Going skydiving? Here are five things to know before you jump
An investigation by The Sacramento Bee found that at least 28 people have died while skydiving at the Parachute Center near Lodi.
Skydiving can be a thrilling adventure. But part of that thrill comes from its inherent danger. The United States Parachute Association estimates that last year there was roughly 1 fatality for every 200,000 jumps.
If you’re looking to skydive for the first time, the USPA has some advice before you go:
Finding a place
Every skydiving center, also known as a drop zone, is unique. The USPA encourages jumpers to shop around and even stop by and watch how a center operates before skydiving there. Costs can vary by the location and no organization rates the safety of skydiving centers.
But centers can become USPA group members by pledging to follow basic safety requirements. Drop zones are not required to be a member of the association to operate. If you’d like to go to a USPA-affiliated drop zone, the association has a member map to help you find those near you.
What to wear
Once you find a center, the USPA encourages jumpers to ask the drop zone if it has any dress requirements. The association recommends that jumpers wear comfortable clothing. Skydiving equipment is provided by drop zones.
What type of jump?
There are several ways to make your first jump, depending on what is offered at the drop zone. The quickest way is a tandem jump. It typically requires about a half-hour of training, according to the USPA, and jumpers are teamed up with an instructor at a drop zone. You would share a parachute system with the instructor, who can deploy and control the parachute for you.
A more independent version allows a person to skydive with their own parachute system, according to the USPA. But it requires several hours of ground training. Instructors hold onto the student during free fall.
Do I need to sign anything before I jump?
The USPA says it is expected that jumpers will fill out a registration form and sign a liability release before jumping.
What is the free fall like?
The USPA says you likely won’t feel a “sudden drop” when you leave the plane. In fact, the air acts similarly to a cushion as a jumper cuts through the air, the association says. Skydivers can reach over 100 mph during free fall, which lasts roughly 45-60 seconds before a parachute is pulled, according to the USPA.
This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we reported these stories
Why did we report this story?
Following the $40 million civil court ruling in March 2021 against William Dause and the Parachute Center’s 28th reported death in April 2021, Sacramento Bee journalists endeavored to find out how the high-profile Northern California business has managed to stay open – with Dause still the public face of the operation while owing tens of millions of dollars to the family of a jumper who died there in 2016, at age 18.
How did we report this story?
Reporters Michael McGough and Stephen Hobbs spent months combing through court filings, depositions and a federal indictment; Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board records and citations; airplane registration databases; county business records; California business license and tax information; archived stories from multiple news publications spanning four decades; and anonymized data provided by the U.S. Parachute Center.
The reporting led to a complicated conclusion: while it is all but impossible – largely due to lax government oversight and loose recordkeeping practices within the industry – to determine whether the Parachute Center’s 28 deaths represent a statistical outlier, it is clear Dause has continued to play an active role at the drop zone more than two years after a judge ruled him and the business responsible for an eight-figure sum.
As of the beginning of December 2023, Dause had not paid a cent to the Turner family, even as he flies planes for and works the front desk at the Parachute Center.
Who did we talk to?
The Bee sat down this year with Dause at the Parachute Center and victim Tyler Turner’s mother Francine Turner at her Los Banos home, each for nearly two-hour interviews. Those interviews were focused on the deaths of Tyler and his tandem instructor Yong Kwon but also delved into the appeal of skydiving, a recreational activity that is adrenaline-pumping but inherently dangerous.
The Bee also interviewed a range of experts, stakeholders, skydivers, attorneys and government officials, as well as loved ones of victim Tyler, who died while trying to celebrate a friend’s 18th birthday.
