.

The history of skydiving indoors dates back to 1964, when the U.S. military started building vertical wind tunnels to enhance army parachute training of their soldiers. The first VWTs for use by the general public opened in 1982 in Las Vegas and Tennessee. Though these tunnels were lots of fun, they only approximated how the true free-fall parachute jumps actually felt, and were pretty difficult to master.

A lot of skydiving skills can be learned and practiced using vertical wind tunnels. Many skydivers like to use this as practice tool so that they can become more adept at controlling their bodies while falling from great heights. Floating your body can be done by decreasing and increasing your body’s drag by using your arms and legs as rudders for motion control. You can see why they call it indoor skydiving.

Indoor vertical wind tunnels have two sub-categories: non-re-circulating and re-circulating. Non-re-circulating wind tunnels typically suck air through inlets found in the bottom portion of the building in which they are housed. The air is then pushed up the body flight area, and then exits through the top portion of the structure. The re-circulating type of VWT creates an aerodynamic loop that has turning vanes, which are similar to wind tunnels used in labs, but have a vertical loop and a body flight chamber inside the vertical section of the loop. Re-circulating tunnels are generally used in places where the climate is just too cold to use the non-re-circulating type. Indoor vertical wind tunnels tend to have a smoother and more controlled airflow than outdoor VWTs. They also have much more control of the temperature inside, providing year-round body flights in cold climates.

For competitive skydivers, indoor skydiving is a critical training element because it gives them the ability to train for hours. Before VWTs, many were only getting about ten minutes of real skydiving practice per day. Vertical wind tunnels have taken the sport to a height never seen before and can be the ultimate skydiving equipment for gaining that competitive edge.

Beth Kaminski is a leading expert in the help with panic attacks and has been publishing lots of information on the best anxiety disorder medication for years now.

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Enjoy The Beauty Of The World As You Fall From The Sky

Oct 21

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

The thrill of the big city lies not only in its vast array of nightlife attractions, but what is offered at hundreds of feet up in the sky. Skydiving. Yes, that’s right. Many major cities offer you the chance to skydive your way into one of the most memorable experiences of your life. Some extreme sports centers offer tandem skydiving and accelerated free-fall (AFF) jumps. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the city as you prepare for the ride of a lifetime. Free-fall for over a minute and then bask in a serene five to seven minute parachute descent that is enough to leave you begging for more.

It seems these days that you see skydiving in just about every major branch of human activity; from action movies to soft drink commercials to reality television to army parachute maneuvers. What draws many to skydiving is the extreme nature of the sport. Jumping out of a plane and free-falling through air at terminal velocity is definitely an adrenaline pumping good time.

For those who are looking for a more serious adventure, beyond tandem skydiving, there is the accelerated freefall, or AFF program. This program requires you to jump seven times with an instructor. Once you have completed seven successful parachute jumps, you will be allowed to skydive solo, without the instructor.

Skydiving tandem jumps average around two hundred dollars, but keep a look out for discounts during special seasons, such as early fall sales event. Typically, a twenty five percent deposit is required in advance. Advanced free-fall programs (AFF) start at one hundred dollars for ground school and charge two hundred and fifty dollars per level, for advanced programs. After you have completed the classroom and parachute jump training and are ready to jump solo, you can continue doing so at any skydiving school around the country. Most rent equipment and offer coaching classes so that you can continue to refine your skydiving techniques.

For those of you who want to experience skydiving but are worried about having to take of lot of different tests and training, this is where tandem skydiving comes in. It allows people to enjoy a skydiving without the need for any extended classroom training. Basically, during a tandem skydive a person is connected to an experienced skydiving instructor using a harness. The wonderful thing about this is that the instructor will control the entire scenario, from the actual jumping out of the plane, to free-falling, pulling the parachute cord and landing. Because the student has only minimal responsibility, there only needs to be a minimum amount of instruction for a jump. This approach takes the worry about the jump away and allows the beginner to just enjoy the whole experience.

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Tandem Skydive: It Adds Fun

Oct 17

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

Skydiving in tandem with an instructor or alone is an exhilarating experience that can leave you with your endorphins pumping and the overwhelming urge to do it again. There are few things that can generate more adrenaline and bring greater thrills than parachute jumping out of an airplane. Falling at terminal velocity before pulling a parachute cord is about as extreme as it gets. Obviously, any type of extreme experience also has some extreme dangers that go along with it, so you really need to know what you are doing to avoid serious injury or death. Getting the proper training from an accredited skydiving school or center is the key to having a safe and fun experience.

One training method for learning how to skydive is static line training. This type of army parachute training was instigated by the military as a safety measure for its paratroopers. Students begin training for skydiving in the classroom for a few hours and then go up in the airplane. When jumping from the plane, the diver will fall away from the plane while the parachute is deployed by a static line attached to the aircraft. The student gets to practice pulling a dummy parachute cord each time. After a few attempts, they will be ready to do a free-fall on their own. It is initially used for lower altitude jumps, and as a person gains more and more experience, they can go to higher altitudes and free-fall for longer and longer periods of time.

After you have finished four or five hours of ground school parachute training and have made at least twenty five jumps, then you will be qualified for a license to jump alone. As with any skill set, you never learn everything all at once. There will always be the next skill level to work towards. New techniques and equipment are being developed every day as well. The only thing left for you to do now is to get started. You could look forward to skydiving in perfect style well into your seventies and beyond!

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Skydiving Options: Wholesale Travel

Oct 13

Posted by Talon W. Ing in Extreme Sports Articles | No Comments

Adventure travel companies employ special techniques and methods to make sure their clients receive the best pricing and opportunities for the locations available. For those seeking affordable travel and want a skydiving adventure to boot, wholesale travel companies can get you to the exotic locales you desire and may even know of a parachute club in the area.

Because they provide such great opportunities, many people are left wondering how wholesale travel companies are able to provide their clients with such amazing pricing when their specialty vacation packages are premier. As a rule, exclusive pricing and service is provided to people who are members or clients of particular businesses or organizations. Generally, the particular business, such as a skydiving center, is in a network with travel companies or has special deals aligned with the particular travel service to draw more clients to their doors. The savings are reciprocal between both businesses and the fabulous pricing is passed down to the clients and members of both companies.

Travel wholesale companies typically try to employ a personable staff of people who are carefully selected, based on professional abilities and experience. As a rule, these individuals must have at least two years worth of experience in the travel industry and they do not work on commission. The staff has big incentives to save travelers the most money, not the incentive to make the most sales. When you deal with a travel wholesaler, you should never have to worry about receiving inflated pricing.

Because the company is searching for you, travelers should know that they will have the final say in the cost of the trip and will always have the opportunity to review all prices presented. Some travel wholesalers even let their clients do the research themselves using the helpful network that the company business center can provide.

If you are yearning to go on that skydiving adventure but your pocket book is nearly empty, then wholesale travel bargains may be your saving grace. You can receive the best packages and pricing when you seek out a wholesaler who has a network of companies at its disposal. A great website that can help you plan your next parachuting adventure is www.realtravel.com/c-1061-1000-skydive_vacations. They have a great network of skydiving centers around the world.

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