Parachutes and Parachuting

by B. Sellick

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0136485359
• ISBN13: 9780136485353
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A dated classic

Skydiving- The Art and Science of Sport Parachuting stands out as a classic skydiving text. The first chapter, How Parachuting Began and Developed, straightens out some long held myths and introduces pioneers. Modern Uses of the Parachute guides the reader through pilot bailouts, show jumping, military applications, and sport jumping. Later chapters cover parachute design, packing, training, and competition.Sellick does an excellent job outlining the state of the sport as it applied in 1972. One problem is that the state of the sport has changed. The entire text is centered on the round, drag-type, parachute. While round parachutes are still used, they are mostly jumped for nostalgic purposes. Still, knowledge of round parachute packing, design, and application serves as a rounding experience for even modern skydivers.Another problem with the text is the extensive discussions of minor actors and their contributions to the sport. At one or two points these discussions got so thick that they seemed to me to be filler. One example is in the competition section. "In October of 1957, a five-man team of New Yorkers beat a five-man team of Canadians by a total score of 406 to 402. The American team was captained by Frank Falejczyk. Team members were Robert McDonald, Wolfgang Lieschke, Brad Barter, and George Murphy." At this time there were only a few thousand skydivers and it made more sense to name people because most skydivers knew one another by name. Today it makes less sense and gets in the way of the flow of events and information.If I were writing this review in 1972 I would have to give this book five stars. If I were reviewing it solely for its applicability to the sport as it is today I would give it three stars. There are elements, especially those describing freefall techniques, which are timeless and are handled well. The book is also a classic skydiving text that has contributed to the collective body of knowledge. For these reasons I give this book four stars.