Parachuting is performed as a recreational activity and a competitive sport, and is widely considered an extreme sport due to the risks involved. In 2018, there were 3.3 million jumps in the US. [5]

Throughout the years, parachuting and skydiving have been used interchangeably to describe the same idea — jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. But while these two words describe similar activities, …

skydiving, use of a parachute —for either recreational or competitive purposes—to slow a diver’s descent to the ground after jumping from an airplane or other high place.

Jan 26, 2026 · Membership in USPA provides education that enhances safety, benefits that keep you secure, and services to keep you skydiving. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is a …

USPA promotes the sport of skydiving (limited to jumps from aircraft in flight) and represents individual skydivers and “drop zones,” or skydiving centers. It also serves as the cornerstone for self-regulation …

Sep 18, 2023 · Find out how a parachute opens when skydiving, who deploys the parachute, and how to control its canopy flight. Learn how parachuting works during a skydive jump.

Parachutes work by catching air to slow your descent, using a system that includes a small pilot chute, an inflated canopy with cells and ribs, sliders to control deployment speed, lines and risers for …