Preparing to skydive? Here's what it takes to jump off an airplane

Keshav Bansal, the director of Intex Technologies and at 27, the youngest owner of an Indian Premier League team (Gujarat Lions), enjoys nothing more than falling from the sky. He has done it not once, not twice — but 110 times over the last eight years. Considering that you need to have jumped off an airplane about 30 times to be called a skydiving expert, Bansal easily qualifies as a pro. For those who want to experience the adrenaline rush of free falling
and eventually landing in a parachute-driven touch-down, he has some tips.

Get ready to get schooled

Bansal took his first lesson in Knysna, a town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Any beginner should expect a two-day ground-school training, which will include learning about the equipment, simulations in the “demo rig” and how to handle emergency situations. 

On the third day, the beginner is required to clear a written test, which evaluates the student’s understanding of skydiving. A skydiving rookie is also provided a log book, which includes important details of each jump undertaken anywhere in the world. It basically acts as a licence. 

Two of the most common types of licences are USPA (United States Parachute Association) and BPA (British Parachute Association). According to Bansal, if you want to be able to skydive in a lot of different countries across the globe, choose USPA. Bansal has skydived in Spain, Italy, South Africa and Dubai.

Your licence to fall from the sky
 

The log book is what is trusted enough to speak for you wherever you go skydiving. It records meticulous details of the jump, such as jump number, date, location, “freefall delay” (the amount of time spent in air freefalling, which is after jumping from the plane and before opening the parachute), equipment (size and type of parachute used), aircraft (type), exit latitude and the like. 

Clear the three phases
 

The AFF (Accelerated Free Fall) is a method of skydiving training that takes place from 10,000 to 15,000 feet above ground level and requires a beginner to clear nine levels. Each level gets progressively tough, ranging from simply experiencing the fall with a trainer to performing tricks in the air on your own. In fact, the tricks you perform in air also make for a more than modest entry in your log book. These nine levels form phase one of the training.
 

Phase two is when the beginner skydiver attempts 25 jumps to qualify for the USPA licence. Phase three is when the skydiver is expected to jump from 15,000 feet. What is interesting about skydiving is that it gets more difficult as you come closer to the ground. “Hop and Pop” is a skydiving method that gives the skydiver very little time in the state of free fall as he or she may be too close to the ground. The hop signifies jumping off the plane whereas the pop stands for opening the parachute almost reflexively. 

Hope for stable wind
 

For a beginner, the ideal wind speed to skydive should be 10 knots or below. “One should hope for no wind,” says Bansal. He recommends Skydive Dubai as the wind there is pretty stable. The wind speed one can tackle is judged on the basis of the experience recorded in the log book. No trainer would allow a beginner to skydive in the wrong weather conditions. “I wasted seven days in Spain the second time I went skydiving because the wind speed was too much,” Bansal recalls.

 

Know your equipment
 

There are two kinds of parachute that form part of the main gear for skydiving. One is the main and the other is the reserve parachute. An altimeter, an instrument for determining the altitude attained, is your best friend during flight time as you need to keep a check on your altitude to open the parachute at the required height of 7,500 feet from ground. 

In case one forgets to do so, the gear includes an AAD (automatic activation device) which deploys the reserve parachute at 5,000 feet above ground level. Other than these three items, the skydiver is also given a set of glasses to see while flying against the wind and a helmet for safety.

Dos and don’ts
 

Do not eat at least two hours before the skydive. The adrenaline, along with the free fall, is not a good combination for a weak stomach. Do check if you have any sort of pain after landing. Maintain a good level of fitness in order to skydive. Flexibility and a good heart rate come in handy and are better for a more fulfilling experience. Skydiving is not recommended for people with a weak heart or a below average level of fitness. Be mentally active while in the air as skydiving is also a lot about mental strength.

The money
 

Different places across the globe charge different prices for skydiving, based on the level of experience of the diver and the climatic conditions. The gear needs to be rented as well, so it becomes an added cost to the sport, making it expensive. Skydiving costs a minimum of Rs 100,000 in any corner of the world. 
 

In order to go from beginner to professional skydiver, one must skydive every six months. The question is: can you commit to this adventure?