skydiving

[skydiver]

Them ole boys paratrooping are tough as nails. Been told them old round chutes had them ole boys hitting the ground about as hard as getting hit by a moving truck

Yes they did but there was a reason for that they used small chutes for there exit weight because a larger chute would allow them more time in the air and more time to be shot at. I would rather hit the ground hard than be hit harder by lead. I learned on the old military surplus equipment 32 foot round mains with the belly mount reserves. If I remember right they used 28 foot mains.

[brooksbeefarm]

Bumgee jump , not for me after that first plunge there would be so much crap in the air that there would be no way for me to dodge it all on my way back up, Jack

[Slowmodem]

Bumgee jump , not for me after that first plunge there would be so much crap in the air that there would be no way for me to dodge it all on my way back up, Jack

That reminds me of the accident report:

http://www.worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/index.php/topic,721.msg8970.html#msg8970

[pistolpete]

I did a paragliding course about 10 years ago in the Swiss Alps.    Not exactly free fall, but flying under canopy is amazing.    I got to do a few solo flights and to be perfectly honest it scared the crap out of me.    I've pursued a lot of "extreme" sports: Rock climbing, white water kayaking, scuba diving, spear fishing, mountain biking, marriage, etc.  and you're right about the perceived level of risk.  Most of the time the drive to the site is more dangerous than the activity.   Any one of these sports can be done safely or on the bleeding edge of survivable.   That proximity flying with wing suits sure looks suicidal to me.

[iddee]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Classmates-Rally-as-Sky-Diving-Teen-Returns-Home-to-North-Texas-242965271.html

[LazyBkpr]

I got to spend some time with my Brother in Law when he recovered from getting hit by a prop on a zodiac during recovery training.  A wave pushed the boat sideways as they prepared to do an emergency recovery. I guess they hooked his arm as they zoomed past and quite literally ripped him from the water into the boat..  the boat shifted, and he got a couple good gashes across his shoulder and arm from the prop as it passed.
  He loved jumping. Had gone from the 101'st Airborn to the Rangers etc..   I cant imagine anyone being better trained. They jumped all over the world, even going to Switzerland to jump, and SKI from where they landed to specific targets with full gear. I loved hearing the stories. He even spent time in Russia living with a family there, learning to speak the language...
   Luck, was just not with him on the day we lost him. His primary tangled during a HALO. He got out of it, and deployed the secondary, and it also tangled. He fought it all the way, and managed to get it to blossom a few feet from the ground.  Too little too late.
   HALO is High Altitude Low opening.. which means he didnt have a lot of time to begin with.
   LUCK in my opinion has a LOT to do with the things a person can get away with, and even accomplish in life.
   I have NO luck, and dread the times Luck kicks into my life, because it is ALL bad when it happens.  That fact alone tells me that I REALLY don't need to do anything to tempt LUCK. Because if I need it, it will NOT be there for me. I used up every bit of luck I had when I married my wife, and delivered my twins.