Procedure

Typically, a trained sky diver (or jumper) and a group of associates meet at an isolated airport. A fixed base operator at that airport usually operates one or more light cargo aircraft, and takes groups of skydivers up for a fee. In the earlier days of the sport, an individual jumper would go up in a Piper Cub aircraft for reasons of economy.

A jump involves individuals jumping out of aircraft (usually an airplane, but sometimes a helicopter or even the gondola of a balloon), usually travelling at approximately 4000 metres (around 12,000 feet) altitude, and free-falling for a period of time before activating a parachute to slow the landing down to safe speeds.

Once the parachute is opened, the jumper can control their direction and speed with cords called "steering lines" with hand grips called "toggles" that are attached to the parachute, so they can aim for the landing site and come to a relatively gentle stop in a safe landing environment.

Most modern sport parachutes are self-inflating "ram-air" wings that provide control of speed and direction similar to the related paragliders.

Skydivers skydive because it is the closest one can get to the dream of flying. Experienced skydivers will tell you that in freefall, one can do anything a bird can do, except go back up. Skydiving is the only aerial activity where the body is the flying instrument instead of a machine, however simple.

Most skydivers make their first jump with an experienced and trained instructor (this type of skydive may be in the form of a "tandem skydive"). During the tandem jump the jumpmaster is responsible for the stable exit, maintaining a proper stable freefall position, and activating and controlling the parachute.

With training and experience, the fear of the first few jumps is supplanted by the tact of controlling fear so that one may come to experience the satisfaction of mastering aerial skills and performing increasingly complicated manoeuvres in the sky with friends.

Other training methods include static line, IAD (Instructor Assisted Deployment), and AFF (Advanced Freefall).