Sky Diving has become one of Birmingham's very most unique and exhilarating experiences

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Have you ever desired to swoop across the sky like Superman? Chances are, you have, just as the majority of mortals have sometimes allowed their minds a handful of minutes of such whimsical fancy. In contrast to our Kryptonian leading man in Metropolis, U.S.A., we mortals are subject to the law of gravity, so we've had to take advantage of ingenuity and peril to live out our sky-high dreams. Certainly, man must definitely be satisfied to FALL as opposed to TAKE FLIGHT. Thrill-seekers all throughout history have discovered that falling isn't really so bad-- IF you can LAND SAFELY.

As far back as the 1100's, the Mandarin executed what we nowadays call "base jumping," an adventure sporting activity characterized by jumping from outcroppings or ledges and drifting to the earth employing parachutes, but the early Chinese types had very little in common with today's parachutes. Centuries in the future in the middle of the Renaissance, renowned artist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci penciled a sketch of a pyramid-shaped parachute having a wood framework, which was tested successfully on at least two occurrences during the 20th century.

As with the thrilling activity of hot air ballooning, skydiving can be tied to 18th century Europe, when Frenchman Andre-Jacques Garnerin began jumping from hot air balloons in 1797. Garnerin successfully made skydives using a silk parachute connected to a basket. He journeyed throughout Europe for shows where he floated 3,000 feet above enamored audiences. He would then cut the zeppelin free and plunge in a makeshift basket-parachute executing feats and tricks for spectators, arguably offering the world an early peek at our modern-day sky diving.

Jumping ahead (no pun intended) to the early 20th century, observation balloon pilots were issued parachutes as rescue tools during World War I, just in case they needed to bail out do to emergency. However, the 1st VERIFIED and DELIBERATE free-fall jump with ripcord-operated parachute implementation is credited to Leslie Irvin in 1919. Additionally developing the procedure of skydiving (or more regularly referred to as "parachuting"), early tournaments commenced in the 1930s, showcased by stunt jumper Georgina "Tiny" Broadwick reportedly making free-fall jumps by "falling away" from an airplane, cutting her static-line and manually jerking the remaining cable to deploy her parachute, according to adventure sport chroniclers.

The U.S.A. and various other allied military created better skydiving technological advances during the course of The second world war as a method of dropping soldiers to the field of battle. It was after The second world war that parachuting came to be more commonly practiced, when excess parachutes from the conflict were utilized by former soldiers, who had evolved to love the excitement of freely "flying" through the air similar to their new comic book idols. Since those days, sky diving has advanced into a legitimate leisure sport that summarizes adrenaline junkies worldwide.

Ready to try sky diving near Birmingham, Alabama? Give Skydiving Over Birmingham a call at 205-876-8832 for more info and fantastic prices!