Skydivers and Paratroopers and Various Laws of Conservation Skydivers and Paratroopers and Various Laws of Conservation Parachuting and skydiving involves freefalling from an aircraft through gravitational forces and later opening a parachute to lessen the speed of descent. Skydivers and paratroopers undergo extensive training before they are allowed on the field, or in air in this case. Amateurs must also be trained and drilled through the risks involved in opening a parachute, flying and landing. In addition, advice is given on emergency situations such as untimely deployment of parachute gear and landing on the ground (Martinez, 2014). When landing with a parachute, knees are slightly bent and elbows nipped into the side to alter momentum and avert injury.
The laws of conservation are applicable in this technique because of the transfer of energy to other parts of the body. One should place their feet together, bend their knees, and tip over to a chosen side just as the ground is touched. Through this, the weight of the fall does not concentrate on the feet, rather it spreads throughout the body. Momentum gained during a fall depends on mass and velocity. The longer the time taken to land, the lesser the impact, and in consequence, bending knees is an effort to elongate the period of the force of impact. A longer period of impact scientifically means that the effects of the impact are transferred and reduced.
If a paratrooper or skydiver hits the ground with legs unfolded, he/she may break a bone or suffer worse injuries because of the sudden impact of force (Mei-Dan & Carmont, 2012). If the knees are bent, and one moves towards either side, the force of impact happens in a longer period, which is less deleterious to the person landing. In physics, the term conservation means that there is no loss in energy, only that it is transferred through objects without net change in the energy. It is necessary to roll as much as possible to ensure that the energy is tolerably transferred in the process of landing.
Safety Measures for Skydivers and Paratroopers While Landing
Apart from mild and serious injury, poor landing causes unnecessary embarrassment to a paratrooper or a skydiver. For this reason, there are diverse safety measure that skydivers and paratroopers must take to ensure successful landing. It is necessary to understand basic factors such as terrain, wind direction, an oscillation of the paratrooper or skydiver. These factors often vary and no matter the intensity of training given (Orlick, 2014), without proper information on natural factors, landing may be catastrophic. Injuries are common on the ankles, but necessary security measures must also be taken to protect the torso, hips, and legs.
In addition, it is essential to practice and be conversant with parachute landing fall (PLF) in order to survive bad landings. Other fundamental measures range from acquiescence with federal regulations, medical requirements, and parachute equipment before mastery of landing techniques (Shiflet & Shiflet, 2012). In most cases, two parachutes must be carried in case one fails before landing. Otherwise, the effects of landing are comparable to that of landing from a chair, but the basic laws of conservation must be understood to ensure that the whole process is an enjoyable experience.
References
Martinez, A. (February 11, 2014). Twenty-Five Ways to Become a Better Canopy Pilot.
Parachutist. Uspa.org.
Mei-Dan, O. & Carmont, M. (Nov 13, 2012). Adventure and Extreme Sports Injuries:
Epidemiology, Treatment, Rehabilitation and Prevention. New York: Springer.
Orlick, T. (2006). Cooperative Games and Sports: Joyful Activities for Everyone. Canada:
Human Kinetics.
Shiflet, A. & Shiflet, G. (Sep 19, 2011). Introduction to Computational Science: Modelling
and Simulation for the Sciences. Princeton University Press.
