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Safety - Technical Library - Blue Sky Adventures SkydivingDespite the seeming danger of the leap, fatalities are rare. However, each year a number of people are hurt or killed parachuting world-wide.[1][2] About 30 skydivers are killed each year in the US, which works out roughly to one death out of every 166,000 jumps.In the US and in most of the western world skydivers are required to carry a second, reserve parachute which has been inspected and packed by a certified parachute rigger (in the US, an FAA certified parachute rigger). Many skydivers use an automatic activation device (AAD) that activates the reserve parachute at a safe altitude if the skydiver somehow fails to activate the main canopy on their own. Skydivers may also carry a visual altimeter. Some also use one or more audible altimeters as well. In recent years, one of the most common sources of injury is a low turn under a high-performance canopy and swooping. Swooping is the discipline of making a high performance landing. Changing wind conditions are another risk factor. In strong wind conditions and hot days with turbulence the parachutist can be caught in downdrafts near 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. Equipment failure rarely causes fatalities and injuries. While approximately one in 400 jumps results in a main parachute malfunction, reserve canopies are packed by an FAA licensed rigger and are designed to be highly reliable. Parachuting disciplines such as BASE jumping or those that involve equipment such as wing suit flying and sky surfing have a higher risk factor due to the lower mobility of the jumper and the greater risk of entanglement. For this reason these disciplines are generally practiced by experienced jumpers. It is worth noting that what is depicted in commercial films — notably Hollywood action movies — usually exaggerate the dangers of the sport. Often, the characters in such films are depicted performing feats that are physically impossible without special effects assistance. In other cases, their practices would cause them to be grounded or shunned at any safety-conscious drop zone or club. 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 are responsible for dealing with the jumpers who violate rules, regulations, or otherwise act in a fashion deemed unsafe by the appointed individual. In many countries, either the local regulations or the liability-conscious prudence of the dropzone owners require that parachutists must have attained the age of majority before engaging in the sport. |
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