 Sky diving has a long and rich history. While most of the significant milestones in skydiving history occurred in the 20th Century, parachutes have been around for much longer. The long history of parachuting started in China in the 1100s, nearly one thousand years ago. Naturally, there were no airplanes to jump from, but there have always been natural prominences to leap from and then float relatively safely to the ground. And Leonardo DaVinci, who created plans for all sorts of flying contraptions, also created a design for a wood frame parachute in a pyramid shape.
Sky diving as a sport, however, has a much more recent beginning. Jacques Garnerin, a Frenchman, performed fanciful jumps for display over Europe. As there were no planes in the late 18th Century, when Garnerin was performing his acrobatics, he jumped from balloons. He took his display across Europe, and used parachutes to help him land more safely after performing his leaps. Women did not get into the sport until the 19th Century. On of the more famous female jumpers was Kathe Paulus, who jumped in Germany close to the end of the 19th Century. She was renowned for her courage and pluck, as well as her skill.
With the advent of the airplane, it was only natural to take parachuting to the next level. Instead of jumping from balloons and cliffs, the airplane made it possible to jump from a faster-moving mechanical device, making the sky diving spectacle that much more, well, spectacular. The first woman to jump from a plane was Tiny Broadwick, who did so in 1913. She was an American parachutist who also has the distinction of being the first woman to make a freefall from an air plane (in 1914).
Oddly enough, sky diving was not called such until the mid-1950s (the term was applied by Raymond Young). Until then it was merely parachuting. And while it was considered a novelty and an act, it was not really considered an actual sport until after World War II. This is because World War II was the first time parachutes and skydiving had been used as a tactical move in war. During World War I, fighter plane pilots were told to land with the plane rather than bail out (parachutes were issued only for emergency evacuation by observation balloon pilots). It wasn’t until the first successful bailout in 1922 that it began to be an option.
The use of parachuting troops in World War II is one of the reasons that is credited to the Allied defeat of the Axis powers. And because there were so many soldiers left from that war who enjoyed the sky diving aspect, and who had the courage to engage in freefall, it became more of a mainstream hobby. Competitions began to be arranged and people began to jump from planes for sport. Skydiving schools began appearing by 1957 for commercial purposes (not just military anymore).
Today sky diving is a recognized extreme sport and a beloved hobby. At Southern Comfort Skydiving we are proud to be part of this exciting tradition. |
