Parachuting

{{short description|Action sport of exiting an aircraft and returning to Earth using a parachute}} {{redirect-multi|2|Skydiver|Skydive}} {{more citations needed|date=September 2009}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox sport | name = Parachuting | image = Skydiver Holding Aircraft Door Before Exit.jpg | caption = A skydiver holding the aircraft door immediately before exit at altitude | union = Fédération Aéronautique Internationale | firstlabel = | country/region = Worldwide | contact = No | mgender = Yes | category = Air sports | olympic = No | IWGA = 1997{{snds}}2017 }} '''Parachuting''' and '''skydiving''' are methods of descending from altitude to the surface using the power of gravity, and a parachute.<ref> {{Cite web |date=2026-05-27 |title=parachuting |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/parachuting |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=dictionary.cambridge.org |language=en}} </ref> The three phases of parachuting are freefall, parachute deployment and landing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=West |first=Skydive Key |date=2023-01-25 |title=3 Phases of Skydiving: Freefall, Parachute Opening & Landing |url=https://skydivekeywest.com/blog/the-3-phases-of-skydiving-freefall-parachute-opening-landing/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Skydive Key West |language=en-US}} </ref> Skydiving takes place during the freefall phase where the parachute has not yet been deployed and the body accelerates to terminal velocity.<ref> {{Cite web |last=Anderson |first=Craig |date=2021-06-26 |title=Parachuting vs Skydiving – The Differences Explained |url=https://friendlyskydiver.com/parachuting-vs-skydiving/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |language=en-US}} </ref>

==History== {{further|Parachute#History}} thumb|left|Garnerin by Edward Hawke Locker The first parachute jump in history was made on 22 October 1797 by Frenchman André-Jacques Garnerin above Parc Monceau, Paris. He used a silk parachute to descend approximately 3,000 feet (910 m) from a hot air balloon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1797 - The modern world's first parachute jump {{!}} World Air Sports Federation |url=https://www.fai.org/news/garnerin-1797 |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.fai.org}} </ref>

== Common uses == thumb|350px|Skydivers in freefall

Parachuting is performed as a recreational activity and a competitive sport, and is widely considered an extreme sport due to the risks involved. In 2024 there were 3.88 million jumps made in the US.<ref name="Safety">{{cite web|title=Skydiving Safety|url=https://uspa.org/Find/FAQs/Safety|website=United States Parachute Association|access-date=1 March 2019}}</ref> Modern militaries utilize parachuting for the deployment of airborne forces and supplies. Special operations forces commonly employ parachuting, especially free-fall parachuting, as a method of insertion. Occasionally, forest firefighters, known as "smokejumpers" in the United States, use parachuting as a means of rapidly inserting themselves near forest fires in especially remote or otherwise inaccessible areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=Smokejumpers |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/people/smokejumpers |website=fs.usda.gov |date=28 December 2016 |access-date=13 January 2026}}</ref>

Manually exiting an aircraft and parachuting to safety has been widely used by aviators (especially military aviators and aircrew) and passengers to escape an aircraft that could not otherwise land safely. While this method of escape is relatively rare in modern times, it was occasionally used in World War I by German military aviators, and utilized extensively throughout the air wars of World War II. In modern times, the most common means of escape from an aircraft in distress is via an ejection seat.[citation needed] Said system is usually operated by the pilot, aircrew member, or passenger by engaging an activation device manually. In most designs, this will lead to the seat being propelled out of and away from the aircraft, carrying the occupant with it, by means of either an explosive charge or a rocket propulsion system. Once clear of the aircraft, the ejection seat will deploy a parachute, although some older models entrusted this step to manual activation by the seat's occupant.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

==Parachuting Disciplines== The United States Parachute Association (USPA) recognizes the following sport parachuting disciplines. <ref>{{Cite web |title=United States Parachute Association Skydiver´s Information Manual |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

*Formation skydiving *Freeflying, including Freestyle skydiving and Skysurfing * Night Jumps * Water Landings *Canopy formation * High Altitude Jumps * Camera Flying *Wingsuit flying *Canopy piloting * Movement jumps (Includes tracking and Angle flying) *Speed skydiving

==Safety==

In 2024 the 41,000 members of the USPA <ref> {{Cite web |title=About USPA |url=https://www.uspa.org/about/about-uspa |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>reported making 3.88 million skydives. In the same year, there were a total of 9 civilian skydiving fatalities in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Safe is Skydiving? {{!}} USPA |url=https://www.uspa.org/discover/faqs/safety |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref> In 2024 5.6% of those 41,000 USPA members reported that they experienced an injury that required medical treatment the most common being ankle injuries from landings. <ref name="Safety"/>

thumb|Reserve parachute (right) in use

=== Unsafe maneuvers ===

Injuries and fatalities occurring under a fully functional parachute usually happen because the skydiver performed unsafe maneuvers or made an error in judgement while flying their canopy, typically resulting in a high-speed impact with the ground or other hazards on the ground.<ref>{{cite web |title=Skydiving Fatalities Database |url=http://www.skydivingfatalities.info/ |access-date=2023-07-17}}</ref> One of the most common sources of injury is a low turn under a high-performance canopy while swooping. Swooping is the advanced canopy piloting discipline of gliding at high-speed parallel to the ground during landing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM P.189 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

=== Winds === [[File:Army display parachutist landing 29Sept2018 arp.jpg|thumb|A parachutist of the REME Lightning Bolts Army Parachute Display Team lands. The red smoke that gives the parachutists the wind direction during the jump is still running.]]

Changing wind conditions are another risk factor. In conditions of strong winds and turbulence during hot days, the parachutist can be caught in downdrafts close to the ground. Shifting winds can cause a crosswind or downwind landing which have a higher potential for injury due to the wind speed adding to the landing speed. <ref>{{Cite web |title=uspa.org |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

=== Canopy collisions === Another risk factor is that of "canopy collisions", or collisions between two or more skydivers under fully inflated parachutes. Canopy collisions can cause the jumpers' inflated parachutes to entangle with each other, often resulting in a sudden collapse (deflation) of one or more of the involved parachutes. When this occurs, the jumpers often must quickly perform emergency procedures (if there is sufficient altitude to do so) to "cut-away" (jettison) from their main canopies and deploy their reserve canopies. Canopy collisions are particularly dangerous when occurring at altitudes too low to allow the jumpers adequate time to safely jettison their main parachutes and fully deploy their reserve parachutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM p.135 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

=== Equipment failure === Equipment failure may contribute to fatalities and injuries. Approximately one in 764 jumps required the use of a reserve parachute in 2024.<ref> {{Cite web |title=How Safe is Skydiving? {{!}} USPA |url=https://www.uspa.org/discover/faqs/safety |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref> In the US and in most of the western world, skydivers are required to wear two parachutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=14 CFR Part 105.43 -- Parachute Operations |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-105 |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.ecfr.gov |language=en}} </ref> The reserve parachute must be periodically inspected and repacked (whether used or not) by a certified parachute rigger (in the US, an FAA certificated parachute rigger every 180 days).<ref>{{Cite web |title=14 CFR Part 105.43 -- Parachute Operations |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-105 |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.ecfr.gov |language=en}} </ref> Many skydivers use an automatic activation device (AAD) that opens the reserve parachute at a predetermined altitude if it detects that the skydiver is still in free fall. Depending on the country, AADs are often mandatory for new jumpers, and/or required for all jumpers regardless of their experience level.<ref>{{cite web|title=Countries with AAD rules (forum thread)|url=http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_C1/General_Skydiving_Discussions_F18/Countries_with_AAD_rules_P3444925/|website=Dropzone.com|access-date=15 September 2014|archive-date=30 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630224410/http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_C1/General_Skydiving_Discussions_F18/Countries_with_AAD_rules_P3444925/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Skydiving from a Ukraine Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD.jpeg|thumb|Parachutists jumping from an Ilyushin Il-76 of the Ukraine Air Force (2014)]]

===BASE jumping=== The USPA does not consider Base jumping to be a skydiving discipline <ref>USPA Basic Safety Regulations 2-1 A.2 https://www.uspa.org/SIM/2-1 A.2 </ref> so the USPA’s accident & incident statistics do not include BASE jumps. Base jumping is a separate sport from skydiving and is inherently dangerous.<ref> {{Cite web |title=The Dangers of BASE Jumping: Is It Worth the Risk? |url=https://www.trycrawl.com/common-questions/the-dangers-of-base-jumping-is-it-worth-the-risk/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.trycrawl.com}} </ref>

===Wingsuit flying=== The additional hazards associated with Wingsuit flying are restricted movement, limited visibility, potential for aircraft tail strikes and out of control flight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM p.183 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

===Stunt skydiving=== thumb|right|300px|A skydiver preparing for an artistic stunt jump on the Antonov An-2 wing

Stunt skydiving is a non-routine form of parachuting generally associated with demonstration or exhibition jumps, motion-picture work, and other specially planned jumps, rather than with standardized competitive disciplines.<ref name="USPA-Ch6">{{cite web |title=Chapter 6: Exhibition Jumping and PRO Rating |url=https://www.uspa.org/sim/6 |website=United States Parachute Association |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref><ref name="USPA-Camera">{{cite web |title=5-7: Camera Flying |url=https://www.uspa.org/sim/5-7 |website=United States Parachute Association |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref><ref name="CSATF-11A">{{cite web |title=Safety Bulletin #11A: Guidelines Regarding the Use of Fixed-Wing Aircraft in Motion Picture Productions – External Loads (Airplane) |url=https://www.csatf.org/11a_safety_bltn_aircraft_loads/ |website=Contract Services Administration Trust Fund |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref> Such jumps may involve unusual aircraft exits, display cutaways, or other non-standard procedures carried out under controlled conditions.<ref name="BS-OM">{{cite web |title=Operations Manual |url=https://britishskydiving.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Operations-Manual-November-2024.pdf |website=British Skydiving |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref><ref name="CSATF-11A" />

Because these jumps introduce additional operational variables, guidance and regulations emphasize advance planning, participant briefings, coordination with pilots and landing-area personnel, and continuous communication procedures.<ref name="FAA-AC91-45C">{{cite web |title=AC 91-45C - Waivers: Aviation Events |url=https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-45C.pdf |website=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref><ref name="CSATF-11A" /> In the United States, parachute demonstration or exhibition jumps into aviation events, congested areas, or open-air assemblies require FAA authorization, and USPA basic safety requirements restrict some such jumps to highly qualified skydivers, including D-license holders with a PRO rating for more challenging landing areas.<ref name="USPA-6-3">{{cite web |title=6-3: FAA Form 7711-2 |url=https://www.uspa.org/sim/6-3 |website=United States Parachute Association |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref><ref name="USPA-BSR">{{cite web |title=Chapter 2: Overview of the BSRs |url=https://www.uspa.org/sim/2 |website=United States Parachute Association |access-date=2026-03-10}}</ref>

===Sky surfing=== These disciplines have a higher risk factor due to the lower mobility of the jumper and the greater risk of entanglement. For this reason,{{tone inline|date=August 2016}} these disciplines are generally practised by experienced jumpers.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} ===Safety and training advisors=== USPA member drop zones in the US and Canada are required to have an experienced jumper act as a "safety officer" (in Canada DSO – Drop Zone Safety Officer; in the U.S. S&TA – Safety and Training Advisor) who is responsible for dealing with jumpers who violate rules, regulations, or otherwise act in a fashion deemed unsafe by the appointed individual. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

===Most common injuries=== Due to the hazardous nature of skydiving, precautions are taken to avoid parachuting injuries and death. For first-time solo-parachutists, this includes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours of ground instruction.<ref>"Become a Skydiver." USPA. United States Parachute Association, n.d. Web. 30 November 2014.</ref> Since the majority of parachute injuries occur upon landing (approximately 85%),<ref name="Ellitsgaard, N 1987">Ellitsgaard, N. "Parachuting Injuries: A Study of 110,000 Sports Jumps." British Journal of Sports Medicine 21.1 (1987): 13–17. NCBI. Web. 30 November 2014.</ref> the greatest emphasis within ground training is usually on the proper parachute landing fall (PLF), which seeks to orient the body so as to evenly disperse the impact through flexion of several large, insulating muscles (such as the medial gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus),<ref>Whitting, John W., Julie R. Steele, Mark A. Jaffrey, and Bridget J. Munro. "Parachute Landing Fall Characteristics at Three Realistic Vertical Descent Velocities." Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 78.12 (2007): 1135–142. Web.</ref> as opposed to individual bones, tendons, and ligaments which break and tear more easily.

thumb|344px|The percent of injuries caused by an improper landing position

Parachutists, especially those flying smaller sport canopies, often land with dangerous amounts of kinetic energy, and for this reason, improper landings are the cause of more than 30% of all skydiving-related injuries and deaths.<ref name="Ellitsgaard, N 1987" /> Often, injuries sustained during parachute landing are caused when a single outstretched limb, such as a hand or foot, is extended separately from the rest of the body, causing it to sustain forces disproportional to the support structures within.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mele |first1=Federica |last2=Mandarelli |first2=Gabriele |last3=Bottari |first3=Giampiero |last4=Solarino |first4=Biagio |date=2021-11-01 |title=Parachuting fatality: A case report video-recorded |journal=Forensic Science International: Reports |language=en |volume=4 |article-number=100220 |doi=10.1016/j.fsir.2021.100220 |s2cid=237663362 |issn=2665-9107|doi-access=free |hdl=11586/370167 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> This tendency is displayed in the accompanying chart, which shows the significantly higher proportion of wrist and ankle injuries among the 186 injured in a 110,000 parachute jump study.

Due to the possibility of fractures (commonly occurring on the tibia and the ankle mortise), it is recommended that parachutists wear supportive footwear.<ref name="Ellitsgaard, N 1987"/> Supportive footwear prevents inward and outward ankle rolling, allowing the PLF to safely transfer impact energy through the true ankle joint, and dissipate it via the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles.

===Weather=== Parachuting in poor weather, especially with thunderstorms, high winds, and dust devils can be a more dangerous activity.[citation needed] Reputable drop zones will suspend normal operations during inclement weather.[citation needed] In the United States, the USPA's Basic Safety Requirements prohibit solo student skydivers from jumping in winds exceeding 14 mph while using ram-air equipment. However, maximum ground winds are unlimited for licensed skydivers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sim.uspa.org/#1=1%7c2=3%7c3=14%7cpage=47|title=USPA Skydiver's Information ManualP.108|work=uspa.org|access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref>

===Visibility=== As parachuting is an aviation activity under the visual flight rules,<ref name=faasafety>{{cite web|title=FAA Safety Library Resources|url=http://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/libview_normal.aspx?id=7721|access-date=4 September 2014}}</ref> it is generally illegal to jump in or through clouds, according to the relevant rules governing the airspace, such as FAR105<ref>{{cite web|title=Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, §105.17 Flight visibility and clearance from cloud requirements|url=http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=d5362682be4ae3c04b14766e22e3506e&node=se14.2.105_117&rgn=div8|access-date=4 September 2014}}</ref> in the US or ''Faldskærmsbestemmelser'' (''Parachuting Ordinances'')<ref>{{cite web|title=Faldskærmsbestemmelser, §5.c Ansvar|url=http://www.dfu.dk/dokumenter/regler/FB%20Marts%202014%20samlet.pdf|publisher=Dansk Faldskærmsunion|access-date=4 September 2014|language=da|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904193030/http://www.dfu.dk/dokumenter/regler/FB%20Marts%202014%20samlet.pdf|archive-date=4 September 2014}}</ref> in Denmark. Jumpers and pilots of the dropping aircraft similarly bear responsibility of following the other VFR elements,<ref name=faasafety/> in particular ensuring that the air traffic at the moment of jump does not create a hazard.

Beginning skydivers seeking training have the following options:<ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM P.6 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

===Tandem=== Tandem skydiving or tandem parachuting refers to a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected to the parachute and an instructor via a harness. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump from exit through freefall, piloting the canopy and landing. The student needs only minimal instruction before making a tandem jump with the instructor.<ref>{{cite web |title=United States Parachute Association > Find > FAQs > Safety |url=https://uspa.org/find/faqs/safety |website=uspa.org |accessdate=14 July 2020}}</ref>

Gary Dupuis (Dupy) is believed to have made the first tandem parachute jump in DeLand [Florida] in 1966 with a 10-year-old boy.<ref>USPA You People did what? https://www.uspa.org/contact-and-about-uspa/uspa-news/you-people-did-whatthe-long-and-sometimes-crazy-history-of-skydiving-instructional-methods </ref>

Ted Strong<ref> {{Cite web |title=Ted Strong {{!}} International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame |url=https://skydivingmuseum.org/member/ted-strong/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Skydiving Museum |language=en-US}} </ref> and Bill Morrissey<ref> {{Cite web |title=Bill Morrissey {{!}} International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame |url=https://skydivingmuseum.org/member/bill-morrissey/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Skydiving Museum |language=en-US}} </ref> of Strong Enterprises Inc. are credited with inventing and perfecting the first modern tandem parachute system.<ref> {{Cite web |last=Salisbury |first=Vanita |date=2023-03-09 |title=It Takes Two: How Tandem Skydiving Changed High-Flying Thrills |url=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/tandem-skydiving-history-florida |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Thrillist |language=en}} </ref>

===Static line progression=== The static line progression is a method of parachuting that involves a series of jumps, with the parachute deployed automatically on the first few by a static line attached to the aircraft. The student then progresses to self deployment and longer freefall delays.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gale |first=Lesley |date=2013-10-11 |title=Static-Line Progression |url=https://www.skydivemag.com/new/2013-10-12-20130827-staticline-progression/ |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=Skydivemag |language=en-GB}} </ref>

===Instructor-assisted deployment (IAD)=== Instructor-assisted deployment (IAD) is a parachute deployment program with progression similar to static line. The main difference is that instead of being deployed by a static line, the student's jumpmaster (who is in the plane with them) deploys the student's parachute by throwing the pilot chute downward and clear of the aircraft as the student exits. <ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM P.6 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref>

===Accelerated freefall (AFF)=== Accelerated freefall or harness hold program is where the student exits with at least one instructor who holds the student by the harness.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USPA SIM P.6 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}}</ref> Known in Canada as progressive freefall, and in Finland as Nova (NOpeutettu VApaapudotus, a literal translation) It is called accelerated because the progression is the fastest way to experience solo freefall, normally from 10,000 to 15,000 feet above ground level (AGL). In AFF, one (or sometimes two) instructor(s) are dedicated to just one student, causing this method of training to be more expensive than static line progression, where one instructor can dispatch multiple students per load, initially from a lower altitude.

===Wind Tunnels and simulators=== Skydiving can be practiced without jumping. Vertical wind tunnels are used to practice for free fall ("indoor skydiving" or "bodyflight")<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-01-02 |title=A Complete History of the Vertical Wind Tunnel {{!}} Indoor Skydiving Source |url=https://indoorskydivingsource.com/articles/a-complete-history-of-the-vertical-wind-tunnel/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260116120101/https://indoorskydivingsource.com/articles/a-complete-history-of-the-vertical-wind-tunnel/ |archive-date=2026-01-16 |access-date=2026-05-27 |work=Indoor Skydiving Source |language=en-US}} </ref>, while virtual reality parachute simulators <ref> {{Cite web |title=Simulator 1 Military |url=https://tech.flight-1.com/products/s1m |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=tech.flight-1.com}} </ref>are used to practice parachute control.

==Competitions== {{more citations needed section|date=August 2021}} World Championships are held every two years both Indoor and Outdoor in the competition disciplines Artistic Events (Freestyle and Freefly, indoor and outdoor), Canopy Formation (outdoor only), Canopy Piloting (outdoor only), Dynamic (indoor only), Formation Skydiving (indoor and outdoor), Paraski (outdoor only), Style & Accuracy Landing (outdoor only) and Wingsuit Flying (outdoor only). Continental Championships and World Cups can be held in alternate years. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

=== Artistic events === There are now two competitive Artistic Events, Freestyle and Freefly. Freestyle teams consist of a performer and a videographer, Freefly teams have two performers and a videographer. Skysurfing is no longer a competitive event after insufficient competitors entered in two successive World Championships. The history of these events is on this Freeflying page. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

=== Accuracy landing === {{main|Accuracy landing}}

Often called "Classic accuracy", this is an individual or team contest performed under an open parachute. The aim is to touch down on a target whose center is 2 cm in diameter. The target can be a deep foam mattress or an air-filled landing pad. An electronic recording pad of 32 cm in diameter is set in the middle. It measures score in 1 cm increments up to 16 cm and displays result just after landing. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

The first part of any competition takes place over 8 rounds. Then in the individual competition, after these 8 selective rounds, the top 25% jump a semi-final round. After the semi-final round, the top 50% are selected for the final round. The competitor with the lowest cumulative score is declared the winner. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Competitors jump in teams of 5 maximum, exiting the aircraft at 1,000 or 1,200 meters and opening their parachutes sequentially to allow each competitor a clear approach to the target. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

This sport is unpredictable because weather conditions play a very important part. So classic accuracy requires high adaptability to aerology and excellent steering control. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kingdomofjoga.com/2013/07/09/skydiving-2/ |title=Skydiving |website=KINGDOM OF JOGA |date=2013-07-09 |access-date=2026-05-19}}</ref>

It is also the most interesting {{Peacock inline|date=May 2026}} discipline for spectators due to the closeness of action (a few meters) and the possibility to be practiced everywhere (sport ground, stadium, urban place...). Today, classic accuracy is the most practiced (in competition) discipline of skydiving in the world. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

thumb|Two parachutists perform a dock on a Canopy Relative Work (CReW) jump.

===Canopy formation=== Canopy formation also called Canopy Relative Work, or CRW (pronounced kro͞o) for short, is a parachute jump where the participants intentionally pilot their canopies in close proximity to each other.<ref> {{Cite web |title=USPA SIM P.171 |url=https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html |access-date=2026-05-27 |website=www.uspa.org}} </ref> The goal is to create various formations by "docking" with other parachutists on the jump. The dock is often accomplished by placing one's feet into the lines of another person's parachute. Formations require at least 2 people, but can have many more.

Due to the close proximity of the canopies, care has to be taken by all participants to ensure the safety of the jump. It is common for a CREW jumper to carry a hook knife to use in case they become entangled in another jumper's lines.<ref> USPA SIM P171 https://www.uspa.org/portals/0/FLIP/SIM/HTML5/index.html </ref>

===Formation skydiving=== {{main|Formation skydiving|Big-ways}} [[File:DC-3 loading; plus dirt diving.jpg|thumb|DC-3 loading; plus 'dirt diving'; 1977]]

Formation Skydiving (FS) was born in California, US, during the 1960s. The first documented skydiving formation occurred over Arvin, California in March 1964 when Mitch Poteet, Don Henderson, Andy Keech and Lou Paproski successfully formed a 4-man star formation, photographed by Bob Buquor. This discipline was formerly referred to in the skydiving community as Relative Work, often abbreviated to RW.<ref> https://www.starcrestskydivingawards.com/1st-400-d-lisenses </ref>

===Style===

Style can be considered as the sprint of parachuting. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} This individual discipline is played in free fall. The idea is to take maximum speed and complete a pre-designated series of maneuvers as fast and cleanly as possible (speed can exceed {{convert|400|km/h|mph|abbr=on|disp=x|/|}}). {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} Jumps are filmed using a ground-based camera (with an exceptional lens to record the performance). {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Performance is timed (from the start of the manoeuvre until its completion) and then judged in public at the end of the jump. Competition includes 4 qualifying rounds and a final for the top 8. Competitors jump from a height of 2200 m to 2500 m. They rush into an acceleration stage for 15 to 20 seconds and then run their series of manoeuvres benefiting to the maximum of the stored speed. Those series consist of Turns and Back-Loops to achieve in a pre-designated order. The incorrect performance of the manoeuvres gives rise to penalties that are added at run time. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

The performance of the athlete is defined in seconds and hundredths of a second. The competitor with the lowest cumulative time is declared the winner. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Notice the complete sequence is performed by leading international experts in just over 6 seconds, penalties included. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

===Tunnel flying=== {{main|Vertical wind tunnel}}

Using a vertical wind tunnel to simulate free fall has become a discipline of its own and is not only used for training but has its own competitions, teams, and figures. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

===Wingsuit flying=== {{main|Wingsuit flying}} 'Wingsuit flying' or 'wingsuiting' is the sport of flying through the air using a wingsuit, which adds surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift. The common type of wingsuit creates an extra surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms.

== Other skydiving disciplines == {{more citations needed section|date=August 2021}}

=== Angle flying === Angle flying was presented for the first time in 2000 at the World Freestyle Competitions, the European Espace Boogie, and the Eloy Freefly Festival. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

The technique consists of flying diagonally with a determinate relation between angle and trajectory speed of the body, to obtain an air stream that allows for control of flight. The aim is to fly in formation at the same level and angle, and to be able to perform different aerial games, such as freestyle, three-dimensional flight formation with grip, or acrobatic free-flying.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dropzone.com/safety/Disciplines/Freeflying/The_History_of_Atmonauti_Fly_559.html|title=The History of Atmonauti Fly|work=dropzone.com|access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref>

===Cross-country=== A cross-country jump is a skydive where the participants open their parachutes immediately after jumping, with the intention of covering as much ground under canopy as possible. The usual distance from jump run to the drop zone can be as much as several miles. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

[[File:technoavia smg-92 turbo finist ha-ydf at kemble arp.jpg|thumb|A Technoavia SM92 Finist of Target Skysports lifts skydivers to the jump altitude at Hibaldstow, England.]] There are two variations of a cross-country jump:

The more popular one is to plan the exit point upwind of the drop zone. A map and information about the wind direction and velocity at different altitudes are used to determine the exit point. This is usually set at a distance from where all the participants should be able to fly back to the drop zone. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

The other variation is to jump out directly above the drop zone and fly downwind as far as possible. This increases the risks of the jump substantially, as the participants must be able to find a suitable landing area before they run out of altitude. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Two-way radios and cell-phones are often used to make sure everyone has landed safely, and, in case of a landing off the drop zone, to find out where the parachutist is so that ground crew can pick them up. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

===Night jumps=== Parachuting is not always restricted to daytime hours; experienced skydivers sometimes perform night jumps. For safety reasons, this requires more equipment than a usual daytime jump and in most jurisdictions, it requires both an advanced skydiving license (at least a B-License in the U.S.) and a meeting with the local safety official covering who will be doing what on the load. A lit altimeter (preferably accompanied with an audible altimeter) is a must. Skydivers performing night jumps often take flashlights up with them so that they can check their canopies have properly deployed. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Visibility to other skydivers and other aircraft is also a consideration; FAA regulations require skydivers jumping at night to be wearing a light visible for {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} in every direction, and to turn it on once they are under canopy. A chem-light (glowstick) is a good idea on a night jump. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

Night jumpers should be made aware of the dark zone, when landing at night. Above {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} jumpers flying their canopy have a good view of the landing zone normally because of reflected ambient light/moon light. Once they get close to the ground, this ambient light source is lost, because of the low angle of reflection. The lower they get, the darker the ground looks. At about 100 feet and below it may seem that they are landing in a black hole. Suddenly it becomes very dark, and the jumper hits the ground soon after. This ground rush should be explained to, and anticipated by, the first-time night jumper. Recommendations should be made to the jumper to utilize a canopy that is larger than they typically use on a day jump and to attempt to schedule their first night jump as close to a full moon as possible to make it easier to see the ground. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

In addition, in order to mitigate problems seeing the target, people on the ground often park their cars with their headlights on around the target circle facing toward the center. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

While more dangerous than regular skydiving and more difficult to schedule, two night jumps are required by the USPA for a jumper to obtain their D (expert) license. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}} [[File:Short Skyvan SC.7 (G-BEOL) arrives at RIAT Fairford 12July2018 arp.jpg|thumb|A UK parachuting aircraft – the Short Skyvan SC.7]]

===Pond swooping=== {{main|Canopy piloting}} Pond swooping is a form of competitive parachuting wherein canopy pilots attempt to touch down and glide across a small body of water, and onto the shore. Events provide lighthearted competition, rating accuracy, speed, distance and style. Points and peer approval are reduced when a participant "chows", or fails to reach shore and sinks into the water. Swoop ponds are not deep enough to drown in under ordinary circumstances, their main danger being from the concussive force of an incorrectly executed maneuver. In order to gain distance, swoopers increase their speed by executing a "hook turn", wherein both speed and difficulty increase with the angle of the turn. Hook turns are most commonly measured in increments of 90 degrees. As the angle of the turn increases, both horizontal and vertical speed are increased, such that a misjudgement of altitude or imprecise manipulation of the canopy's control structures (front risers, rear risers, and toggles) can lead to a high-speed impact with the pond or Earth. Prevention of injury is the main reason why a pond is used for swooping rather than a grass landing area. {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

===Skysurfing=== {{main|Skysurfing}}

===Space ball=== This is when skydivers have a ball that weighs 455–590 grams and release it in free fall. The ball maintains the same fall rate as the skydivers. The skydivers can pass the ball around to each other whilst in free fall. At a predetermined altitude, the "ball master" will catch the ball and hold on to it to ensure it does not impact the ground. Space balls are prohibited at many drop zones, due to risk to persons and property on the ground in the event that the ball is not caught or dropped during/after deployment {{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}

thumb|center|upright=2.0|Spaceball jump

===Stuff jumps=== thumb|A skydiver sits in a rubber raft steadied by three other jumpers.

Thanks to large unpopulated areas to jump over, 'stuff' jumps become possible. These jumps consist of skydivers leaving the aircraft with some object. Rubber raft jumps are popular; where the jumpers sit in a rubber raft. Cars, bicycles, motorcycles, vacuum cleaners, water tanks, and inflatable companions have also been thrown out the back of an aircraft. At a certain altitude, the jumpers break off from the object and deploy their parachutes, leaving it to smash into the ground at terminal velocity.

===Swoop and chug=== A tradition at many drop zones is the swoop and chug. As parachutists land from the last load of the day, other skydivers often hand the landing skydivers a beer that is customarily chugged in the landing area. This is sometimes timed as a friendly competition but is usually an informal, untimed, kick-off for the night's festivities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://iloveskydiving.org/view/videos/inspired-skydive-swooping-accuracy-swoop-chug/|title=Teem – Inspired Accuracy: Swoop & Chug|work=iloveskydiving.org|date=4 September 2012|access-date=21 October 2015}}</ref>

Another example of this is "hit and rock", a variant of accuracy landing devised to let people of varying skill levels compete for fun. "Hit and rock" is originally from POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society, a society for skydivers over the age of forty). The object is to land as close as possible to the chair, remove the parachute harness, sprint to the chair, sit fully in the chair and rock back and forth at least one time. The contestant is timed from the moment that feet touch the ground until that first rock is completed. This event is considered a race.

===Tracking=== Tracking is a Skydiving discipline where the jumper exits the aircraft and enters a "delta" position with their arms at their sides and legs extended with toes pointed, allowing the body to generate lift and horizontal movement. It can be done solo or as part of a tracking group. {{Citation needed|date=January 2026}} Exiting the aircraft for a tracking jump can range from exiting in a traditional belly-to-earth orientation then "going into" a delta track position. Additionally the jumper can exit the aircraft already in the delta body position. {{Citation needed|date=January 2026}} For safety jumpers must consider the path of the aircraft and other skydivers in freefall to avoid body to body collision or canopy collision on deployment of the parachute.

=== Sit flying === This form of freeflying involves the skydivers flying in a feet-to-Earth position. With less surface area being presented to the wind these skydivers can generate more free-fall speed.

=== Head down flying === This form of freeflying involves the skydivers flying in a head to Earth position. Generally, the object is to fly together with other skydivers and perform maneuvers during the free fall, for the sheer enjoyment of it all.

==Organizations== The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), Parachuting Commission (IPC) conducts FAI's parachuting activities, in particular World Records and International Competitions. It sets globally recognised parachuting proficiency levels, international records requirements, international judging competencies and competition rules.

National parachuting associations exist in many countries, many affiliated with the FAI, to promote their sport. In most cases, national representative bodies, as well as local drop zone operators, require that participants carry certification attesting to their training their level of experience in the sport, and their proven competence. Anyone who cannot produce such bona-fides is treated as a student, requiring close supervision.{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}}

The sole organization in the United States is the United States Parachute Association (USPA), which issues licenses and ratings, governs skydiving, publishes Parachutist Magazine, and represents skydiving to government agencies. USPA publishes the Skydivers Information Manual (SIM) and many other resources. In Canada, the Canadian Sport Parachuting Association is the lead organization. In South Africa, the sport is managed by the Parachute Association of South Africa, in France by the French Parachuting Federation, and in the United Kingdom by the British Parachute Association. In Brazil, the Centro Nacional de Paraquedismo (CNP) sets in Boituva, where many records have been broken and where it is known for being the second-largest center in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}}

Within the sport, associations promote safety, technical advances, training and certification, competition and other interests of their members. Outside their respective communities, they promote their sport to the public and often intercede with government regulators.

Competitions are organized at regional, national and international levels in most of these disciplines. Some of them offer amateur competition.

Many of the more photogenic/videogenic variants also enjoy sponsored events with prize money for the winners.

The majority of jumpers tend to be non-competitive, enjoying the opportunity to skydive with their friends on weekends and holidays. The atmosphere of their gatherings is relaxed, sociable and welcoming to newcomers.{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}} Skydiving events, called "boogies", are arranged at local, national and international scale each year, which attracting both young jumpers and their elders – Parachutists Over Phorty (POPs), Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS) and even older groups.

==Drop zones== {{Main|Drop zone}} thumb|A parachute landing In parachuting, a drop zone or DZ is most technically the area above and around a location where a parachutist freefalls and expects to land. In common use, it often refers to the totality of a skydiving operation (a business). And the area wherein parachutists land will be referred to as the "landing area". The drop zone is usually situated beside a small airport, often sharing the facility with other general aviation activities. Drop zone staff may include the DZO (drop zone operator or owner), manifest, pilots, instructors, coaches, cameramen, packers, riggers and other general staff.

==Equipment== A parachutist's equipment consists of at least three, usually four components, a container/harness system, a main Parachute canopy, a reserve canopy and frequently an automatic activation device (AAD) as well. Other items may include a helmet, goggles, jumpsuit, altimeter, and gloves. An increasing number of skydivers wear cameras, like GoPros, to record their skydives.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/07/business/07novel.html |title=When a Camcorder Becomes a Life Partner |last=Eisenberg |first=Anne |date=Nov 6, 2010 |access-date=Mar 11, 2026 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>

Costs in the sport are not trivial. The market is not large enough to permit the steady lowering of prices that is seen with some other equipment like computers. A new container/harness system can cost between US$1,500 and US$3,500,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/skydiving-rigs/containers|title=New Custom and Stock Skydiving Containers from ChutingStar Skydiving Gear SuperStore|website=www.chutingstar.com|language=en|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref> main canopies for the experienced parachutist can cost between $2,000 and US$3,600,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/PriceSheet.pdf |title=PD Price List – Main Canopies |access-date=27 July 2015 |archive-date=30 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630081834/http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/PriceSheet.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.icaruscanopies.aero/images/downloads/ic_list_price_09_2013.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 July 2015 |archive-date=3 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003185738/http://www.icaruscanopies.aero/images/downloads/ic_list_price_09_2013.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.flyaerodyne.com/download/Aerodyne_PriceList.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=27 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920012346/http://www.flyaerodyne.com/download/Aerodyne_PriceList.pdf |archive-date=20 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> reserve canopies cost between US$1,500 and US$2,500<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/skydiving-rigs/canopies|title=New Custom and Stock Skydiving Parachute Canopies from ChutingStar Skydiving Gear SuperStore|website=www.chutingstar.com|language=en|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref> and AADs US$1,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/skydiving-rigs|title=Custom and Stock Skydiving Rigs, Parachutes and AADs at ChutingStar Skydiving Gear Store|website=www.chutingstar.com|language=en|access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref> cost. Higher performance and tandem parachutes cost significantly more, whilst large docile student parachutes often cost less. Most parachuting equipment is ruggedly designed and is enjoyed by several owners before being retired. A rigger is trained to spot signs of damage or misuse. Riggers also keep track of industry product and safety bulletins, and can, therefore, determine if a piece of equipment is up-to-date and serviceable.

In the United States, parachute assemblies are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Technical Standard Order (TSO) C23.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/12/24/E8-30638/personnel-parachute-assemblies-tso-c23d |title=Personnel Parachute Assemblies TSO‑C23d |publisher=Federal Register |date=December 24, 2008 |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://paraorg.dfv.aero/uploads/allgemein_c23d.pdf |title=TSO‑C23d: Personnel Parachute Assemblies |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |date=June 1, 1994 |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref> While early certifications relied on automotive or generic aviation standards, modern equipment is tested against the PIA TS-135 standard,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://drs.faa.gov/browse/excelExternalWindow/1A8B18FA46DB168786257A830054D117.0001?modalOpened=true |title=FAA Dynamic Regulatory System (DRS) document |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref> which the FAA incorporates by reference for its certification process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dzoneskydiving.com/articles/TSO-C23/ |title=The Evolution of Parachute Safety |publisher=Dzone Skydiving |date= |access-date=March 11, 2026}}</ref>

==Record free-fall parachute jumps== [[File:Kittinger-jump.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Joseph Kittinger starting his record-breaking skydive in 1960. His record was broken only in 2012.]]

In 1914, while doing demonstrations for the U.S. Army, a parachute pioneer named Tiny Broadwick deployed her chute manually, thus becoming the first person to jump free-fall.<ref>{{cite web |title=Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick's Parachute |url=https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/georgia-tiny-broadwicks-parachute |publisher=National Air and Space Museum |access-date=5 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005104657/https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/georgia-tiny-broadwicks-parachute |archive-date=5 October 2024 |url-status=live |date=12 March 2015}}</ref>

According to the ''Guinness Book of Records'', Eugene Andreev (USSR) holds the official FAI record for the longest free-fall parachute jump after falling for {{convert|24500|m|ft}} from an altitude of {{convert|25458|m|ft}} near the city of Saratov, Russia, on 1 November 1962. Although later on jumpers would ascend higher altitudes, Andreev's record was set without the use of a drogue chute during the jump and therefore remains the longest genuine ''free fall'' record.<ref>[http://stratocat.com.ar/fichas-e/1960/HMN-19600816.htm Data of the stratospheric balloon launched on 8/16/1960 For EXCELSIOR III]. Stratocat.com.ar. Retrieved on 31 July 2016.</ref>

During the late 1950s, Captain Joseph Kittinger of the United States was assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward", a name given to the project by Colonel John Stapp), as part of research into high altitude bailout, he made a series of three parachute jumps wearing a pressurized suit, from a helium balloon with an open gondola.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

The first, from {{convert|76,400|ft|m}} in November 1959 was a near tragedy when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness, but the automatic parachute saved him (he went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of 120 rpm; the g-force at his extremities was calculated to be over 22 times that of gravity, setting another record). Three weeks later he jumped again from {{convert|74,700|ft|m}}. For that return jump Kittinger was awarded the A. Leo Stevens parachute medal.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

On 16 August 1960 he made the final jump from the Excelsior III at {{convert|102,800|ft|m}}. Towing a small drogue chute for stabilization, he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds reaching a maximum speed of {{convert|614|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Speed of a Skydiver (Terminal Velocity)|url=http://hypertextbook.com/facts/1998/JianHuang.shtml|publisher=Hyper Text Book}}</ref> before opening his parachute at {{convert|14,000|ft|m}}. Pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent, and his right hand swelled to twice its normal size.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/sports/othersports/24jump.html?em&ex=1211774400&en=841aa50b9281518a&ei=5087%0A| work=The New York Times | title=20-Year Journey for 15-Minute Fall | first=Matt | last=Higgins | date=24 May 2008 | access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest drogue-fall (4 min), and fastest speed by a human through the atmosphere.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050205062355/http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/eagles/kittnger.htm Joseph W. Kittinger – USAF Museum Gathering of Eagles]. Web.archive.org. Retrieved on 31 July 2016.</ref>

The jumps were made in a "rocking-chair" position, descending on his back, rather than the usual arch familiar to skydivers, because he was wearing a {{convert|60|lb|kg|adj=on}} "kit" on his behind and his pressure suit naturally formed that shape when inflated, a shape appropriate for sitting in an airplane cockpit. For the series of jumps, Kittinger was decorated with an oak leaf cluster to his Distinguished Flying Cross and awarded the Harmon Trophy by President Dwight Eisenhower.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

In 2012, the Red Bull Stratos mission took place. On 14 October 2012, Felix Baumgartner broke the records previously set by Kittinger for the highest free fall, the highest manned helium balloon flight, and the fastest free fall; he jumped from {{convert|128,100|ft|m}}, reaching {{nowrap|833.9 mph}} {{nowrap|(1342 km/h) -}} {{nowrap|Mach 1.24}}, faster than the speed of sound.<ref>{{cite web|title=Official: Skydiver Breaks Speed of Sound|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/official-skydiver-breaks-speed-sound-17477018#.UHsquW_AcbB|publisher=ABC News|access-date=14 October 2012}}</ref> Kittinger was a member of the mission control and helped design the capsule and suit that Baumgartner ascended and jumped in.

On 24 October 2014, Alan Eustace broke the record previously set by Baumgartner for the highest fall. He jumped from a height of {{convert|135,908|ft|m}} and fell with a drogue chute for {{frac|4|1|2}} minutes.<ref name=nyt2014>{{cite news|last1=Markoff|first1=John|title=Parachutist's Record Fall: Over 25 Miles in 15 Minutes|url=//www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/science/alan-eustace-jumps-from-stratosphere-breaking-felix-baumgartners-world-record.html?_r=0|access-date=25 October 2014|work=The New York Times|date=24 October 2014}}</ref>

==Other records== ===Individual jumps=== * Don Kellner holds the record for the most parachute jumps up to 2021, with a total of 46,355 jumps. He made his last eight skydives on 1 May 2021 in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, before his death from cancer on the following July 22, aged 85.<ref>[https://uspa.org/skydiveschool/FJC/uspa-posthumously-awards-don-kellner-his-final-most-jumps-record USPA Posthumously Awards Don Kellner His Final Most-Jumps Record] United States Parachute Association (USPA), July 2021. Quote: "On May 1, Don Kellner, D-572 and the Guinness World Record Holder for Most Lifetime Skydives, made eight skydives at Above the Poconos Skydivers in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, the drop zone he owned with his wife, Darlene. They were the last jumps he was to make before his death from cancer on July 22 at age 85. In recognition of those final jumps—which put his total number of skydives at 46,355—USPA posthumously awarded him the U.S. Record for Most Lifetime Skydives on July 28."</ref><ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.dkellner.info/DonKellner.html |title= 43,000 Jumps |access-date=27 August 2017 }}</ref> ** In 1929, U.S. Army Sergeant Ralph W. Bottriell held the world's record for the most parachute jumps with 500. At that number, Bottriell stopped parachuting and became a ground instructor.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=FSgDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+1930&pg=PA65 "Made 500 Parachute Jumps."] ''Popular Science Monthly'', November 1929, p. 65, mid page article.</ref> * Cheryl Stearns (U.S.) holds the record for the most parachute descents by a woman, with a total of 20,000 in August 2014, as well as the most parachute jumps made in a 24-hour period by a woman—352 jumps from 8–9 November 1995. * Erin Hogan became the world's youngest sky diver as of 2002, when she tandem jumped at age 5. (Beaten in 2003 by age 4 Kiwi){{citation needed|date=October 2020}} * Jay Stokes holds the record for most parachute descents within 24 hours at 640. <ref>Registry of Official world records https://www.recordholdersrepublic.co.uk/record-holders-details.aspx?id=448 </ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mostjumps2006.com/ |title=Skydiving Ultra-Marathon Challenge |publisher=Mostjumps2006.com |access-date=24 May 2012 |archive-date=14 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714115927/http://www.mostjumps2006.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> * The oldest female solo skydiver was Dilys Price. On 13 April 2013 she carried out the oldest solo parachute jump by a woman from Langar Airfield, Nottingham, UK when she was 80 years and 315 days.<ref name="Guiness records">{{cite web |title=Oldest solo parachute jump (female) |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/63055-oldest-solo-parachute-jump-female |website=Guinness World Records |access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref> * The oldest female tandem skydiver is Irene O'Shea. She made a tandem parachute jump on 9 December 2018 from an altitude of {{convert|4,000|m|ft|abbr=on}} over Adelaide, Australia, at the age of 102 years. Her jump raised money and awareness for the Motor Neuron Disease Association of Southern Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-tandem-parachute-jump-(female)|title=Oldest tandem parachute jump (female)|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref> * The oldest male tandem skydiver, according to Guinness Book of World Records, is Bryson William Verdun Hayes (born 6 April 1916), who achieved the feat on 14 May 2017 at the age of 101 years 38 days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-tandem-parachute-jump-(male)|title=Oldest tandem parachute jump (male)|website=Guinness World Records|language=en-GB|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/16/528615872/101-year-old-d-day-veteran-claims-new-record-for-oldest-skydiver|title=101-Year-Old D-Day Veteran Claims Record For Oldest Skydiver|newspaper=NPR|date=16 May 2017|language=en|access-date=31 December 2018|last1=Domonoske|first1=Camila}}</ref> Bryson Hayes had earlier become the oldest ever UK sky diver, achieving the feat on 11 April 2016<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-35975586|title=Man, 100, marks birthday with skydive|date=9 April 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=31 December 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref> when he was 100 years old. **The record was previously held by Armand Gendreau (born 24 June 1913) who made a tandem parachute jump above Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Québec, Canada, on 27 June 2014 at the age of 101 years 3 days<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wreg.com/2017/05/15/british-wwii-veteran-101-breaks-skydiving-record/|title=British WWII veteran, 101, breaks skydiving record|date=15 May 2017|website=WREG.com|language=en|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref> **In July 2017, 102-year-old Kenneth Meyer (born 5 February 1915) became the oldest person to skydive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pix11.com/2017/07/28/nj-man-skydives-at-102-becomes-worlds-oldest-skydiver/|title=NJ man skydives at 102, becomes world's oldest skydiver|date=28 July 2017|website=WPIX 11 New York|language=en|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.brainerddispatch.com/lifestyle/family/4542250-102-year-old-woman-skydives-raise-awareness-disease-killed-her-daughter|title=102-year-old woman skydives to raise awareness for the disease...|last=Post|first=Washington|date=12 December 2018|website=www.brainerddispatch.com|language=en|access-date=31 December 2018}}</ref> As of December 2018, his achievement is under review by Guinness World Records and Hayes continues to hold the Guinness record for the oldest male tandem skydiver. *The oldest solo United States skydiver is Milburn Hart from Seattle, Washington. He was 96 years old when achieved this feat by making a solo jump in February 2005.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=20050221&id=djEfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4181,5933614&hl=en|title=Ellensburg Daily Record – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref> * On 14 October 2012, after seven years of planning, Felix Baumgartner (Austria) achieved the highest jump altitude, the highest freefall and the highest speed in freefall. He also became the first skydiver to break the sound barrier. He started from Roswell, New Mexico, US.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Guinness World records 2014|last=Glenday|first=Craig|publisher=The Jim Pattison group|year=2013|isbn=978-1-908843-15-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_r3e7}}</ref> * Australian stunt parachutist, Captain Vincent Taylor, received the unofficial record for a lowest-level jump in 1929 when he jumped off a bridge over the San Francisco Bay whose center section had been raised to {{convert|135|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=FigDAAAAMBAJ&dq=popular+science+1930&pg=PA59 "Parachute Jumper Leaps 135 Feet from Bridge."] ''Popular Science Monthly'', September 1929, P. 59</ref> * World's record for the most tandem parachute jumps in a 24-hour period is 403. This record was set at Skydive Hibaldstow on 10 July 2015, in memory of Stephen Sutton.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-people-to-tandem-parachute-in-24-hours|title=Most tandem parachute jumps in 24 hours|website=Guinness World Records|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924131041/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-people-to-tandem-parachute-in-24-hours|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref>

===Group jumps=== * World's largest formation in free-fall at night: 1 November 2017 at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona (64 linked persons in freefall). * World's largest formation in free-fall: 8 February 2006 in Udon Thani, Thailand (400 linked persons in freefall). * World's largest female-only formation: Jump for the Cause, 181 women from 26 countries who jumped from nine planes at {{convert|17,000|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}, in 2009.<ref>{{cite journal|title=181 women break skydiving record |journal= Valley & State |publisher=The Arizona Republic |date=30 September 2009}}</ref> * World's largest head down formation (vertical formation): 31 July 2015 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, U.S. (164 linked skydivers in head to Earth attitude):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/RecordsAwards/ExistingRecords/World/tabid/143/Default.aspx|title=User Log In|work=uspa.org|access-date=21 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910084141/http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/RecordsAwards/ExistingRecords/World/tabid/143/Default.aspx|archive-date=10 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Largest female head down formation (vertical formation): 30 November 2013 at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona, U.S. (63 linked skydivers in head to Earth attitude). * European record: 13 August 2010, Włocławek, Poland. Polish skydivers broke a record when 102 people created a formation in the air during the Big Way Camp Euro 2010. The skydive was their fifteenth attempt at breaking the record.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/day_in_photos_august_HiQ42rOM6pYj070Cg7JchO?photo_num=14|title=Day in Photos Gallery|work=New York Post|date=13 August 2010|access-date=10 July 2011}}</ref> * World's largest canopy formation: 100, set on 21 November 2007 in Lake Wales, Florida, U.S.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfworldrecord.com/2007/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930010116/http://www.cfworldrecord.com/2007/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 September 2007 |title=CF World Record |publisher=CF World Record |access-date=24 May 2012 }}</ref> * Largest wingsuit formation: 22 September 2012, Perris Valley Airport, California, U.S. (100 wingsuit jumpers). * Largest all-blind skydiving formation: 2, with Dan Rossi and John "BJ" Fleming on 13 September 2003.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blindhow.com/posts/212|title=Blind Skydiving Record |author=Adam Rushforth|date=30 June 2011}}</ref> * The oldest civilian parachute club in the world is The Irish Parachute Club, founded in 1956 by Freddie Bond and located in Clonbullogue, Co. Offaly, Ireland.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.skydive.ie | title=Skydive @ IPC | Experience the Adrenaline of Skydiving}}</ref> * The oldest civilian parachute club in the US is The Peninsula Skydivers Skydiving Club, founded in 1962 by Hugh P. Bergeron, located in West Point, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.skydivethepoint.com/dropzone-history/from-the-beginning/|title = In the Beginning…. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100607221001/http://www.skydivethepoint.com/dropzone-history/from-the-beginning/ |archive-date=7 June 2010 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> *In September 1980, the world record night dive was performed at Perris, California, US, as the last night world record before it was eliminated as a separate category by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. It was reinstated in 2017.

==In popular culture== The cadence Blood on the Risers, about parachuting in the military, is sung to the tune Battle Hymn of the Republic, also known as John Brown's Body.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-03-04 |title=Blood on the Risers |url=http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1981/38405/west_point/songs/bloodontherisers.htm |access-date=2023-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304041404/http://www.west-point.org/users/usma1981/38405/west_point/songs/bloodontherisers.htm |archive-date=2006-03-04 }}</ref> The song has been adapted with various versions of the lyrics, one of which uses as its first line "He jumped without a parachute from twenty thousand feet", and includes the line "They scraped him off the tarmac like a lump of strawberry jam", where it has been used as a campfire song by Scouts.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.scoutresources.org.uk/songs/songs_001.html#parachute |title = Scouting Resources}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Wiktionary}} {{Wikivoyage|Skydiving}} *[https://www.dropzone.com/skydiving An in-depth look at skydiving] - from the history of the sport through to modern advances *[http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/carkeet.html Unplanned Freefall?] - a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at surviving free-fall without a parachute *[http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/ffresearch.html Free fall accidents, mathematics of free fall - detailed research on the topic] *[http://www.parachutehistory.com/other/bonusday.html Chuteless jump survivors] *{{cite web|url=http://stratocat.com.ar/artics/excelsior-e.htm |publisher=Greg Kennedy |title=Joseph W. Kittinger and the Highest Step in the World |date=17 March 2010}} Detailed account of origins and development of EXCELSIOR project.

Category:Parachuting Category:Military sports Category:Air sports Category:Articles containing video clips Category:Falling Category:Extreme sports