The Sensationalism TV Skydive Gone Wrong

[rhys 0]

TV portrays skydiving as a daredevil stunt!

Look at the jump numbers that some of the posters have here and the enthusiasm that come part and parcel with skydiving. Skydiving is fun, it can be dangerous but it doesn't have to be.

skydiving is very safe if it is handled correctly.

If it will make you feel better, do some research on the DZ that you want to jump at in these forums, most likely you will only get positive results.

Driving to the dropzone is the most dangerous part, you hand your life to every other driver on the road.

Have fun,



Rhys

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Guest 1010]

Best thing would be to (on the next sunny weekend day this time of year) drag a couple girlfriends along and go check out skydiving for yourself, Skydive Oregon isn't that far ... if you like what you see talk to them about AFF or at least a tandem!

You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two.

[Andy9o8 2]

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skydiving is very safe if it is handled correctly.

Driving to the dropzone is the most dangerous part

I think these statements are as incorrect as the whuffo presumption that most fatalities occur because "both chutes didn't open", or that most skydivers are either reckless or harbor a death wish.

Skydiving is not "very safe" if handled correctly, it is acceptably safe - to us, but maybe not to others - if handled correctly. But you're still dead on every skydive until you do something to get a canopy open over your head, and sometimes even if you do everything right you can still die. As for the old myth that "the drive to the airport is the most dangerous part" about skydiving, well, that's been beaten to death, too. It's wrong to make people considering their first skydive think these things, because they're not correct.

[Pulse 0]

Quote

Quote

skydiving is very safe if it is handled correctly.

Driving to the dropzone is the most dangerous part

I think these statements are as incorrect as the whuffo presumption that most fatalities occur because "both chutes didn't open", or that most skydivers are either reckless or harbor a death wish.

Skydiving is not "very safe" if handled correctly, it is acceptably safe - to us, but maybe not to others - if handled correctly. But you're still dead on every skydive until you do something to get a canopy open over your head, and sometimes even if you do everything right you can still die. As for the old myth that "the drive to the airport is the most dangerous part" about skydiving, well, that's been beaten to death, too. It's wrong to make people considering their first skydive think these things, because they're not correct.

THANK YOU! My sentiments exactly.

Fact is, the media focuses on accidents because really, that's the only thing newsworthy in day to day skydiving. You don't hear about people driving their cars to work, only when they crash. You don't hear about airliners flying everyday, only when they crash. Even in these cases the media gets their facts wrong.

Is skydiving as dangerous as the media portrays it? Well, for the dead person they're doing the story on.....yes.

Is skydiving dangerous? Definitely! If you're looking to be 'safe' in your new activity DON'T GO SKYDIVING.

"Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman's apparel is clearly asking to be mangled."

[billvon 2,991]

> TV portrays skydiving as a daredevil stunt!

In many ways it is. In most other sports, if you stop, you stop. If you are skiing and just stop, you'll fall and generally just slide to a stop. Running? You fall down and scrape your knee. Climbing? You fall and your pro (and your partner) arrests your fall.

In skydiving you will die on every single jump unless you take certain actions to save your own life. They're not hard, but apparently they are hard enough, because people die every year when they fail to perform them correctly. That makes it inherently different than most sports, and considerably more risky than almost any other sport out there.

Does that make it "daredevil?" That's one of those emotionally laden terms that doesn't describe things well. Many whuffos think skydivers are 'daredevils.' Many skydivers think BASE jumpers are 'daredevils.' Personally I think Scott S is a 'daredevil' in that he has himself fired out of slingshots and whatnot. But he doesn't.

But if skydiving on the teevee is giving whuffos an impression that it is a dangerous sport - that's a good thing, because it IS a dangerous sport, and whuffos have to know that if they are to make intelligent decisions about trying it. That waiver we sign is not a joke.

>skydiving is very safe if it is handled correctly.

Skydiving can never be "safe." It can be safe _enough_ for some people.

>Driving to the dropzone is the most dangerous part, you hand your life to
>every other driver on the road.

That is completely untrue. Once you are in the sport for a while, you will run out of fingers to count the friends of yours who have died skydiving, while the number of your friends who die driving to the dropzone will remain pretty low, if not zero - if you're like most skydivers, that is.

[GravityJunky 0]

Far More people are killed everyday in auto accidents, accidently drownings etc! Then Skydiving in a year! Unfortunately this sport, rarely gets alot of media coverage EXCEPT for the tradgidies, Altough recently it has gotten a lot more positive PR, then I've ever seen before!

*My Inner Child is A Fucking Prick Too!
*Everyones entitled to be stupid but you are abusing the priviledge
*Well I'd love to stay & chat, But youre a total Bitch! {Stewie}

[billvon 2,991]

> Far More people are killed everyday in auto accidents, accidently
>drownings etc! Then Skydiving in a year!

Right. But if you compare making a jump to driving to the DZ, you are far more likely to get killed skydiving. It's not a safe sport - although it is definitely safe _enough_ for many people.

[DougH 270]

I always chuckle when I hear them tell a tandem after the jump "now you have to do the dangerous part, drive home".

But what worries me is that some people still believe that many jumps later.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[PeterB 0]

So should you call 'em on it, right there in front of the tandem pax?

I mean honestly it should be called out. It's doing the customer a disservice by lying about the risks. Sure might result in fewer tandems but it's the ethical alternative to lying to someone about the risks. No need to exaggerate the risks but it's downright immoral to lie or downplay them.

I'm not sure I can keep my mouth shut next time I hear it.

--
PeterB

[DougH 270]

No I don't think that is right, well at least I won't.

I said it amuses me, it doesn't trouble me personally in any way. They are joking with the tandem after a jump. This isn't false advertising, it is friendly humor. They aren't telling people that skydiving is completely safe __before__ the jump.

What troubles me is that after the first jump course some people don't realize on their own how dangerous it can be

My post wasn't a bash on the DZO's.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[Andy9o8 2]

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What troubles me is that after the first jump course some people don't realize on their own how dangerous it can be

I don't think that's very unusual. Most whuffos and 1st jump students presume the greatest risk in skydiving is "both chutes not opening", until they've been in the sport for a while. It didn't dawn on me just how many ways you can get killed skydiving until about 6 months after my 1st jump when a jumper at my DZ was killed in a freefall into canopy accident. I had never even heard of such a thing before I started jumping.

I do think at TI telling his student that driving home will be more dangerous that the jump he's just made is false advertising. It's false to the student who may contemplate coming back for his 2nd jump, and it's false to other people who the student might persuade to make their own first jumps.