Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Parabatics - Skydiving with Flair
The question, "Why jump out of a perfectly good plane?" comes up when some people see skydivers. But adventurous skydivers have the perfect answer. They say that jumping out of a perfectly good plane is lots of fun! Skydivers who have mastered the basics move on to a whole new frontier. They do aerial formations and acrobatics in the air. Their sport is called parabatics.
Basic skydiving is simple. You get into a plane. The plane climbs up to 2,500 feet above ground. Then, you jump out of the plane. Your parachute opens. You float gently to earth. Skydiving takes many hours of practice. Parabatics takes even more hours of practice. Parabatics can be done individually or in a group.
Group skydiving takes synchronization. When a group of skydivers creates formations in the air, it is called "formation skydiving." Another term for this sport is "bellyflying" because the skydivers' tummies point towards Earth. This variation of the sport began in the 1970s when skydivers experimented with hooking two people together in the air. Today, larger groups are not uncommon. There have even been groups of hundreds of people diving together in formation. It is like a gigantic aerial party. The skydivers hold each other's' hands and legs as they build different shapes.
