The following are questions you might have about skydiving. I've met lots of people who are interested in possibly making a tandem skydive, or taking up the hobby as I have, but have many questions about what it's like and what to expect.

Much like me before I got into the sport, others have asked why a skydiver would bother to wear a helmet? This is a valid question for a non-skydiver, so I'll cover it first.

When in free-fall "terminal velocity" for the average person is somewhere around 120 mph, but varies with the wind resistance (how much surface area you're presenting to the wind) and weight. A skydiver can control the speed with his or her legs and arms and the position of their body.

So, you might ask, "what good is a composite or plastic helmet gonna do you when you impact mother Earth at ~120 mph?"

The helmet isn't for a potential impact with the Earth at terminal velocity, it wouldn't help. Skydivers usually jump with others (it can get boring jumping solo), and depending on a jumpers body position the speed differences can be great. A guy trying to dive down to a formation can be falling 30+ mph faster than the formation, and if he miscalculates and can't slow down could hit someone. A 30 mph hit from another falling body can knock someone out (sorta like if someone jumped off a 10 story building and landed on you). The helmet helps with the smaller knocks and hits in mid-air, or while leaving the plane door.

This situation doesn't happen that often. But the idea is to be prepared for the worst possible situation on every jump. Debris or flying grasshoppers at a few thousand feet up aren't the norm, but I've seen that too with summer thermals, so we also wear goggles. 120 mph+ wind on the eyeballs can be a drag too anyway.. I've only made one jump without my goggles (by accident), and it sucked.

Yes, for the most part. With today's modern gear and decades of previous experience skydiving today is safer than it has ever been before. Any rig you jump will have both a main canopy as well as a reserve canopy for use in the event your main did not deploy correctly.

As a student you will also be equipped with a Cypres AAD (automatic activation device) which will automatically fire and deploy your reserve if you were to fall past 2,000 feet AGL while still in free-fall. (Since students normally are instructed to deploy their main at 5,000 to 5,500 feet AGL this is normally not an issue)

Basically.. Skydiving is "safe". it is just not very forgiving of foolish mistakes. As long as you pay attention and follow the emergency procedures you're taught in AFF training, you should do fine and live a long happy life as a skydiver.

When making a tandem jump you are in a harness strapped to the front of a very experienced "Jumpmaster", and they will do everything during the skydive if you so desire.

A tandem jumpmaster has made at least 500 jumps before (and in many cases several thousand) and went through a rigorous training program to become a tandem jumpmaster.

If you're interested the jumpmaster will most times allow you to "pull the rip-cord", and even steer the canopy, during your tandem skydive. If you just want to go along for the ride though that's ok too, and your jumpmaster will do everything and land you both safely on the ground.

Currently there are only a around 30 +/- fatalitities each year in the United States from skydiving activities. Many result from more experienced skydivers "swooping" and doing dangerous landing maneuvers for the thrill.

In most cases you have a much greater chance of being killed during the drive to the drop zone than anything you will do during your skydive.

If you pay attention to the condition of your gear, get a "gear check" from a fellow skydiver (any other skydiver nearby will be happy to check for you if you ask) before you get on the aircraft and a "closing pin check" before you leave the door at altitude, and remember your basic safety procedures (covered in your AFF training) you should be fine.

Note: Don't be afraid to ask another skydiver (even if you do not know them) for either a "gear check" or "pin check" before going skydiving. Although they might be a stranger, skydivers are a close knit bunch and look out for each other, weather they know you or not. Your fellow skydivers at the drop zone are also concerned about your safety and will help whenever needed.

Yes I was. It is completely natural to fear the unknown. When I made my first tandem skydive I was *almost* ok till it came time to open the aircraft door. With that, and hobbling to the door strapped to my tandem jumpmaster, and while looking out the open door 13,500 feet above the ground it finally hit me what I was about to do. The worst thing was the anticipation at the door. But once I was out the door it was ok, mostly from sensory overload. My next fear came when we (my tandem jumpmaster) deployed the main and we were under canopy. I was a little nervous with the spiraling and other canopy maneuvers. But it was the best feeling in the world when we came in for a tip-toe soft landing on the drop zone. :)

I also had some nerves through my AFF student jumps as well. I think that mostly due to the need to perform and make my maneuvers to pass each level. It wasn't until after level 5 that an AFF jumpmaster finally told me that I wasn't being judged on "accurracy and style", but merely that I got fucked up with front flips, back flips, barrell rolls, etc.. and once again got stable. Would have relieved a lot of pressure had they told me that much earlier on..