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Skydiving > Silly Questions

Last updated on 7th December 2010

We have genuinely been asked these questions :)

Why/How do you go up when you skydive?

They don't. This misplaced belief comes from people who've watched skydiving videos where the cameraman and jumper are falling at the same relative speed (normally around 125mph). When the jumper deploys their parachute they slow down rapidly, while the cameraman continues to fall at a faster speed. This accounts for the separation between the jumpers.

When you jump out of the aircraft and you are floating, how do you decide to come down?

You don't “float” during a skydive - you fall. The “coming down” decision is made for you by gravity.

Does the aircraft have to stop for you to jump out?

No. Whilst a car has to stop in order for the passengers to exit the vehicle safely this is not true for a aircraft whilst it is in the air. The reason a car has to stop is because otherwise the passengers will exit the car and hit the ground at speed. When a aircraft is in the air the exit altitude is several thousand feet above the ground and so this is not an issue.

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