# Best Way to Survive Falling at Terminal Velocity (Need answer fast) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054 "2007-11-02T20:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/61 "2007-11-07T17:02:29Z")
I found it quite distressing that **Just Some Guy** hasn’t replied to this post, then I searched and found posts by him in other threads from as late as today. Phew. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/62 "2007-11-07T18:44:37Z")
Step 1: Long before getting on plane, become Superman’s girlfriend. Step 2: During fall, relax and enjoy the view. You will shortly be plucked from headlong plunge by a Kryptonian. The upside of this plan is that you’ll pretty much be guaranteed rescued from just about any life-threatening situation. The downside is constant kidnappings and occasionally being threatened with rape by Lex Luthor. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/63 "2007-11-07T21:36:22Z")
Here’s something only partly related to the problem. Some years back, General Motors, in researching the biophysics of humans crashing into stuff, hired a high-diver. This guy, in circuses and carnivals, would set up a long ladder/tower over a relatively small pool on the ground. After a lot of patter and a drum roll, he’d dive into the pool from a terrifying height. GM had him strap a measuring device on his chest, and they filmed his dive in slo-mo. I saw the pix in an internal GM publication. He arched his back to the degree that the lower rib cage struck first. The impact was spread out by the un-arching of his body, and no part of his body directly followed another into the pool. That is, his legs didn’t crash into his already-stopped chest. Obviously, he wasn’t going as fast as the OP would be. However, as somebody already said, water doesn’t give much. You’re more likely to get hurt water-skiing than snow skiing. My purpose in this post is only to tell you about the diver’s energy absorption technique. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/64 "2007-11-08T22:09:10Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Here’s something only partly related to the problem. Some years back, General Motors, in researching the biophysics of humans crashing into stuff, hired a high-diver. This guy, in circuses and carnivals, would set up a long ladder/tower over a relatively small pool on the ground. After a lot of patter and a drum roll, he’d dive into the pool from a terrifying height. GM had him strap a measuring device on his chest, and they filmed his dive in slo-mo. I saw the pix in an internal GM publication. He arched his back to the degree that the lower rib cage struck first. The impact was spread out by the un-arching of his body, and no part of his body directly followed another into the pool. That is, his legs didn’t crash into his already-stopped chest. Obviously, he wasn’t going as fast as the OP would be. However, as somebody already said, water doesn’t give much. You’re more likely to get hurt water-skiing than snow skiing. My purpose in this post is only to tell you about the diver’s energy absorption technique. [/QUOTE] He was trying for something almost opposite that of the skydiver. The skydiver wants to take as long as possible to come to a stop, while this guy wants to take a very short time (since it is a shallow pool). ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/65 "2007-11-09T00:20:51Z")
Douglas Adams suggests aiming for the ground but missing. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/66 "2007-11-09T00:35:52Z")
Unless the OP was falling from, say, 400,000 miles up, I’m assuming it’s too late at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/67 "2007-11-09T01:17:21Z")
[QUOTE=yelimS] I found it quite distressing that **Just Some Guy** hasn’t replied to this post, then I searched and found posts by him in other threads from as late as today. Phew. [/QUOTE] What can I say? There was a convenient haystack. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackalope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6de8d8/32.png) [@Jackalope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackalope)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/68 "2014-05-05T19:26:52Z")
I like Bobotheoptimist’s point best. Now I too am no physics guy, but I have to wonder Bobo: if you can find your way into the loo with a stewardess as the plane is falling- what would be the best position for the two of you to assume in order to maximize you chance of survival? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054/69 "2014-05-05T19:44:14Z")
zombie or no open your pants. hold them and your underwear open to act as a parachute. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-survive-falling-at-terminal-velocity-need-answer-fast/425054.md?page=3)