Parachuting

extreme sports · gravity · adventure · air

Three main phases. Every parachute jump has three parts: free-fall (dropping fast through the air), parachute deployment (opening your chute), and landing (touching down safely).

Free-fall speed. When you jump and your parachute isn't open yet, you fall faster and faster until you reach terminal velocity, which is the fastest speed you can fall because air resistance pushes back against you.

Skydiving is part of it. Skydiving is the exciting free-fall part of parachuting where jumpers experience the thrill of falling through the air before pulling their parachute cord.

Gravity does the work. Parachuting relies on gravity pulling you down, but the parachute creates air resistance that slows your fall so you can land safely instead of hitting the ground at dangerous speeds.