Such Great Heights

[[JiF]Trogdor]

The other night, I bailed out of a C17 wayyyy up high and it got me to thinking - would it be possible to fall from great height and not die?

I was specifically wondering about real-world implications. Say you jumped out of a perfectly good plane and had no parachute (or it failed). I know you can basically steer yourself around in the air by contorting your body. If there was a nearby source of water, could you aim for that?

Then there's the whole surface tension problem. You hit that at velocity, and it's like hitting a brick wall. But, if you somehow manage to break the surface, you have nice cushiony water to stop you.

So then I thought, well what if you threw something ahead of you… to break the surface tension? I thought maybe a tennis ball, but that's not really practical. So what about your shoe? Throw that just in time and then straighten your body out like a stick and go in feet-first. Maybe a few broken bones, but you're alive.

Right? Right?

[[JiF]Brick]

I think you might have a better chance with a wing suit and glide in for a landing on a ski slope

[[JiF]War Trophy]

Well, the great height in itself is not an issue to survival, as you only need around 1000 ft to reach terminal velocity. Where you land is the key. There was a case last year (in Russia think it was) where a cameraman's chute failed and he hit deep snow. He broke his back and a few other bones , but survived and recovered. (Google the story, I'm sure you'll find it as it happened fairly recently)
People have also survived by crashing through trees. The branches are totally going to smash you up, but slow you down enough to maybe survive.

I wouldn't put my money on water though, you might break the surface tension with a splash but under that it's still just as dense and solid. Even if you go in vertically, feet first, the sudden deceleration is going to blast your ankles through your insides and your spine will exit (with a spectacular mess) through your brain and out the top of your skull. If there's no snow about, I'm heading for the trees!

[[JiF]Lt Gav]

Would it not be best to enter the water as the high board divers do arms outstretched in front breaking the water for the rest of the body to enter?
I'm sure there must be some physics involved in if you threw something whether it would actually accelerate away from you or would you just pass your shoe looking like it was going the other way. But I'm a Bean Counter who's school physics lessons are a dim & distant memory, so do not have a clue!!!

Good topic for discussion though. Thanks Trogdor

[[JiF]Djsmg]

There is a Wiki-How page on this topic...

http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Long-Fall

[[JiF]corn]

In BF42 try throwing an expack down or grenadein the water to see if it helps.

[Gnome-father]

I would go for the snow, or find a skateboard ramp if its not winter. If winter, i can break my backand will not be able to walk, but i can still play bf

[[JiF]Gib]

Just eat a ton of beans and cabbage and rig up a lighter by yer butt. right before you hit, about 100 feet up, let the blast fly and it will be a rocket controlled descent!

LOL

[Gnome-father]