The Risks and Safety Measures of Skydiving
TLDR Skydiving can be risky due to potential parachute malfunctions, but staying calm and relying on reserve parachutes can greatly increase survival rates. Modern devices like automatic activation devices (AADs) further reduce the risk of death from malfunctions.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The hosts discuss their experiences with skydiving and the decision to not do it again.
02:10
Parachute malfunctions are not always fatal and can be caused by various issues, such as the parachute not deploying correctly or the lines getting twisted, but it is important to stay calm and not panic in these situations.
04:21
A line twist is when the lines of a parachute get twisted, while a line over is when one of the lines crosses over the parachute, both of which can cause malfunctions in the parachute.
06:21
In the case of a total malfunction where the main parachute doesn't deploy or open, the parachutist can rely on a reserve parachute, which must be packed by a certified FAA operator.
08:43
If the reserve parachute fails to open, it is considered a sign that fate wanted you dead, but it is rare for reserves to fail and they are the best option if the main parachute doesn't deploy properly.
10:44
Automatic activation devices (AADs) are modern devices used in skydiving that automatically deploy the backup parachute if the skydiver is falling below 1000 feet and going at least 78 miles per hour, reducing the risk of death from parachute malfunctions.
13:00
Out of the 2,800-ish mouth functions, there were only 11 deaths, so your chances of surviving a mouth function are still really, really great, and there were a couple people who famously survived, including a woman who survived a drop from 4,000 feet after her husband tampered with her parachute, and a man who jumped two miles without his chute deploying but landed in some blackberry bushes and lived.
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Society & Culture