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Science

How To Fall 35,000 Feet and Survive (popularmechanics.com) 131

Posted by msmash from the just-in-case dept.
Massachusetts-based amateur historian Jim Hamilton, who developed the Free Fall Research Page -- an online database of nearly every imaginable human plummet, documents one case of a sky diver who, upon total parachute failure, was saved by bouncing off high-tension wires. Contrary to popular belief, water is an awful choice. Like concrete, liquid doesn't compress. Hitting the ocean is essentially the same as colliding with a sidewalk, Hamilton explains, except that pavement (perhaps unfortunately) won't "open up and swallow your shattered body." Popular Mechanics: With a target in mind, the next consideration is body position. To slow your descent, emulate a sky diver. Spread your arms and legs, present your chest to the ground, and arch your back and head upward. This adds friction and helps you maneuver. But don't relax. This is not your landing pose. The question of how to achieve ground contact remains, regrettably, given your predicament, a subject of debate. A 1942 study in the journal War Medicine noted "distribution and compensation of pressure play large parts in the defeat of injury." Recommendation: wide-body impact. But a 1963 report by the Federal Aviation Agency argued that shifting into the classic sky diver's landing stance -- feet together, heels up, flexed knees and hips -- best increases survivability. The same study noted that training in wrestling and acrobatics would help people survive falls. Martial arts were deemed especially useful for hard-surface impacts: "A 'black belt' expert can reportedly crack solid wood with a single blow," the authors wrote, speculating that such skills might be transferable.

The ultimate learn-by-doing experience might be a lesson from Japanese parachutist Yasuhiro Kubo, who holds the world record in the activity's banzai category. The sky diver tosses his chute from the plane and then jumps out after it, waiting as long as possible to retrieve it, put it on and pull the ripcord. In 2000, Kubo -- starting from 9,842 feet -- fell for 50 seconds before recovering his gear. A safer way to practice your technique would be at one of the wind-tunnel simulators found at about a dozen U.S. theme parks and malls. But neither will help with the toughest part: sticking the landing. For that you might consider -- though it's not exactly advisable -- a leap off the world's highest bridge, France's Millau Viaduct; its platform towers 891 feet over mostly spongy farmland. Water landings -- if you must -- require quick decision-making. Studies of bridge-jump survivors indicate that a feet-first, knife-like entry (aka "the pencil") best optimizes your odds of resurfacing. The famed cliff divers of Acapulco, however, tend to assume a head-down position, with the fingers of each hand locked together, arms outstretched, protecting the head. Whichever you choose, first assume the free-fall position for as long as you can. Then, if a feet-first entry is inevitable, the most important piece of advice, for reasons both unmentionable and easily understood, is to clench your butt.
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How To Fall 35,000 Feet and Survive More

How To Fall 35,000 Feet and Survive

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  • "Right. Learn it. Know it. Live it."
    -Brad Hamilton

  • No problem (Score:4, Funny)

    by phantomfive ( 622387 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @05:40PM (#61073608) Journal

    "The question of how to achieve ground contact remains, regrettably, given your predicament, a subject of debate."

    They should perform a double-blind study.

    • That's funny, because of what happened a couple weeks ago. When somebody kept insisting that the ONLY evidence that can EVER he useful for anything is a controlled double blind study. I wondered if that meant they didn't believe in parachutes.

      • Re:No problem (Score:5, Informative)

        by phantomfive ( 622387 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @06:28PM (#61073798) Journal

        When that happens, I frequently direct those people to this study [bmj.com].

        • This is one of my favourite studies including one of my favourite conclusions:
          "However, the trial was only able to enroll participants on small stationary aircraft on the ground, suggesting cautious extrapolation to high altitude jumps."

      • That's funny, because of what happened a couple weeks ago.

        Huh? Whatever.

        You want a double-blind controlled trial of parachutes? Go to the slaughterhouse.
        Buy however many dead pigs.
        Blind the pigs.
        While the blinded dead pigs aren't looking, put parachutes on some, then load them onto a plane. After reaching your test altitude, throw the test subjects out.

        Compare the damage done to the parachuted pigs to those with a more ... tender ? approach to the landing zone.

        Whoever came up with that excuse for an a

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Tablizer ( 95088 )

      using lawyers and politicians.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Archangel Michael ( 180766 )

        You'll find that a very large percentage of Politicians are in fact Lawyers.

        Which is IMHO a violation of separation of powers, since Lawyers by definition are part of the Judicial Branch of government, being licensed and sanctioned to practice in court by the state.

        Lawyers should NEVER create laws. That is self serving at best.

        • A lawyer is not part of the judicial branch unless they're a judge or a law clerk or have some other position working for the judicial branch. Just because a lawyer interacts with the judicial branch doesn't make them a part of it. Prosecutors, for example, are probably best understood as a part of the executive branch. A lot of lawyers who primarily deal with business contracts almost never step foot in a courthouse.

          I get the whole criticism that too many politicians are lawyers, and therefore they may lac

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jeremyp ( 130771 )

      There's never really been a problem with how to achieve ground contact. Jump out of a plane and you'll find it comes naturally.

  • J.B.S. Haldane (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Camel Pilot ( 78781 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @05:46PM (#61073650) Homepage Journal

    J.B.S. Haldane, AKA Jack, the famed evolutionary biologist and mathematician once noted that

    "You can drop a mouse down a thousand-yard mine shaft and, on arriving at the bottom, it gets a slight shock and walks away, a rat is killed, a man is broken, a horse splashes."

    Perhaps the best advice to survive a free fall would be to be a flyweight

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Was hoping for some useful advice, like "aim for foliage" or something. Bookmarking this in case I fall out of a plane and need advice.

    • Perhaps the best advice to survive a free fall would be to be a flyweight

      What's the world's fastest diet program?

      • To quote a character in my game of choice, "I lost 15 kilos using the Feel Good Diet once. But I also lost a leg at the same time, so I'm not sure if that counts.

        Since what you need is a combination of cross-section (for drag) and as much length of edge (for "edge effects") as possible, that probably wouldn't help.

        Getting into the habit of wearing a Dracula-scale cloak with a strong tie at the neck would probably be the quickest useful option.

        • Getting into the habit of wearing a Dracula-scale cloak with a strong tie at the neck would probably be the quickest useful option.

          Ah yes, good idea; asphyxiate before you get to the ground!

          • You can actually design or adjust clothing to fit firmly at the neck without crushing the wearer's throat. You might not have spent years using diving and immersion suits in lethal-in-5-minutes water ; I have. You tend to pay attention to such things if your life depends on it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dcw3 ( 649211 )

      Also, cats... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

  • Scuba training (Score:3)

    by williamyf ( 227051 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @05:50PM (#61073674)

    Then, if a feet-first entry is inevitable, the most important piece of advice, for reasons both unmentionable and easily understood, is to clench your butt.

    Part of my CMAS scuba training was to jump from the 10m patform, fully geared in a diving pool.

    Sadly, I was more concerned with the fact that I sligthly deviated for the Pencil Drop than to clench my butt.

    Not confortable at all. Lucky for me, the unintended enema was not followed by any brown notes, but that night, at home, zero constriaption, if you know what I mean.

  • Easy (Score:5, Funny)

    by Chris Mattern ( 191822 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @05:55PM (#61073694)

    Jump from 36,000 feet up.

  • Trees (Score:2)

    by AJWM ( 19027 )

    As my parachuting instructor told us, if a tree landing is inevitable, cross one foot behind the other ankle and, for god's sake, keep it there.

    • Serious question - what does that accomplish?

      Perhaps I'm missing something obvious though.

      • To protect one's genitalia from blunt force trauma...

      • Serious question - what does that accomplish?

        Perhaps I'm missing something obvious though.

        Helping prevent impalement. Even when your parachute is functioning properly, you're hitting the ground, or a tree, at a fairly high velocity. More than enough to skewer you if you don't change your profile to help avoid it. Even following the instructor's advice, you may end up skewered through the calf.

        Having a parachute is better than having an Acme anvil, but it's still not a particularly safe way to reach the ground.

        • Helping prevent impalement.

          Even when your parachute is functioning properly, you're hitting the ground, or a tree, at a fairly high velocity. More than enough to skewer you if you don't change your profile to help avoid it. Even following the instructor's advice, you may end up skewered through the calf.

          True, tree landings can be painfull if you strddle aa branch.

          Having a parachute is better than having an Acme anvil, but it's still not a particularly safe way to reach the ground.

          Here I have to disagree. A modern design can let you land veru softly, almost like walking away from stepping off a curb. [airborne-sys.com]

          Even a T10 landing is not at all hard if done r

          • Here I have to disagree. A modern design can let you land veru softly, almost like walking away from stepping off a curb.

            Even a T10 landing is not at all hard if done right, and quite safe (and fun) way to exit an airplane.

            I guess I'm used to seeing footage of paratroopers landing. They have chute designs which are intended to make them less of a target, getting them on the ground as quickly as possible. If that means the trooper has to land with bent knees and roll, so be it.

            • Here I have to disagree. A modern design can let you land veru softly, almost like walking away from stepping off a curb.

              Even a T10 landing is not at all hard if done right, and quite safe (and fun) way to exit an airplane.

              I guess I'm used to seeing footage of paratroopers landing. They have chute designs which are intended to make them less of a target, getting them on the ground as quickly as possible. If that means the trooper has to land with bent knees and roll, so be it.

              Yeaa, it's called a parachute landing fall and done right it is not painful at all. The ones in WWII are T10 types which are not nearly as advanced as the newer designs.

        • According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010).

          There's your danger formula.

          • According to the United States Parachuting Association, there are an estimated 3 million jumps per year, and the fatality count is only 21 (for 2010).

            There's your danger formula.

            Not really. I was referring to the risk of injury, not death.

      • Can help deflect tree branches from... more sensitive areas.

  • 35,000 feet? (Score:4, Funny)

    by msauve ( 701917 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @06:16PM (#61073762)
    You reach terminal velocity (~120 mph/200 kph) within a couple of thousand feet. Starting from higher up makes no difference, except your extremities may be frozen, so you crack instead of frap. Aim for evergreens, if possible.

  • Or.... just use a parchute (Score:3)

    by mark-t ( 151149 ) <{moc.talfdren} {ta} {tkram}> on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @06:16PM (#61073764) Journal

    The fact that you might be getting slowed by drag while using a parachute does not change the fact that you are still falling.

    A parachute just reduces your terminal velocity to a point where the impact with the ground is not fatal. But it does not mean that the system of you and the parachute are not in free-fall.

    • Also standing on the ground. You and planet Earth are in free fall.
      Wheee !!!

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by mark-t ( 151149 )

        The state of falling with no interference from outside forces other than the air resistance

        That's pretty much the definition I was using. For this purpose, I am treating the combined jumper and the parachute as a single body

        An open parachute does nothing more than reduce a person's terminal velocity.

        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
          • Plus, a ram-air parachute does not merely create air resistance, it makes actual lift. Pull on the brakes when landing, and you convert airspeed to extra lift and set down very softly indeed (it takes some practice to learn to time it reliably).

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by mark-t ( 151149 )
            As I said, I am considering the combination of the parachute and person to be a single body with respect to falling.

            • As I said, I am considering the combination of the parachute and person to be a single body with respect to falling.

              According to you a glider is in freefall, even when they can stay aloft with nothing more than "air resistance" for hours.

              Doesn't make your assessment here, any more accurate.

            • Comment removed based on user account deletion

              • Re: (Score:2)

                by mark-t ( 151149 )
                That's a lot like asking if a runner is affected by having legs. As having legs is a precondition to running in the first place.

                Similarly, a parachute is a precondition to a system including a skydiver and parachute.

                Whether the parachute is open or not only changes air resistance, and therefore terminal velocity.

                Even without a parachute, your own body has a terminal velocity as well, which will be different depending on your body's own orientation.

                • Comment removed based on user account deletion

                  • Re: (Score:2)

                    by mark-t ( 151149 )
                    A parachute only generates lift with lateral movement. The calmer the air, the less lift is experienced. Close enough to the ground, this lift is negligible because the wind is not strong enough, and of course it's the ground where the really painful part of jumping out of an airplane happens.
                    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
                    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

                    • Re: (Score:2)

                      by mark-t ( 151149 )

                      While a parachute *CAN* generate lift, it requires either dynamic handling to do so, or else a lateral wind acting on it.

                      The combined system of a body attached to a parachute falls, just like any other body.... it just does so more slowly on account of a reduced terminal velocity.

                    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

                    • Re: (Score:2)

                      by mark-t ( 151149 )

                      Yes it does.

                      Case in point: put a dead weight onto a parachute and let it fall.

                      Terminal velocity is lowered, nothing beyond that. Any lift generated must otherwise be the result of a crosswind.

      • That seems like a very arbitrary redefinition of "free fall", which is commonly understood to be the kind of motion where the only force acting on the object is gravity.

  • Do parachutes even work? (Score:5, Funny)

    by olddoc ( 152678 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @06:51PM (#61073894)
    As far as I know there has never been a randomized, controlled, double blind trial of parachute vs no parachute.

  • Here, let's realistically sum up this survive-a-free-fall body contortion advice.

    If you fall from any reasonable height (above two stories), you're going to need luck.

    A shitload of it.

    The amount of actual data-feeding-tactics we have to go on, barely qualifies as an outlier. "Hey, don't forget to grab a piece of the wreckage on your way out of the disintegrating airplane. That way, you can surf your landing and survive." Oh yeah. Totally realistic. Might as well tell people to stop wearing seatbelts

    • "Hey, don't forget to grab a piece of the wreckage on your way out of the disintegrating airplane. That way, you can surf your landing and survive."

      I imagine that would work if you're James Bond, at least.

      If you're Ace Rimmer, you'd need to grab the nearest alligator.

  • Then I'd prefer to stop my fall by catching a rusty nail with my right eye-ball.

  • Hitting the ocean is essentially the same as colliding with a sidewalk, Hamilton explains

    I've seen high divers hit the water head first and survive. I'd like to see them do that with a concrete sidewalk.

    Two seconds of thinking about that statement would tell you this guy if full of shit.

    • Hitting the ocean is essentially the same as colliding with a sidewalk, Hamilton explains

      I've seen high divers hit the water head first and survive. I'd like to see them do that with a concrete sidewalk.

      Two seconds of thinking about that statement would tell you this guy if full of shit.

      ...the editor missed "hitting water at terminal velocity".
      There are plenty of stories of people committing suicide by jumping off a bridge, such as the Golden Gate. Their impact speed commonly breaks their backs, which in turn leads to the drowning. Of course, these jumpers never reached terminal velocity and yet it was still lethal.

    • I have hit the water a number of times with low vertical speed, but with horizontal speed around 12-22 MPH. Sometimes I would butt-plow with rapid deceleration; on a couple of occasions I skipped on the surface like a flat pebble before plowing. Conclusion: a human and a rock are similar, but the rock is not squishy.

  • Here's a 4 minute instructional video (Score:3)

    by BenBoy ( 615230 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @08:27PM (#61074222)
    From Austin McConnell, on what to do if that parachute won't open. https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    • Re:Here's a 4 minute instructional video (Score:5, Funny)

      by PPH ( 736903 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @10:06PM (#61074392)

      So both the main and reserve chutes have failed. You are watching the ground rush up toward you, wondering what to do.

      Then you notice a guy rising up toward you from the ground. What the hell, might as well try. You yell, "Hey buddy! Do you know how to work a parachute?"

      "No. Do you know how to light a Coleman stove?"

  • If you are falling out of the sky toward water but still have some directional control, try going for the wake churned up by a boat. There are two reasons for this (as told to me in lifeboat training, if we ever had to jump from a high deck, but the story was about jumping from a plane without a parachute):
    1. The water's surface tension is already broken by all the air churning in the water. Water is hard, but an air/water foam, not so much.
    2. You'll be entering near a vessel that can presumably notice, sto

    • A few other reasons. (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Mal-2 ( 675116 ) on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @08:55PM (#61074272) Homepage Journal

      There were other reasons given, like "at least you know it's deep enough for a boat", "what do you have to lose?", and "Go in feet first, legs crossed. You'll break your legs but maybe you won't get wishboned. Maybe." If you're wearing a life vest, hang on to it tight as it's going to want to float much sooner than you do, and will try to take your head with it if it's loose.

  • Contrary to popular belief, water is an awful choice.

    LOL - pretty sure anyone who isn't a complete moron brainwashed by TV knows this already...

  • Probably the only place I've seen with things jumping onto high tension wires/power lines.

  • Best way to survive (Score:3, Informative)

    by littlepeon ( 670619 ) on Thursday February 18, 2021 @12:53AM (#61074738)
    Best way to survive is to never jump out of a perfectly good airplane! 20yrs ago was talked into skydiving by a buddy who does it 150+ a year. Was going to jump that Friday. Buddy did it for a living, filming people as they jump. His business partner on Wednesday was in a big accident. He jumped and his main chute and reserve did not open. He hit the ground and did not die. Unfortunately he survived. EVERYTHING that you have 2 or more of, he does not now! He has 3 toes, an eye, 4 good fingers, a kidney, half of his liver and intestines, a testicle, no teeth. Took almost 2yrs rehab for him to be able to leave hospital. I took it as a sign from GOD not to do stupid stuff like jump out of good airplanes!

  • We have a local bridge that is a favorite among suicidal folk. On guy who landed feet first got stuck in some mud and survived. The paramedics found him still alive though his legs were pushed up into his rib cage. I don't remember if he ultimately survived but I'm sure he was in some pretty intense agony for several hours.

  • A 'black belt' expert can reportedly crack solid wood with a single blow

    Funniest thing posted this week, and I have a 2nd degree TKD belt from WTF, but that was oh, so thirty years ago. In any case, I'd be just as dead.

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