Dropping out of the sky at speeds over 100 miles per hour is a common adrenaline rush for parachutists. Some, find enjoyment in waiting a bit longer to pull the cord. But, have you ever wondered how long does it take for a parachute to slow you down?
A ripcord parachute, which is used in standard skydiving activities, will deploy in 3 to 5 seconds. On a static line parachute, which is most commonly used by the armed forces, your parachute takes 4 to 6 seconds to unfurl and inflate fully.
Although we know how quickly we slow down in the air, there is much more that goes along with skydiving. Don’t go pull your grandpa’s old parachute out of the closet just yet. In this article, we’re going to directly answer some frequently asked questions revolving around parachuting.
How Do Parachutes Work?
Growing up we were surrounded by action movies, where we watched Tom Cruise jump out of planes, seemingly making parachuting look easy. But there is a lot more that goes into the mechanics of it.
First, we need to identify the different parachutes. There are four types of parachutes, and two different varieties of your parachute being deployed. We have round parachutes, cruciform parachutes, Rogallo wings, and ram air parachutes. Each parachute is slightly different, as well as the design for deployment.
Static line parachutes are when the parachutist is tethered to a cable inside the aircraft. Then gravity and the person’s weight deployed the parachute, leaving the jumper to tend to other tasks. You can learn more about static line parachutes here from SkydivePerris.com.
Then there are ripcord deployment parachutes, which is pretty self-explanatory. You jump from the aircraft, start your free fall, and must pull the ripcord yourself to deploy your parachute. This is the parachute type used during standard skydiving activities like tandem skydiving.
For both, the canopy opens, catching air, and inflating the parachute, which creates drag ultimately slowing you down.
How Many Seconds Does It Take a Parachute to Open?
When free-falling through the sky you need to make calculations for when to pull the ripcord. So it’s important to know exactly how long it takes for your parachute to open and at what altitude.
Here is how long it takes for each type of parachute to open:
| Type of Parachute | Parachute Opening Time |
| Static Line Parachute (Armed Forces) | 4-6 Seconds |
| Ripcord Parachute (Standard Skydiving) | 3-5 Seconds |
Keep in mind that a parachute opens when it inflates with air, depending on a few factors your parachute may open quickly or take a few extra seconds to open up. On average a standard skydiving parachute opens in 3-5 seconds, but it can take more than 5 seconds.
How Fast Do You Free Fall During a Skydive?
Free fall is the most mesmerizing part of skydiving. When you’re falling through nothing but air, you’ll be curious to know the speeds you reach. At terminal velocity, you’ll be falling around 120 miles per hour, which equals 176 feet per second.
How Fast Does a Skydiver Fall with a Parachute Open?
Once your freefall is coming to an end, it’s time to cross your fingers and pull the chord. Your fall will be drastically changed by 90%. Reaching speeds of 120 mph, you’ll be gracefully slowed down to 15 mph depending on weight and shoot.
How Do You Open Your Parachute?
Earlier we discussed the different ways a parachute is deployed. The static line and ripcord parachutists. When jumping from an aircraft on a static jump, your weight and gravity deploy the canopy in 4-6 seconds. You’re basically dragging the parachute open as you jump.
The ripcord parachutist holds the responsibility of deploying his own parachute. Falling belly down, right away the jumper will deploy a small “pilot chute” to help keep him aligned, then once reaching altitude, he/she has to throw the ripcord out to their side where the pilot chute will help pull the main chute out of the bag.
You may be wondering how skydivers know when to open their parachutes you can read our full article “How Do Skydivers Know When to Open Their Parachute?”.
What Does it Feel Like When Your Parachute Opens?
In some films, a parachutist can be seen violently being ripped up higher into the sky. So, a commonly asked question is, how does it feel when the parachute deploys?
Although it’s not the most comfortable feeling, your harness softens the blow. You’ll be falling belly down until the parachute catches wind, and then you’ll be jolted with your legs facing the ground (gravity does this all for you).
Without a properly seated harness, you could experience some discomfort. But, with a correctly fitted one, expect the harness to slightly ride in your groin, almost like a rope seat.
Does Opening Your Parachute Hurt?
A huge question for a first-time parachutist is, will my harness hurt me when the parachute deploys? Although parachute harnesses are not designed for comfort, they don’t shy away from padding. Be sure your instructor properly seats you in your harness, and you shouldn’t feel any pain. There is a chance of slight discomfort from where the harness sits. We suggest wearing comfortable clothes, like sweatpants to avoid fabric bunching up.
Final Thoughts
Now that we’ve learned the basic operations of parachutes, it’s time to take the jump. Keep doing diligent research, and educate yourself as much as possible before making a leap. Parachuting is a sport that requires a lot of courage, but once you are out the door it’s nothing but bliss.
Remember it takes a ripcord parachute to open in two to three seconds, whereas a static line will be open from four to six.
If this is your first jump, you don’t need to worry about these numbers just yet. Talk to your instructor, gain his or her trust, then ask questions. Most importantly have fun.
Jamie is the founder of Action Sporter. He is the chief zipline writer and the lead editor. He has 5 years of zipline experience being a tour guide in Newfoundland. Most of the time you can find Jamie adventure traveling, hiking, skiing, skateboarding, or anything action related!