THE FEELING OF SKYDIVING
There really is nothing as exciting, visceral and elemental as skydiving. Almost anything we can say about it will sound like a cliché, just picture it for yourself: ascending to several kilometres above the ground in a light aircraft, standing at the open door, and jumping out. Then it’s just you, the force of gravity and the wind in your face as the ground below you rapidly gets bigger and bigger…
You don’t have to be a foolish young thing to be tempted by the prospect, this is an experience that’s available to all kinds of people. If you’re interested, keep reading.
THE FACTS ABOUT SKYDIVING
Anyone with a basic, and we mean really basic, understanding of physics and human biology can see that there’s an inherent risk involved in skydiving - and that’s exactly the point. Let’s break down the experience and then identify the procedures in place that keep risk to a minimum.
Most skydives in the UK take place at an altitude of 10,000 - 15,000 feet (that’s about 3,050 - 4,550 metres). Leaving the plane at this height, you start accelerating immediately, quickly reaching terminal velocity. This is top speed, the point at which the forces pulling you down are limited by air resistance, around 120 miles per hour or 55 metres per second. Freefall lasts for a matter of seconds, depending on the jump height.
Then the parachute opens and everything slows down. The second part of the descent lasts a few minutes and is followed by the landing.
SAFETY MEASURES
All commercial skydiving in the United Kingdom is overseen by British Skydiving, the national governing body of the sport. They have a comprehensive set of rules and regulations in place to ensure that skydiving is not only safe, but also as accessible as possible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Equipment
We’ve already mentioned the single most important piece of safety equipment, and that’s the parachute. These are calculated to have a success rate of 99.9%. To bump that up to within a whisker of 100%, a second parachute is always carried, ready to be deployed in case of any issue with the first.
Aside from the parachute, there are harnesses, flight suits, goggles, cords, clips, carabiners and more involved in a skydive. If you’re jumping in the UK, you can be sure that every piece of kit has been thoroughly maintained and checked before your jump.
Personnel
Depending on the kind of jump you’re completing, there will be a number of people involved in the experience. All of them, from the pilot to the jumpmaster, and the instructors to the aerial photographers, as well as those involved in preparing the kit before the jump, are highly trained, experienced and certified to do the job they are doing. This sport is their passion, so they give it their all.
Minimum Age
British Skydiving does not allow anyone under the age of 16 to complete a skydive, and any jumpers under the age of 18 must have the written permission of their parents.
Maximum age
This is the figure that we’re more interested in, and there’s both good news and bad news. First of all, 40 years old is not too old to complete all and any skydiving experiences that you want. Indeed, if you’d like to take part in a tandem skydive with an instructor, there is no upper age limit. However, if you're in your forties and you want to learn to skydive solo, you have to get your skates on before it’s too late! Why the differences? We’ll explain below.
DIFFERENT SKYDIVING EXPERIENCES
Tandem Skydiving Jumps
A tandem skydive is almost every skydiver’s first experience of this sport. You feel all the sensations of freefall and parachuting, without taking responsibility for the risks. That’s because you jump strapped to a skydiving instructor. They get you airbourne, coach you through freefall, open the shared parachute at the right time, and guide you to a soft landing in a suitable place.
In terms of age, there is no cut-off point for participating in a tandem skydive - the world record holder for oldest jumper is 103 years old! Having said that, there are some health conditions that can put an individual at risk when skydiving. We recommend that you talk to your doctor in advance of a skydiving experience and communicate clearly with the jump provider.
Accelerated FreeFall (AFF) Courses
The Accelerated Freefall Course (AFF) is the programme you have to go through if you want to be a solo skydiver. It usually takes around 8 days to complete, with numerous practice jumps and lots of theoretical study in ground school. Most companies will offer the full course alongside a one day taster, popular courses are skydiving centres in Cambridgeshire.
Many skills and techniques, a good understanding of weather and conditions, local knowledge, a certain degree of physicality and more go into executing a successful skydive. With this in mind, and the balance of risk fully calculated, British Skydiving places a limit on starting the AFF course at 55 years old, you must begin the course before your 55th birthday if you are to complete it.
POPS
There’s a special club for any thrill seekers who keep the flame of adventure alive into their fifth decade, the Parachutists Over Phorty Society, or POPS. They put on events, run competitions, and generally enjoy the company of like-minded individuals. If you’re inspired to complete a skydive at the age of 40 (phorty) or more, why not check out POPS UK, their British chapter?
