# 2 skydiving questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 1999, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170 "1999-09-09T21:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![douglips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@douglips](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/douglips)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/41 "2001-10-23T07:24:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RM Mentock \* > **In that other thread, Dr. Lao pointed out that General Aviation does not include regularly scheduled commercial flights, so it is odd that the list includes Passenger Cars, but not Commercial Airline Flights.** Oh but it does. ```auto Flying (scheduled domestic airlines) .15 ``` ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/42 "2001-10-23T09:32:00Z")
**RM** , **audient** and **Sam** : I agree that the data look(s) a bit fishy, but it was my only reference that mentioned skydiving. I generally prefer to refer to [NSC Odds of dying](http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm), as they seem a lot more reliable. (At least they tell where they get the data from.) It lists the number of fatalities in US in 1998 according to the WHO “International Classification of Diseases”, which (as far as I can tell) ignores skydiving. (unless it comes under category E888 “Other and unspecified fall”). Have a look, and find such fascinating facts as that 740 persons suffered fatal injuries from slipping or falling on the same level. 420 people froze to death, whereas 375 unlucky souls passed away due to excessive heat. I especially pity the 13 pour souls who died “Due to lack of air (in refrigerator, other enclosed space)” ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/43 "2001-10-23T10:54:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by douglips \* > **Oh but it does.** I don’t know how I missed it. (Sure I do. I was zombified.) The flying stat is three times lower than the passenger car stat, which is a little low, from what I’ve seen. I’ll have to look into this further. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > **Those statistics are misleading. They count the risk ‘per hour of activity’. But is that a reasonable measure?** For some things, it is a very reasonable measure. Of course, I would think that since it is the basis for my [Safety thesis](http://www.teemings.com/issue07/safety.html). Comparing passenger car stats and airline flyings stats on that basis makes them more equivalent–as you’d probably expect. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/44 "2001-10-23T15:09:31Z")
Sure, sometimes that’s the reasonable measure. But is it in this case? Not really. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/45 "2001-10-23T15:29:54Z")
Which cases, though? There are a lot of cases. Some are appropriate, and some aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/46 "2001-10-23T16:01:09Z")
Here’s a blurb from this month’s [Scientific American](http://www.sciam.com/2001/1101issue/1101scicit6.html) on the _two_ skydivers who plan to attempt this type of jump. Some statistics offered in that article: Plunge time: 6 minutes Maximum velocity: about 900 mph Terminal velocity: 120 mph Speed of sound above 36,000 feet: 660 mph The article also mentions in passing that Kittinger did not think he broke the sound barrier on his own jump. And I’d like to apologize, two years after the fact, for being a smart ass. I think that might have been the first post I ever made here on the SDMB, and all I can say is that I hope I have made better contributions since then. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170/47 "2001-10-23T20:49:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Whammo \* > **Second… in a separate show it was said that a skydiver doesnt need to breath when in freefall because his body will absorb enough oxygen through the skin** Even if this _was_ true, wouldn’t you have to skydive naked for it to work? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2-skydiving-questions/3170.md?page=2)