Skydiving

Rocio Diaz
Simon Rodriguez
Francisco Morganti
Origins

The concept of falling from the sky dates as far back as the 1100's in China
when the Chinese would do what today we call "base jumping"; jumping from
cliffs or outcroppings floating to the ground in makeshift parachutes. Later in
1485 the renowned Leonardo DaVinci sketched the blueprints for the first
parachute. It was five hundred and fifteen years later; on the 26th June 2000
that Adrian Nicholas made an exact replica of DaVinci’s model and had a
successful landing. The parachute weighed 187 pounds and was made of rope,
canvas, and wood. However, the 10,000 foot jump consisted of Nicholas cutting
away at 7,000 feet and using a regular parachute to complete his journey to the
ground. The actual history of skydiving starts with french man Andre-Jacques
Garnerin, who made successful parachute descents in 1797 using a canvas
canopy and a small basket tied beneath a hot air balloon. The first recorded free
fall jump is credited to Leslie Irvin in 1919 and the earliest competitive dives
date back to the 1930's. Skydiving became much more mainstream once the
military began developing parachute technology and used the act of skydiving
as a tactical move during World War II.

Equipment

All skydivers jump with two parachutes; a main and a reserve. The reason we
have two is that, in the event one has a problem, we can deploy the second.
Parachutes are contained in a backpack, known as a 'container', and together,
they're known as a 'rig'. Rigs come in different sizes depending on the size of
the parachutes inside. They're also made to fit their owner. An AAD is an
'automatic activation device'. It's installed in rigs to deploy your reserve
parachute in the event that you can't deploy either your main or reserve for
yourself. The next thing skydivers won't be without is their own jumpsuit. An
altimeter that tells you what height you're at. And finally, some skydiving
goggles and a helmet, for protection.
Where can you do this sport?

Well, you first need a helicopter or a plane for get really high up and a safe
place to do it, like in some plains for a comfortable landing. In Argentina, you
can go to some places like in Buenos Aires, but here in Mendoza there aren´t
many places or companies to do it. But the companies that do it charges you for
a really expensive price and provides you with basic gear, professional help and
guides, life insurance and round trip hotel transfer.

Rules

 Safety is EVERYONE'S responsibility.

 Review your emergency procedures before every jump.
 Get a gear check before every jump.
 Always approach the plane from the rear.
 200 jumps are required before jumping a camera of any kind. (this
includes a GoPro or similar type action camera)
 Perform handle checks before preparing to exit.
 Be very aware of everyone around you at break off.
 Be mentally prepared for malfunctions and always be ready to perform
your emergency procedures.
 Know which way is North, South, East, and West on every jump.
 Keep your head on a swivel and look for other canopies during your
entire canopy flight.