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Barnstormers, who were in fact aerial showmen, fired the imagination of aviators and skydivers after World War I. The barnstormers showed airborne performances and parachute jumps and travelled every year throughout the United States. Competitions began as a result of the increase of parachuting awareness. The first contest of accuracy landing was held in 1930 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

The military used paratroopers in World War II , that is between 1939 and 1945. The paratroopers were parachute-equipped soldiers and had the most famous use on D-Day, the invasion of Normandy (Normandie), France, on June 6, 1944

The surplus of nylon parachute equipment after World War II and the fact that the U.S. Army had started the first military sport parachuting clubs, set the grounds of skydiving in the United Dtates, as a pleasant and relaxing activity. The same thing happened in many other countries, and thus , the first parachuting world championships were organized in 1951 in Yugoslavia.

Little by little, in the mid 1960, systems specially made for sport parachutes took the place of the military surplus systems. Parachutists started to call this activity skydiving and calling themselves skydivers. In order to improve the opening characteristics and to make them more maneuverable, there were a few sport modifications to military parachutes. A French Canadian kite builder, Domina Jalbert, developed in 1964 the the ram-air design, that has set the tendencies for parachutes in skydiving from then on.

Sport skydivers constantly tested new and revolutionary designs and materials. Apart from sport uses , there have also been designed sport-generated designs like military HAHO (high altitude, high opening) designs, smoke jumping designs and many types of equipment for two-person and four-person tandem jumping. The military HAHO designs allowed soldiers to silently fly over large areas. The smoke jumping designs aimed to put firefighters into remote forest fires from low altitude.

Skydiving has kept on becoming more and more popular after the late 1980s, and this is because the equipment, that is reliable, lightweight, and easy-to-operate, picture this sport as accesible to many people. The U.S. president George H. W. Bush also jumped , thus increasing the popularity of skydiving.

Aside from that, you will also get to try on the skydiving outfit and other equipment that can weigh as much as 35 pounds.

Those who weigh 200 to 230 pounds are very much welcome to sky dive as long as they are in good shape.

On the other hand, for those who are between 230 to 250 pounds may also sky dive provided that they in really good shape

Note that skydivers freefalling in a group just use their hands to tell each other about their situation. It’s just too noisy to talk!

a single jump is only limited to an 80-second freefall time.

To avoid injuries when landing, a sky diver must deploy his parachute around 2000 to 2500 feet.

The price of skydiving actually varies from one drop zone to another. More often than not, the price of the S/L course ranges from $120 to $150. Then, you also have to pay for the AFF course, which ranges from $250 to $300. And if you are still a beginner sky diver, don’t forget that you also have to pay for the tandem jump (when someone is strapped to you and controls the jump and landing), which is worth $140 up to $200.

Let this exhilarating moment be captured and prepare to pay additional $50 to $75.

A bat will eat half its weight in insects in a single night.

Fewer people have died from bat rabies during the past 40 years than have died from dog bites or bee stings in a single year.

Although the bat is not blind, its eyes are best adapted to seeing in the dark, and see in only black-and-white.

The thumbs of the forefoot are small, equipped with sharp claws and not connected to the membrane.

Bats are very shy creatures and like most wild animals, avoid contact with humans while going about their business of eating, reproducing and avoiding predators.

When a bat returns to its roost for its upside-down sleep, it will spend as much as 30 minutes cleaning itself before settling down to sleep.

Some species of bats prefer to live alone in trees.

Nearly all bats that live in the United States feed on insects.

Mating may occur two or even three times a year

Bats have many natural enemies and large numbers of them die while still young.

The most significant causes of premature bat death, however, are the activities of people.

Bat droppings (guano) support entire ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents and producing gasohol and antibiotics.