The invisible substance surrounding the earth.
A mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.

Invisible, tasteless, bland even.
It surrounds us yet we take it for granted.

We breath it.
It supplies us oxygen.

Life on Earth doesn't exist without it.

It moves around the planet in patterns.
We mostly associate it with wind.

Whilst life giving, it can also, in wind, be incredibly destructive.
We all know about the “jet stream”.

Plummeting through it is serious fun.

Exhilarating, freeing.

Involves putting a lot of trust in yourself.

Static Line

Video by Leo Salom

A line is attached to the plane.
When you jump, this pulls the line, pulling on the chute rip cord.
The chute opens automatically.

Doing it without being attached to the plane is even more fun.

Hurtling towards the earth with NOTHING supporting you is one of the best feelings ever.

This is NOT me

Freefall

The speed achieved by a human body in freefall is slowed down by air resistance and body orientation.

A stable, freefly, head-down position produces a speed of around 240-290 km/h

Read that again.
290 km/h
180 mph

Only in Germany can I go that fast in a vehicle. And things keep getting in the way.

Normal jumping?

193km/h

120 mph

Through nothing.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/atmosphere/global-circulation-patterns
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/10-things-air/

I've jumped on every continent bar one

Antartica.

(Taking Europen view of 7 continents)

IT'S A SHAME IT'S NO LONGER ALLOWED IN HONG KONG.
THAT WAS REAL FUN.
A PRIVILEGE.

I have also jumped into Mainland China.

Arctic Circle was off the scale.

Throwing yourself out of a plane is
really liberating and exceptional fun.

Try it!

CHOPPERS

Spent a lot of time doing this. Hanging from a chopper. Not just police ones.

Installing Base Stations amongst other stuff. Jumped out of a few too.

Robinson

Do a range of budget helicopters.

I almost bought one. Price of a good car.

Have flown them. R22 & R44. (& a Bell 206)

ROBINSON HELI

Fancy Learning? - https://www.helialpin.ch/ueber-uns/flotte

Most of my travel (boasting here) as I've wandered my way around the planet, has been in 1st class. Yes, I know. Company expense account. My company. I flew so often with Qantas that I knew crew on the routes. Nearly always in the cockpit for take off and landing.

I was in 1st once, the steward walked in and said "hallo Andy", followed by the flight crew who said Hi too as they marched past to the cockpit.

Captain stops and says "Andy, jump seat for Take Off?". The only other customer in 1st flips out. "Do you own the fucking airline or what?".

"Nope, just fly a lot".