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Is Skydiving Really Safe?

Jumping from a plane meters above from land is not a safe sport as everybody may think. Skydiving poses that same feeling to anyone. In fact, skydiving safety has been better over the years.

Most skydiving fatalities and incidents are not caused by faulty equipment but failure to obey necessary precautions before jumping, like wrong timing of deploying the parachute, incorrect folding of the parachute and performing or experimenting with maneuvers that are extremely difficult and dangerous

The most common reasons for skydiving deaths and injuries, and that is 92 percent, are mistakes in judgment and procedure. This means that the jumper should be prepared well for the jump and do everything accurately to the time it takes until he reaches the ground.

Even in the process of signing up practice honesty. State or inform your skydiving instructors of any medical condition you are in. Saying that you have medical condition would not automatically stop you from skydiving, but absolutely doctor’s approval would be needed.

Before jumping, knowing and checking you gear is very important, however experienced or eager you are to make your first jump. Ensure the goggles, helmet and jumpsuit are all in good condition.

Parachute checks are also done before the jump. Parachutes are not always 100 percent safe, that’s why jumpers have a reserve parachute completely independent form the main chute. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that the reserve parachute be inspected and repacked every 120 days (whether it is used or not) by a FAA- certified parachute rigger.

Aside from the reserve parachute that can be used when the main chute is malfunctioning, the AAD is another safety device that skydivers are currently using. AAD stands for automatic activation device. The AAD automatically activate the jumper’s reserve parachute in the even that the jumper is disabled or disoriented or has lost track of the altitude and failed to deploy the main parachute.

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