Tandem Parachute Jumping
The Ripcord Sky Divers Gatton drop zone is about an hour's drive west of Brisbane, right beside
the Warrego Highway.
They have converted a farmhouse and surrounding 100 acres into a club with training facilities,
airstrip and two light aircraft. The parachute landing area is right beside the clubhouse.
Access is an easy drive from Brisbane or Toowoomba, and there are McCaffertys buses from the Roma
Street Transit Centre.
The idea of parachutes has been around for a long time - the first known proposal was put forward by
Leonardo da Vinci somewhere around 1500.
His idea was to stretch cloth over a frame shaped like a pyramid and have the parachutist hanging below,
remarkably similar to the general arrangement we are familiar with today.
This model was constructed for display in a museum from da Vinci's notes - he had suggested that it
should be about 7 metres across in order to support a man.
Another Italian is credited with the first actual jump in the early 1600's - and in the 1700's there
were numerous successful jumps, usually from hot air balloons - and the first foldable parachute was used
during this period.
Despite this long history the modern parafoil or ram-air parachute wasn't developed until around 1980,
and since the advent of this safe and reliable device skydiving and sport parachuting has grown
enormously.
The ram-air parachute is a deformable airfoil or wing that gets it's shape by trapping air in the
pockets that make up the wing.
These air pressurised pockets keep the wing tight and rigid enough to fly.
Photographed here the parachute is collapsing after a successful tandem landing, and the long
pockets are clearly visible running from the front of the wing to the back.
The line of openings where air enters the pockets can be seen across the front of the parachute.
Also visible are the network of cords from various points on the wing that connect to the parachutist's
shoulders.
By manipulating these lines a considerable degree of control can be exercised over the parachute -
faster or slower, turn right or left and to practically stop for landing.
By far the most popular way to get involved in this fast growing sport is to do a tandem jump
as a passenger.
This is the safe and enjoyable way to experience the excitement of parachuting with only minimal
basic training, because the passenger rides down with an experienced instructor who does all the work.
The instructor is wearing the parachute and operates the controls, and the jumpers are wearing a
special tandem harness that secures them both together.
The passenger quite literally has nothing else to do but enjoy the ride!
After the adrenalin rush of getting out of the 'plane you feel a sense of freedom and exhilaration as
you freefall at speeds of up to 200kph.
Then as the parachute snaps open there is peace and tranquility with only the sound of the wind as
you float downwards.
The view is tremendous - it is easy to talk to the instructor - it is even possible to hear
people on the ground talking - and of course they can hear you.
xxxx Then as the parachute snaps open there is peace and tranquility with only the sound of the wind as
you float downwards.
Recommendation
Leonardo da Vinci is credited with saying "...and once you have tasted flight, you will walk the earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you long to return..."
This pretty much sums it up 700 years later - after their first parachute jump most people have a big
grin on their face (like in the photo just above) and they nearly all say they have to do that again.
If you want something you will be able to tell your grand-childern about over and over, think about doing
a tandem parachute jump.
