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moodyskydiver

have ?s need answers ASAP.Please Help!

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I'm doing a speech for a college course on the history of skydiving,when it became main stream in the military and public and present training and gear.I'm not asking for anyone to write my speech for me, I just need some sources to site and I think this would be a great place to gather info.

First off I need to know when/where/who the first documented skydive happened.(sources would SO be appreciated!!!)

also, I'm looking for:
- what year the military started using skydiving as a training method?

-what year did the military start actually deploying via skydiving?

-what year (ball point guesstimate) did skydiving start/become mainstream to the general public/first civilian jump?

-when was the USPA formed(ok I can probably find that out on their website,but if anyone knows off the top of their head I'd appreciate it)

-the evolution of gear: from daVinci's first model to belly mounted rounds,to todays back-mounted square/ellipticals.

the progression of training methods...from tandems to static line to AFF to AFP?

-When was the first RSL and AAD invented/used?

anything of interest that might keep a class of college kids awake for 5-8mins...no I cant use video but I can use powerpoint and photos:S

THANK YOU in advance!I'm really screwed w/o these sited source info.:S


"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

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Unfortunately, many of those web sites are less than helpful, and sometimes wrong.
Sometimes even funny.
From one on this list:
"Your skydiving jump will consist of 30 seconds of free fall and 30 second to land."
Wikipedia was the source of my earlier post here about military skydivers being urged to eat cheese before jumping.
I would recommend the brief history in the Poynter/Turoff book -- available absolutely everywhere -- as the most reliable summary.
(Or you could just ask me.:))

HW
(p.s.) Reward offered for documented evidence, not second-hand sources, of the first use of the term "skydiving.":P

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Dan Poynter

Parachuting: The Skydiver's Handbook - 2003 - 408 pages

not sure of a source but amazon.com has it listed.

i have an early version (like around 1978) and it is a GREAT source of info



Yeah I had (and read) a copy but apparently it ended up with my exhusband's stuff rather than mine when I moved out so its long gone and the speech is due Monday.The nearest bookstore that would have it is 50miles away.So I'm screwed there and will have to rely on online sources.[:/]


"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

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Dan Poynter

Parachuting: The Skydiver's Handbook - 2003 - 408 pages

not sure of a source but amazon.com has it listed.

i have an early version (like around 1978) and it is a GREAT source of info



Yeah I had (and read) a copy but apparently it ended up with my exhusband's stuff rather than mine when I moved out so its long gone and the speech is due Monday.The nearest bookstore that would have it is 50miles away.So I'm screwed there and will have to rely on online sources.[:/]

------------------------------------------------------------
I like the part about the ex-husband. Skydiving tends to do that. I'll bet your ex was a non-jumper. ;)
____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

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I like the part about the ex-husband. Skydiving tends to do that. I'll bet your ex was a non-jumper. ;)



Yeah I like that part too.:)He was a one-tandem-wuffo.But I have no room to talk, I only have 14 jumps and its been 4yrs since my last jump due to health,$$$ and school issues.:(
But I'm confident that I'll return to the sky someday even if I'm an old fart by then.:ph34r:

hehehe it was funny, on his tandem video when he got down they asked him "so how was your jump?" and he calmly said "that was very enjoyable" as if he'd just taken a garden stroll or something.WTF? there was no emotion or passion or anything just a blank "that was very enjoyable".:|Hell in my first tandem video I got down and said "OMG!!! That was BADASS I've GOT to do that again!!":D


oh well, live and learn...


"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

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- what year the military started using skydiving as a training method?

.....................................................................

The Russian Ministry of Youth and Sport started training young freefall skydivers during the 1930s. Their training was a lead-in to military service.

The French started a similar program during the 1930s.

The Italian Army started training static-line para-troopers during the 1930s.
The German Army studied Russian and Italian methods for delivering para-troopers (during the 1930s) eventually adopting Italian methods and equipment.

The British Army experimented briefly with freefalling soldiers into battle (circa 1941) but soon developed much more reliable static-line equipment.

The US Army developed a cruder static-line system circa 1942 and did not copy the British system until the 1950s.

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I came up with a quick intro type of statement for a speech a few years back, however, some get it, some don't...

"There is not much information available on the actual first-ever skydive, as the individual who performed the jump was unaware that he needed a parachute. Once that issue was reconciled, the sport of skydiving began...":P

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The readers of this forum expect a report from you after you give your speech, including your grade!!!!!



Ok!OK! no problem.I'll post my grade after I give the speech...right now I still have to write it since its due on Monday...procrastination is kicking my butt!:S


"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

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-what year did the military start actually deploying via skydiving?

....................................................................

"Deploying" is probably the wrong word.

If you asked about "going in to battle" the answer is easy: the Second World War.

Granted there were a few experiments with sending one or two soldiers into battle during the First World War, but parachutes were unreliable back then.
Mass drops by para-troopers did not start until the Germans used para-troopers to invade Poland, Holland, Belgium and Crete during WW2.

Later in WW2, the British, Americans and Canadians dropped large number sof para-troopers into Sicily, Normandy (June 1944), Holland (September 1944) and Germany (winter 1945).

Heavy casualties forced the Allies to rethink the whole concept of dropping para-troopers into battle. By the mid 1960s, helicopters had largely replaced parachutes.

These days, military combat jumps are limited to Special Forces types who freefall (High Altitude High Opening) or High Altitude High Opening into observation posts in the mountains of Afghanistan. Their gear was developed from civilian tandem rigs, but with the added complications of 200 pound rucksacks, rifles, snowshoes, oxygen masks, GPS navigation systems, to jump at night, through clouds, etc. But Special Forces types hate talking about their missions in public.

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Hey Amber,

Don't forget to be ready for the inevitable questions about fatalities.

In the "old" days of skydiving, if you made it past 300 jumps you were "safe." A large percentage of fatalities were low timers. Nowadays, with the advent of AFF, reliable AADs and stricter training programs, most of the fatalities are experienced jumpers making mistakes.

I like to say that skydiving isn't for everyone. It would suck if everyone was cool like us!

Monday is coming soon......;)

____________________________________
I'm back in the USA!!

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I'm doing a speech for a college course on the history of skydiving,when it became main stream in the military and public and present training and gear.I'm not asking for anyone to write my speech for me, I just need some sources to site and I think this would be a great place to gather info.

First off I need to know when/where/who the first documented skydive happened.(sources would SO be appreciated!!!)

also, I'm looking for:
- what year the military started using skydiving as a training method?

-what year did the military start actually deploying via skydiving?

-what year (ball point guesstimate) did skydiving start/become mainstream to the general public/first civilian jump?

-when was the USPA formed(ok I can probably find that out on their website,but if anyone knows off the top of their head I'd appreciate it)

-the evolution of gear: from daVinci's first model to belly mounted rounds,to todays back-mounted square/ellipticals.

the progression of training methods...from tandems to static line to AFF to AFP?

-When was the first RSL and AAD invented/used?

anything of interest that might keep a class of college kids awake for 5-8mins...no I cant use video but I can use powerpoint and photos:S

THANK YOU in advance!I'm really screwed w/o these sited source info.:S




Excerpt from Sandia Report SAND85-1180 "An Introduction to Deployable Recovery Systems"
The Birth of the US Licensing System
STRAC to USAPT
Canine Partroopers

I have lots of references that describe how German Kurt Student and Russians developed the rapid deployment forces (aka paratroopers) loooooong before the US did in WW2.

As a college student, do you know the difference between cited, sighted and sited?

Please credit the citations properly.

.
.
Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

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The readers of this forum expect a report from you after you give your speech, including your grade!!!!!



grades are in.I made a 95 on this speech.He took off 5 points b/c I didnt have enough visual aids.I had a powerpoint presentation and showed one of my jump videos for crying out loud! I dont have a rig so wtf did he want, a dirt dive in the middle of class?how would that have explained skydiving history?I only had 8mins max for the whole speech.grrr! I want my 5 points!>:(

but anyway, thanks again everyone!:)


"...just an earthbound misfit, I."

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Congradulation--95% great. I once took a speech class in college that consisted of giving 6 different types of a speech, i.e. entertaining, educational, informative, etc. I started with my first jump course outline and modified it to each type of speech. By the end of the semester the entire class was ready for PLF and suspended harness training! Got a "A'' .

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