Learn to Skydive and the First True Parachute Jump?

[Shawn Chow]

The first parachute jump in history is a bit debatable. While many
seem to think that an extreme sport like parachuting has its roots in
recent history, it has, in fact, been around for centuries.
In 852 A.D., Arman Firman, a Muslim holy man, jumped from a tower in
Cordoba, Spain. At the time, he was wearing a billowy, large cloak.
While in theory this should have slowed him down and allowed him to
float gently to the earth (he also believed this to be true), it did
little to help his jump. He crashed to the earth at a frightening
speed, but lived to tell the tale of the first parachute jump.
A cloak, however, is not a true parachute. Most give credit to
Leonardo Da Vinci for creating the first designs of parachutes. Da
Vinci spent years studying birds. He truly believed human flight was
possible. He, therefore, spent an extensive amount of time trying to
create a vehicle that might help man fly. While Da Vinci never tried
any of his ideas, he left behind sketches and instructional texts
dealing with the first parachute jump.
Over the course of the next few hundred years, others tried to create
the first parachute jump, but none succeeded. All were unrecorded
events. Andre Jacques Garnerin, in 1797, jumped from a hot air balloon
with a chute made of silk. It looked as if he were following Da
Vinci's designs. The first parachute jump was a success, but there was
little use for the parachute. It was considered only for show.
However, with the creation of airplanes, parachutes became more useful
vehicles. By World War II, they were standard issue equipment for
pilots as life saving devices. Today, hundreds of people make their
first parachute jump each day. Parachuting has become an extreme sport
of magnificent popularity. First timers take several hours of training
to complete the first parachute jump. They are trained in everything
they need to know to make the jump safe including what equipment is
used during a jump, how to leave the plane they'll be jumping from,
how to us a reserve chute in case the first doesn't open, and how to
land. Historically, the first parachute jump is in question, but
thousands make their first parachute jump each year.