Skydiving
Perfect for the thrill-seeker, skydiving (also known as parachute jumping or parachuting) is a great way to experience the sights of Western Australia from above as well as get the adrenaline pumping! There are a number of Perth skydiving schools which will look after all aspects of your skydiving experience. Skydiving can cater for differing budgets and experience levels. Training is usually incorporated into costs of jumping to ensure the safety of the customers.
Photo courtesy Skydive Express at www.skydive.com.au
For beginners, Tandem jumps are offered, where the skydiver jumps with an instructor strapped to their back. Tandem jumps are an excellent way to try out skydiving with little experience and are usually less expensive than jumping alone.
If you would prefer not to do a Tandem jump, some skydiving schools offer an Accelerated Freefall (AFF) course. After approximately 6-8 hours of training you will be able to jump with only the parachute. You exit the plane with 2 instructors, one on either side of you, that hang onto you throughout the freefall (they are there to make sure that everything goes to plan). You will pull your own ripcord, steer your own parachute and land, under the guidance of the instructors! Very popular if you are a little bit more adventurous or if you would like to get your license to skydive.
All skydiving schools and academies should be affiliated with the Australian Parachute Federation (the governing body of skydiving in Australia). The APF issues all instructor licensing and accreditation. The APF are governed by CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) - which is a government body.
Free-falling
Free-fall time refers to time spent when the parachute is unopened, jumping from a greater height increases the time spent free-falling:
Tandem 8,000ft (~15 seconds) Free falling
Tandem 10,000ft (~30 sec) Free falling
Tandem 12,000ft (~45 sec) Free falling
Tandem 14,000ft (~60 sec) Free falling
Photo courtesy Skydive Express
www.skydive.com.au
Skydiving links
| Skydive Express | Drop Zone located in York might be a fun day out to visit the country sites |
| WA Sky Diving Academy | Skydiving in Western Australia |
| Australian Parachute Federation | Gives you all information about other academy's in Western Australia |