FAQs

Can you breath in free fall?

Yes: surprisingly breathing in free fall is as normal as breathing on the ground.

Are you ever scared?

For most skydivers fear is a normal emotion which commonly arises when people are placed in unusual or unnatural situations. Experiencing fear from time to time is healthy because it ensures that skydivers respect the sport and ensures that they are cautious and conduct all the proper safety checks before jumping.

What happens if your parachute doesn't open?

Modern parachutes have an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) which is a small computer which deploys the reserve parachute if a skydiver is unconcious or is unable to do so himself. It calculates the speed based on air pressure and activates when it detects that a skydiver in freefall is travelling very fast close to the ground.

How do you take pictures in freefall?

Many team members wear Digital Video cameras which record the skydive and some also wear SLR stills cameras. Both of these types of camera are mounted onto special camera helmets. They have modifications that make them safe to use in the air. Stills cameras are usually operated by a bite or suck switch held in and operated by the mouth.

How do I book a Royal Navy Raiders Display?

Contact the team by visiting the 'Contacts' section on this website. Click on the 'Contacts' link on the navigation bar at the top of this page.

How much does a display cost?

The cost of a display is depends on various factors such as the availability of military aircraft and the distance of the arena from the emplaning point (in the case of civillian aircraft). If military aircraft are unavailable then the hiring of a civillian aircraft must be factored in along with flight time (fuel costs) to the arena.

What happens if the weather is bad on the day? Will I still have to pay?

British weather is generally unreliable. Contact the team leader prior to the display to discuss the policy. Due to their experience, the Raiders can jump in most weather conditions but there are regulations which state when conditions become too unsafe for jumping in which case the jump will be aborted, but as a rule if they lift off in an aircraft to attempt their display and have to abort the jump while flying, a fee will be charged for the aircraft.

How can I tell if an area is suitable as a dropzone for the Raiders?

If you suspect that an area is suitable for use as a landing site at your event contact us to discuss it. It needs to be 5,000 sq m, approximately the size of a football field. Prior to any displays the team leader or a nominated representative will visit the site to assess any nearby hazards (trees, buildings, powerlines etc..).

I want to learn to skydive, how do I begin?

If you are in the military contact your service's sports parachute assosication. The Royal Navy has the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Sports Parachute Association (RN&RMSPA). Visit the links section of this website to get involved.

Civillians should contact the British Parachute Association (BPA) for more information on 01162 785271 or visit their website in our links section.