Information for Educators on Skydiving

http://www.mfwright.com/educators.html

Last update: 4/20/00

Freefall Stability Exercise

This exercise uses a paper skydiver to show how jumpers can fall with full control of their movements.

Click here for a full size image of paper skydiver (image size 7.5 by 9.5 inches)


Cut away the paper border of the skydiver.

Fold the skydiver in half length wise like this.

Find the center of gravity by balancing your skydiver on a pencil, like this.

When it balances, mark the place. This point is the center of gravity. Unfold the skydiver but do not smooth out the crease. Draw a line across the skydiver on the center of gravity mark. Fold the skydiver along the belly of this line.

Unfold skydiver but do not smooth out the crease. Your skydiver should look like this (below):

Hold your skydiver as high as you can and release. The paper skydiver should fall face to earth as real skydivers do for freefall stability.

Hold the skydiver upside down and release. As the skydiver starts falling upside down, it will soon flip over to the normal face to earth.

Another exercise can demonstrate turns. Fold upward one arm and fold down the opposite leg down. Don't fold too much, just a little. This should induce a freefall turn. This is a little tricky so it may take some adjustments.

Skydiver Formations ("Relative Work"): Choose a two-way or three-way formation. Predict, then join different skydivers with SMALL pieces of tape, and drop them several times.

Activities In Math and Science Education Foundation (AIMS)
http://www.aimsedu.org

NASA Ames Aerospace Encounter
http://encounter.arc.nasa.gov

The K-8 Aeronautics Internet Textbook
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu

Parachute Discussion
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Book/Vehicles/advanced/parachutes-01.html

Parachute Quiz
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/Vehicles/advanced/parachutes.html

Aeronautics
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Book/Flight/advanced/aeronautics-01.html

Aeronautics Quiz
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/Fundamentals/advanced/aeronautics.html

How Air Moves Over Objects
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Book/Flight/advanced/move-01.html

How Air Moves Over Objects Quiz
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/Fundamentals/advanced/move.html

Forces in Flight
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Book/Flight/advanced/forces-01.html

Forces in Flight Quiz
http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/Fundamentals/advanced/forces.html

http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/beginner.html

http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/intermediate.html

http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Book/Vehicles/beginner/parachutes-01.html

http://muttley.ucdavis.edu/Activities/advanced.html

Parachuting is a high risk activity and can result in serious injury or death.

This website is for noncommercial, informational purposes only. This is not an instructional guide.

The purpose is to provide information on skydiving from high altitudes. I am not an instructor and I am not claiming to be one. For those interested in learning to skydive or participating in a high altitude jump, you must obtain training from competent and rated instructors.

Michael Wright, D13106
Website Editor

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