# Is it possible to parachute safely to earth from a tall building using a bedsheet? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834 "2012-08-18T00:56:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dickie.and.his.cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@Dickie.and.his.cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickie.and.his.cat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/1 "2012-08-18T00:56:52Z")
I mean by holding two corners of the sheet in either hand. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/2 "2012-08-18T01:00:49Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/3 "2012-08-18T01:07:34Z")
Mythbusters tried it with plywood. iirc they couldn’t hold on. I’m pretty sure a sheet would have the same problem. Can’t hold on. > **[BOSSWIN168 - JACKPOT SCATTER HITAM MAXWIN | MENANG BERAPAPUN PASTI CAIR!](https://mythbustersresults.com/)** > > Keunggulan utama Bosswin168 adalah kemudahan aksesnya, di mana pemain dapat bermain kapan saja dan di mana saja melalui komputer, tablet, atau ponsel pintar. Selain itu, banyak platform casino online menyediakan bonus menarik, seperti bonus selamat... > [@](#): > > After testing the speed of updrafts with a special rig on Tory’s truck it was proven that you could not hold on to the piece of plywood if you were in free fall. A mere 45mph gust knocked it out of Tory’s hands; updrafts from skyscrapers reach upwards of 90mph. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/4 "2012-08-18T01:15:10Z")
OTHO Mythbusters did prove a sheet can be used as a rope. > **[BOSSWIN168 - JACKPOT SCATTER HITAM MAXWIN | MENANG BERAPAPUN PASTI CAIR!](https://mythbustersresults.com/)** > > Keunggulan utama Bosswin168 adalah kemudahan aksesnya, di mana pemain dapat bermain kapan saja dan di mana saja melalui komputer, tablet, atau ponsel pintar. Selain itu, banyak platform casino online menyediakan bonus menarik, seperti bonus selamat... > [@](#): > > While escaping prison, you could climb down a wall using a rope made of bedsheets. > > confirmed > > Grant found that making his bedsheet rope was very easy and quick in comparison to the toilet paper and hair ropes. During the test, the rope held Grant’s weight and he successfully descended to the ground. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/5 "2012-08-18T01:29:28Z")
> [@Dickie.and.his.cat](#): > > I mean by holding two corners of the sheet in either hand. In my brothers experience, this results in broken bones. It is said God protects drunks and little kids, but I think he made an exception in my brothers case (he was 8). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/6 "2012-08-18T02:39:06Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Mythbusters tried it with plywood. iirc they couldn’t hold on. > > I’m pretty sure a sheet would have the same problem. Can’t hold on. > [BOSSWIN168 - JACKPOT SCATTER HITAM MAXWIN | MENANG BERAPAPUN PASTI CAIR!](http://mythbustersresults.com/episode38) That doesn’t make much sense. Unless you’re actually being accelerated upward, you’ll never experience a force beyond your own weight. If you can hang from a static piece of plywood, then you can use one as a parachute. That said: - Your terminal velocity is still probably way too high to come out alive, let alone unscathed. - A sustained 90 mph gust is probably enough to accelerate you upwards–in which case you have different problems. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/7 "2012-08-18T03:28:00Z")
Superman and Jimmy Olsen used S’s cape as a parachute in Kandor one time, but the atmosphere there is denser. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/8 "2012-08-18T03:36:59Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > In my brothers experience, this results in broken bones. > > It is said God protects drunks and little kids, but I think he made an exception in my brothers case (he was 8). He did protect your brother. He went to the doctor, not the coroner. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/9 "2012-08-18T04:00:11Z")
What if you tied the four corners together? Tie the corners criss cross under your crotch and you’d have a sort of harness or saddle. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/10 "2012-08-18T04:53:26Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > What if you tied the four corners together? Tie the corners criss cross under your crotch and you’d have a sort of harness or saddle. Okay! We’ll wait right here. (Unfortunately, God seems much more interested in “teaching me a lesson” than in any kind of “protecting”…) ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/11 "2012-08-18T05:52:48Z")
Most parachutes for an average adult\* need to 100-200 square feet. A king size bed is about 42 square feet. Parachutes are made of materials that catch the wind like silk or nylon while bed sheets are made of cotton that wouldn’t slow the air down as much. - using old timey average American adult size of about 150 lbs. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/12 "2012-08-18T19:16:33Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Most parachutes for an average adult\* need to 100-200 square feet… How did you arrive at this figure? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/13 "2012-08-18T19:26:20Z")
Why don’t you try it and then come back and tell us the results? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/14 "2012-08-18T20:39:11Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > OTHO Mythbusters did prove a sheet can be used as a rope. I knew that. I used to organize live action role-playing game. In one of those, that was taking place in a small castle, some players who had been jailed in a tower did exactly that :eek: One of them came to the “organization room” to tell us, so that we wouldn’t be surprised. We immediatly went there, and sure enough another was climbing down the tower with tied sheets :smack: We left those remaining going out by the door, telling them they all had successfully escaped by the window. What the need for Mythbusters when you have Darwin awards candidates willing to test it for real? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/15 "2012-08-18T20:45:59Z")
I’m sure an umbrella would work. [Oh, wait a minute …](http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/02/10/maid-uses-umbrella-parachute-dies-report) > [@](#): > > Online news provider The Saudi Gazette reported on Wednesday that a housemaid jumped from the window of her employer’s unit on the 7th floor of a building. > > The report said the victim used an umbrella as parachute to escape. The victim fell on the pavement and died. Back to the drawing board! BTW thinking about how the Saudis treat their domestics I’m inclined to put this down to sheer desperation rather than stupidity. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/16 "2012-08-18T20:55:00Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > I’m sure an umbrella would work. > > [Oh, wait a minute …](http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/09/02/10/maid-uses-umbrella-parachute-dies-report) > > Back to the drawing board! > > BTW thinking about how the Saudis treat their domestics I’m inclined to put this down to sheer desperation rather than stupidity. I know this outs me as a horrible person but that made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/17 "2012-08-18T21:26:08Z")
I do not see how two corners could possibly work, even if you were somehow able to hold on (and even if a bed sheet were big enough); you would need to hold at least three, and preferably four, to catch any air. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/18 "2012-08-18T21:33:24Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > That doesn’t make much sense. Unless you’re actually being accelerated upward, you’ll never experience a force beyond your own weight. If you can hang from a static piece of plywood, then you can use one as a parachute. If the updraft varies, then you will be accelerated upwards when the rate of updraft increases. ---
**Author:** ![Dickie.and.his.cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f0a364/32.png) [@Dickie.and.his.cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickie.and.his.cat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/19 "2012-08-18T21:59:18Z")
As a kid and probably only about 7 stone in weight I tried jumping off the garage roof holding on to a really big fishing umbrella (much bigger than a golf umbrella). I was really surprised how little drag it produced and I hit the floor with a resounding thud. I’m not sure if this adds to the coversation, probably not! ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834/20 "2012-08-18T22:05:23Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > I know this outs me as a horrible person but that made me laugh. Me too. That afterthought of a final sentence in my post was pure guilt. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-parachute-safely-to-earth-from-a-tall-building-using-a-bedsheet/631834.md?page=2)