Skydiving
What is actually skydiving?
Tandem skydiving is a kind of parachuting anyone can try. You do not need any previous training, nor complicated medical examinations, but weight can be an excluding factor due to equipment load if you weigh more than 95 kilos!
You are basically attached to a professional tandem pilot via a special harness system. Of course it is him who does everything, leaving you with only one task: ENJOY THE JUMP! Whatever you do, you cannot do anything wrong. Your tandem pilot knows in each and every situation what to do (only the most experienced parachuting instructors can become tandem divers after at least 1000 parachute jumps).
How does a tandem jump go?
If you feel like skydiving, you first need to discuss the date of your jump, at least one or two weeks in advance. You can do this on the phone or even via mail. We can meet at the given time at the airport where our colleagues will attend to you right away. They guide you around the place and inform you about the safety rules of the airport. You get a jumpsuit and you can set out for the adventure. Our colleagues place the harness on you and give you some useful advice to make your jump even more enjoyable. Your tandem pilot will take over from there and go on with your preparation. He checks and finalizes your harness adjustment and tells you the details of your jump.
You practice the most important bits of the jump and this ends preparation. You will be briefly interviewed and that is already part of your private film. Then it is time to head for the plane! We shoot a couple more valuable pictures of you during the walk and at the plane and then film all your jump. Your equipment will be checked one more time and we take off. In about 20 minutes’ flight we reach jump height, that is 3.500 metres. In the meantime we go through the jump details once more. Some minutes before the jump we fasten the four buckles of our harnesses together, each of the four having a weight capacity of 2.500 kilos. Then the door can open and we slide to the door opening.
Your adrenaline level will surely be in the skies by then 🙂 We place ourselves in the practised jump position and off we go! In a couple of seconds you’ll find yourself between earth and sky floating in a rapture that cannot be compared to anything. This is freefalling. You have surely not felt anything like this before.
Well, this is what you came for! The camera keeps recording these marvellous moments. At 1.500 metres our parachute opens. The jerk is not too strong but rather a delicate opening process thanks to our modern equipment. Everything slows down and you will shout with joy and relief and can’t get enough of the scenery. Luckily you still have 7-8 minutes until landing to get the most of complete freedom while floating in marvellous silence over the infinite blue.
You can even steer the parachute if you want to. You practice correct landing position before touching ground and there you are, back on earth. You did it! Everybody rejoices with you because it shows what an extraordinary experience you’ve just been part of. This is tandem skydiving!
A couple of words about safety
Each tandem gear contains two parachutes, a main and a reserve one. Beside this, a so-called safety device is also compulsory part of each equipment. This automatically opens the emergency chute should anything happen to the instructor.
Our equipment is checked by an expert on a compulsory basis, so quality and state control is continuous and regular. Our tandem pilots keep up with the speedy development of tandem skydiving and parachuting via ongoing regular training.
Excluding factors!
The question arises if there are reasons for excluding someone from tandem skydiving. Unfortunately there are.
The four most important criteria:
- Upper weight limit 95kg!
- Upper age limit 60 years!
- In case you are taller than 190 cm, your weight needs to reach at least 80 kg!
- For youngsters under 18 years of age, parental consent is needed on the scene!
Apart from these, tandem skydiving is not recommended to people suffering from diseases such as epilepsy, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, or spine disorders. As a medical check-up is not needed for tandem jumping, it is important to be honest about one’s own health state.
