The ABC’s of Skydiving: B

Backslide – This is when the diver is falling backward during freefall. It’s usually caused by poor form and is something to be avoided.

Bag – This is simply the bag that the parachute is packed in.

Base – This is what a formation centers around. It can involve one or more skydivers.

BASE Jump – BASE stands for building, antennae, spans (or bridges), and earth (such as cliffs.) BASE jumps are then jumps that are not made from an airplane but from one of these locations.

Beech – Nickname for the manufacturer Beechcraft, who specialize in aircraft. Although they are not very popular today, they were once a top name in skydiving.

BOC – This is short form for Bottom of Container and it refers to the position of the pilot chute.

Body Position – This simply refers to the posture of the body while it is in the air. It can be changed during the dive to accomplish different freefall maneuvers.

Boogie – An event held for skydivers. These events are all about loving the sport and sharing that with others and does not focus on competition.

Bounce – This is when a landing is made so fast that it’s impossible to survive it. It’s a rarity in skdiving and is also sometimes called to frap, or go in.

Box Man – This is a trick that can be done while in the air and is usually done while in formation. This is a face to earth position in which the arms are bent at a forty-five degree angle and the legs are also bent at about forty-five degrees.

Brakes – These are the brakes of the parachute, which are also used in conjunction with the steering lines. Using them together will result in the parachute slowing down while only using one set of lines will cause the chute to turn.

Break off – To leave a formation by moving away from the formation before deployment.

Bridle – This is part of the system in the parachute that deploys it. The other parts are the pilot chute and the bag. The bridle is the webbing from the pilot chute to the canopy.

BSR – These are Basic Safety Requirements. Although they are not legally enforced, it’s generally preferred safest to follow these guidelines.

Burble – This is the turbulent air that is left behind once a moving object has passed through it, whether it’s a plane, person, or parachute.

The ABC’s of Skydiving: A

If you are just entering the world of skydiving, or have been taking the plunge for quite some time but need to brush up, welcome to the ABC’s of Skydiving, a series of the blog that will walk you through, step-by-step, the different terms and definitions of this fantastic sport!

AAD – This is the short form, most commonly used, for an Automatic Activation Device. If the diver is descending too quickly, this is a reserve parachute that will automatically open should the diver not open theirs in time.

A/C – Aircraft.

Accuracy – This is also known as Precision Landing is an extremely difficult trick to complete. The diver needs to land on a ‘target’ and in professional competition, the target is generally no larger than 3cm in diameter, about the size of a quarter.

AAF – Accelerated Free Fall. This is a something that can be learned in advanced training, where the student can learn to free fall for 40 seconds or longer, compared to basic training, in which free falls last only approximately 20 seconds.

AGL – This means above-ground level. Altitudes are in relation to sea level and this is what skydivers are referring to when they refer to altitude.

Airspeed – This is how fast objects in the air, like chutes or planes, are going.

Altimeter – A device for measuring altitude.

Angle of Attack – This is how the wing of the chute is facing the wind. With canopies that are square, this angle will change once the brakes are used.

Angle of incidence – This is the angle of the parachute that is designed to coast through the air.

Apparent wind – This is what the wind looks like to someone observing a skydviver. It may also be referred to when describing current wind conditions.

ASP – This is Arizona’s version of AFF. The course is an advanced version of AFF and includes two tandem jumps.

ASTRA – This is a specific brand of AAD that is manufactured by FXC Corporation.

Aspect ratio – This is the ratio of the width of the chute is from side-to-side to the breadth, which is the measurement from front to back. Chutes that have 7 cells generally have a 2.2 to 1 and chutes which use nine cells generally have a ratio of 2.8 and 3.0 to 1.

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