About This Quiz
"Geronimo," is the call of skydivers all over the world. Skydiving is much less dangerous than driving a car, but it has a dangerous reputation. Take this quiz to learn more about the ups and downs of skydiving.Around 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) is a typical altitude for a sport jump.
The skydiver has about 60 seconds of free fall before deploying the parachute.
The parachute is deployed at an altitude of 2,500 feet.
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Most modern parachutes have five sets of lines.
Most parachutes are made from lightweight nylon.
Skydivers free fall at about 120 mph.
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Parachutes are made from zero-porosity fabric, which means that air cannot permeate the fabric, making it hard to get the air out when folding up the parachute.
Lots of things could go wrong at 2,500 feet, including the main canopy failing to inflate or getting caught up in the lines.
If you are in free fall and lose consciousness, your automatic activation device (AAD) will deploy the reserve parachute at an altitude of 750 feet.
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A tandem jump is when two people skydive while strapped together.
The parachute must be large enough to accommodate the weight of two people.
Plan on paying around $200 to tandem jump with an instructor.
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An A license will give you the right to jump at most drop zones.
About 350,000 people jump more than 3,000,000 times a year.
Skydiving is not as dangerous as driving. About 19 people died in the U.S. in 2012 in skydiving accidents, compared to some 34,000 traffic fatalities.
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Skydivers like to yell "Geronimo" when they jump. This ritual originated from World War II U.S. Army paratroopers, who got the saying from a Western movie.
From the time a parachutist leaves the plane till the parachute is deployed, the jumper is in free fall.
The main canopy is the primary parachute.
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Thick shoulder and leg straps attach the chute to the jumper.