“Only a Few Things Fall from the Sky…”
I was once told. “…They include rain, snow, bird droppings and idiots.” While I’m not sure I agree with the last one, the true adrenaline junkie / daredevil is typically drawn to sports like skydiving.
About an hour and a half southwest of Washington in Orange, VA is Orange Skydiving. On most days, certified instructors and jumpmasters train people how to take their first skydive.
There are three types of introductory skydiving options for beginners - tandem jumps, static line jumps and accelerated freefall.
In tandem jumps, you get an exhilarating 40 to 50 second freefall from about 13,000 feet while harnessed together with your instructor. Considered the “skydiving classroom in the skies”, the tandem jump gives the beginner real taste of the freefall while under the watchfull eye of an experienced instructor.
The static line jump is the typical paratrooper war movies jumping. The skydiver connects a line from the parachute opening device (ripcord) to the airplane, so that when they jump out, the parachute is automatically pulled. Generally these dives occur around 3,500 feet and result in a five-minute gentle glide back to earth.
For the highly fit such as active military, firefighters, or other whose physical conditioning puts them in a more elite physical conditioning status, accelerated freefalling is an option. In this style, the beginner jumps with two experienced instructors who freefall side-by-side with you until your parachute deploys or if you have problems, they deploy it for you. These jumps generally occur above 10,000 feet.
During a normal parachute deployment from a freefall dive, a skydiver will experience a few seconds of intense deceleration, in the area of 3 - 4 G’s. Once opened, the parachute slows the diver’s descent from about 120 mph to around 12 mph.
Requirements - You must be at least 18 years of age, and provide a picture ID. Maximum weight of a jumper is limited to 275 pounds, with an additional fee for people weighing over 220 pounds. Jeans, comfortable clothing and sneakers or boots are recommended.
Dates and Times – Skydive Orange is open daily. Jump times are offered at varying times based on the type of jump, training requirements, the number of jumpers and weather conditions. Most static and accelerated freefall classes start at 8:00 a.m. and run five to six hours. Tandem jumping instruction is significantly shorter and classes are generally offered on weekends at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., noon, and 2:00 p.m. but subject to change based on number of participants and weather conditions. Weekday classes are also available.
Allow for plenty of time for your initial training, weather conditions and your jump. It’s probably best to plan to spend the day. Plan to either bring your lunch or you can visit the town of Orange, just a few miles away.
According to Ned at Orange, it’s rare (less than 0.1%) that someone freezes in the door; but if you have second thoughts, you can, in most cases, reschedule your jump for another day. Or as you may have seen in the movies, just tell the person behind the if you freeze…… to give you a good push!!
Safety - all parachutes used in first jumps and rentals, use an automatic activation device on the reserve chute that will automatically open at 1,000 feet if the main chute has not been deployed.
Costs (cash prices, credit card prices slightly higher) - Tandem jump - $245, Static Line - $205, Accelerated Freefall - $355.
A Few Bits of Parachuting Trivia
- The record for the highest parachute jump occurred in 1960 as part of a U.S. Air Force program. Captain Joe Kittinger, while wearing a pressurized suit, jumped out of a balloon gondola at over 102,000 feet. During the 13-minute freefall, he hit speeds of upwards of 600 miles an hour.
- The oldest person to ever take a first skydive was Hildegarde Ferrea, who at 99 years old, completed her first tandem jump.
- The first parachute jump ever made was by Andre-Jacques Garnerin in 1797 over Paris from a ballon at 3,000 feet.
Photo credits: photo 1 - Dan Wayland, photos 2 and 3 - Bobby Page.
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POSTED IN: Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places, Scenic & Short Trips
1 opinion for “Only a Few Things Fall from the Sky…”
Look Jack…I’m Flying!!
Feb 29, 2008 at 5:58 am
[…] The DC Traveler, I’ve written about places where you can take skydiving lessons, flying lessons, and even helicopter lessons in the Washington, DC […]
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