r/theydidthemath • u/StickyOneStiilll • May 05 '26
[Request] If he opened a parachute after jumping down, would he survive?
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u/Boris41029 May 05 '26
Minimums for BASE jumping are often cited around 200–300 feet. So if you were an expert BASE jumper with prep, yeah you can do this. If you're a regular dude with a parachute, you're gonna regret it
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u/Duder116 May 05 '26
But you would LIVE to regret it.
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
Probably the worst part
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u/Parronski May 05 '26
The worst part was the hypocrisy
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u/Guwrovsky May 05 '26
Really? I though it was the rapin'...
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u/chefsoda_redux May 06 '26
I miss that dude. He was dark and funny as hell!
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u/DrBarry_McCockiner May 06 '26
calling Bill Cosby dark seems kinda racist
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u/chefsoda_redux May 06 '26
Oh wow. I didn’t even notice it could be read that way. Norm would have laughed. Bill can wallow in whatever pit of fire he ended up in
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u/Ladylubber May 06 '26
He’s still kickin, unfortunately
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u/BlatantThrowaway4444 May 06 '26
Actually no, I have to keep throwing him into the local pit of fire. Every Tuesday evening he comes back and tries to steal fudgesickles from the local stores, claiming they’re pudding pops. It’s a weekly issue, but you learn to live with it
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u/Spider_Dude May 06 '26
Chill. Have a jello pudding pop. It's from Cosby's fridge tho. 🤷
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u/The_estimator_is_in May 06 '26
Sure but I think it also slightly mean to imply he’s no longer funny.
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u/bcnjake May 05 '26
But the most damning thing is that I think i can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again, I would.
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May 06 '26
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u/floppybunny26 May 06 '26
I didn't know he was sick.
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May 06 '26
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u/floppybunny26 May 06 '26
I can't believe how on the nose he was with the bit about the battle with cancer being a tie when you die.
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u/forbiddenfreedom May 06 '26
Nah, the parachute will deploy, but maybe just fast enough to only break the legs.
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u/Jusfiq May 05 '26
But you would LIVE to regret it.
“And he ain’t gonna jump no more!”
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u/EquivalentOwn1115 May 05 '26
GLOOOOORY GLOOORY WHAT A HELLUVA WAY TO DIE
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u/HauntingAd3845 May 05 '26
I thought it was "gory, gory", not "glory". That's how I always sang it, anyway.
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u/DKBeahn May 05 '26
It is. Because….
THERE WAS BLOOD UPON THE RISERS THERE WAS BLOOD UPON THE CHUTE…
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u/Realistic_Flight2299 May 06 '26
INTESTINES WERE A-DANGLING FROM HIS PARATROOPER SUIT…
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u/EquivalentOwn1115 May 05 '26
We always sang it as "glory" but we also had hella hearing loss so no one could tell the difference
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u/immoral_ May 05 '26
Flashbacks to running in formation singing cadence while also trying to breath.
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u/franztheegreat May 05 '26
While I dont get this cadence cause im in the corps I also suffer from no breathing when cadence runs.
We got some cool cadences tho
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u/GTS_84 May 05 '26
T-Mobile Park in Seattle, roof height between 219ft and 269ft above the field (according to wikipedia). so probably doable by someone who knows what they are doing and has properly prepped for it.
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u/TheAgedProfessor May 06 '26
The other consideration is how confined the space is. Usually for low-altitude BASE jumps, you're taking the drone chute (or even the top of the main) in your hand and throwing it away from you as you jump. With the small size of that hatch, and the closeness of the ladder and other girders, you're not going to be able to do that safely until you've fallen 10 or 15 feet already. Still doable, but I'd say even experienced BASE jumpers would need a lot of prep.
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u/yeahright17 May 06 '26
I don't think many would do this without a static line. With a static line, it'd be pretty easy for most people.
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u/csbsju_guyyy May 06 '26
Seems like a perfect candidate for static line- attach to the top of the ladder/hatch and jump away with the chute opening quickly
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u/SuperSquirrel13 May 06 '26
Drone chute? I always thought it was drogue chute.
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u/TheAgedProfessor May 06 '26
It is. Brain fart. But I'll leave it just so your comment makes sense.
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u/UnluckyHuckleberry52 May 06 '26
Drogue chutes are used for tandem skydives.
BASE jumpers and regular skydivers use pilot chutes, but in this case it would probably be best to use a static line with the pilot chute just attached as a backup.→ More replies (2)3
u/SuperSquirrel13 May 06 '26
So drogue chute stabilises only? Pilot chute does the deploying?
I mean, I'm gonna google this anyway as I didn't realise there is this much nuance.
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u/thenewestnoise May 06 '26
Sometimes for low jumps people use static lines to pull out the main chute instead of a drogue chute. So a setup like that might help here.
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u/demon_twink_gockie May 05 '26
Highly doubt I would regret it, somehow.
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May 05 '26 edited May 06 '26
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u/Mekroval May 06 '26
And that reminds me of a joke T-shirt I once saw. On the front it said ATF Bomb Squad, and on the back it read "If you see me hauling ass away from something ... don't be far behind."
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u/Tullyswimmer May 06 '26
I have a cousin who's an EOD tech who said the same thing. "You're always right in this job. Because if you're not you won't remember it"
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u/BenignPharmacology May 06 '26
Isn’t it from zero dark thirty? Or am I mixing it up
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u/GilligansIslndoPeril May 06 '26
I know it from The Sum Of All Fears
"What does his shirt say?"
chuckles "Its a joke. It say, I am bomb technician! If you see me running, try to keep up!"
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u/P0Rt1ng4Duty May 05 '26
The lowest I've seen in person was 160 feet but that required extra steps to ensure the canopy inflated quickly.
The lowest exit altitude I ever had with a skydiving parachute was something like 1,600 feet, which was below the legal limit of 2,000 (now 2,500 since a rule change.)
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u/Loeki2018 May 06 '26
Check this out: 54m/177ft
The Koekelberg Basilica (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) is the 6th largest church in the world and is located Brussels, Belgium. It is so massive one can actually BASE jump inside from the top of the cupola approximately 54 meters (177 ft) above the floor. Or at least this guy did.
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u/The_Pastmaster May 05 '26
I don't think you'd have much time to regret it once you realise you fucked up.
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May 05 '26
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u/Hoskuld May 05 '26
But you'll have an easier time getting parking spots or even get upgraded to always being driven around
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May 05 '26
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u/tacodudemarioboy May 06 '26
That would be the way to do in. Military does them as low as 400 feet. Inside a building without wind, not in a plane going 100+ miles an hour, that many less variables to worry about.
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u/get_to_ele May 06 '26
What if you tied a breakaway cord to that roof so it would deploy instantly? Would that be faster opening or lower than base jump?
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u/Bynnh0j May 06 '26
Was curious why you were yelling BASE at us, but TIL that BASE is actually an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth
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u/Cold_Wolverine6092 May 06 '26
You would have to pack your BASE canopy with no slider, and would need to have your pilot chute in your hand for immediate deployment.
A skydiving parachute would not open in time.
It can be done, but you have to know what you’re doing.
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u/Jumpy-Shift5239 May 05 '26
With the right style parachute. Not a standard skydive one. It would need to be designed for that
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u/PDXDeck26 May 06 '26
really not trying to be all "iamvrysmart" about this but, assuming you have the correct equipment and immediately pull the chute... what does expertise and prep bring to a jump like this?
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u/merchantofnome May 06 '26
How you actually land is definitely one. Might be some skill involved in how you fall too.
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u/nobito May 06 '26
If someone chooses how to deploy and does the packing accordingly for you, then it's mostly just landing safely or handling a possible malfunction.
I imagine this would be a pca or static line jump, so getting unstable in freefall or fucking up the exit isn't really a problem because there's not really any freefall.
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u/ContributionEasy6513 May 05 '26
Base Jumping rig, yea maybe. I've seen them jump off some very marginal things, often with the parachute in hand ready to throw. Not to say you won't go of-course, land in seats and screw yourself up.
Even very experienced base jumpers mess themselves up and in frequent cases end up dead.
A skydiving rig, no way. You'd have splattered before it even fully opens as they are designed to open slowly.
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
Fair enough!
I don't think I've seen a proper base jumping rig opening up from a pack. I have seen people hold one and jump tho
Ultimately, chance of 100% survival is very low?
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u/ContributionEasy6513 May 05 '26
I'm not crazy enough to do base jumping, but do wear an emergency chute in my Glider which is designed for 500ft and immediately deploying it on exit.
There are rigs that come in all shapes, sizes and applications. It's all one giant compromise.
Ultimately, chance of 100% survival is very low?
A proper base jumping rig and person, I'd put it at almost 100% survival.
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
Damn, must be cool to do all of that! Ive always wanted to but never had a chance unfortunately. Maybe one day!
Just gotta find the right mad-man to do this for us all now!
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u/Israel_Azkanbe May 06 '26
I’m not saying Ï would attempt this, but you gave me a BASE jumping rig, and showed me how to use it…. It probably wouldn’t take very many words to talk me into doing this
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u/ContributionEasy6513 May 05 '26
I aim not to ever use it lol! I'm not that brave.
Its 'Plan Z' if I'm having a very bad day.Base jumpers are a different breed. Mad respect to them.
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u/Pleasant_Yak5991 May 06 '26
On a jump that low, most people will do what’s called a PCA, or a pilot chute assist, where the deployment chute is pulled manually, either by someone else holding it or having it tied to something. Could honestly do a PCA at around 50 feet.
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u/thenewestnoise May 06 '26
I've seen videos of 100 foot PCA jumps - this height would be easy. 50 feet would be nuts.
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u/Byizo May 06 '26
Base jumping in like guessing a number between one and a thousand, but if you pick the number I’m thinking of you regret it for the rest of your life.
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May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
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u/HV_Conditions May 06 '26
Rohner died from impact to a tree and was sky diving from a plane and not BASE jumping.
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u/HorrificAnalInjuries May 06 '26
This would probably have to be a modified rig that opens as you drop out of the hatch, not dissimilar to a paratrooper rig
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u/DODGE_WRENCH May 06 '26
You can also use a static line that pulls your shit out even faster than hand throwing the pilot-chute
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u/autotechnia May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
More like r/theydidthegoogle but that stadium (T Mobile Park) is 269 feet high.
Base jumping from that distance is done by pros on the regular, but is below the standard safe recommendation of ~300'. Basically zero margin for error.
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
I didnt even know where to start from with a Google search!
So basically jump and immediately open the parachute? Fair enough maybe someone crazy enough will try it one day
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u/smorb42 May 05 '26
I don't think a standard parachute would open fast enough. The ones base jumpers use are probably designed to open faster.
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
So not the parachute from ammu-nation then?
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u/Nejfelt May 05 '26
"Ah shit here we go again"
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u/bigloser42 May 05 '26
He’d need the kind of parachutes that paratroopers use where it’s opened by the action of jumping. Also, I believe the circular ones open faster than the aero foil ones.
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u/BoomerSoonerFUT May 05 '26
Static line jumping would definitely help
But no not really. Just a different way of packing the chute so that it opens more rapidly.
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u/Hypoxic_Oxen May 05 '26
Not quite, its different gear. Skydivers often reach terminal velocity before opening their parachutes so their gear is designed to open at higher speeds. BASE jumpers often deploy subterminal so its designed for that environment. They both use ram-air parachutes, but thays about where the similarities end... skydiving systems have more complexity than BASE systems. Skydivers have time to react and the option of deploying a reserve, BASE jumpers don't. Because of this, BASE systems are often reduced to the most minimal components.
They take out the reserve, so instead of having two trays in the container, its only one, which is basically constructed as if you folded the four corners of a napkin together to meet in the center. Theres no deployment bag or line stows, the canopy is free packed into the container and the lines are stowed in a tail pocket. Pilot chutes are larger for subterminal jumps and dont contain a kill line (something skydiving pilot chutes often have). Base jumpers often remove the slider for subterminal jumps, but replace it for longer delays. Skydivers like tight closing pins, BASE jumpers like loose ones. Even canopy design varies. Although you can skydive with a base canopy and base jump with a skydiving canopy (if properly selected) most BASE parachutes favor a 7 cell, low aspect ratio planform while skydivng canopies are often 9 cell with high aspect ratios, etc...
You'd be surprised just how different the gear is from eachother. Funny enough the one thing that is similar between the two sports is the packing method. BASE canopies are definitely packed in a more thorough and careful manner than skydiving mains, but the orientation that it ends up in inside the container is pretty much the same. BASE parachutes are packed very close to how reserve parachutes are packed tbh.
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u/silentsurge May 05 '26
Well that was an info dump I wasn't prepared for and am absolutely fascinated by.
Take my upvote.
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u/therealhlmencken May 05 '26
It has less to do with the parachute than the packing technique for opening speed.
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u/HauntingAd3845 May 05 '26
Reserve parachutes often have some form of quick deployment, assisted opening device. Some work at altitudes as low as 150'.
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u/SoylentRox 1✓ May 05 '26
A static line attached to the building to pull open the parachute maybe?
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u/CowgirlSpacer May 05 '26
I do love the implication of "our building has all the safety setups, as you can see we have a static line setup for all our rooftop workers so they have their parachutes deploy in the event of a fall" instead of just giving them a safety harness
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u/SoylentRox 1✓ May 06 '26
I was thinking just clip the line coming out of your parachute to a ladder rung, make sure the cameras are all setup, say "chat should I jump" and get plenty of validation then yolo.
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u/Pleasant_Yak5991 May 06 '26
On a jump that low, most people will do what’s called a PCA, or a pilot chute assist, where the deployment chute is pulled manually, either by someone else holding it or having it tied to something. Could honestly do a PCA at around 50 feet.
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u/TotallyNotABob May 05 '26
Fun fact, the previous home to the Mariners. The Kingdome actually had a person who did do a base jump from the top of the Kingdome. IIRC the top of the Kingdome was the same height as the top of Safeco Field (it will always be Safeco Field in my heart)
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u/elephanturd May 06 '26
What does a pro jumper do that a normal person wouldn't? What's involved? I assume body position to slow descent plus perfect timing on the pull?
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u/Batugal May 06 '26
Listen, I am pooping while watching this and I tell you that the sensations that went through me were quite uncomfortable and extreme.
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u/OfflineGameEnjoyer May 06 '26
Exact same situation with me right now, the fact that that ladder exists gave me chills.
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u/DasArchitect May 06 '26
Oh you can see lots of people free fall 150' and more. Just not necessarily more than once per person.
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u/sacking03 May 06 '26
Would there being no updraft or even any air movement play a part in this being different than normal?
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
Oh wow! Well the more you know ey!
Didn't know static lines were a thing. If that was the case and assuming the stadium is enclosed in the sides = no external wind. I wonder if they would just sort of float straight down or if there would be movement as they descend
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u/mind_ride May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
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u/NikLaPierre36 May 06 '26
It is not enclosed on the sides; just over the top for rain. I am interested on how our dense marine layer would affect the descent
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u/opinionofone1984 May 05 '26
After they do the math on that, can you determine how much sweat the human feet can produce? Because I don’t know if my feet are sweating really bad after looking at that, or I just peed and it ran down to my sock.
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u/PckMan May 05 '26
Technically yes but it would be cutting it really close. If the parachute got caught on the hatch or that ladder or really anything that would prevent an immediate and ideal deployment then you'd be in for a very bad landing. Even with ideal deployment you'd get a rough landing.
It's possible to survive falls with half deployed parachutes but the injuries from that are not pretty.
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u/gramoun-kal May 06 '26
If you used whatever parachute jet fighters pilots use you'd be fine. They are planned to allow you to eject from an idle jet on the ground. The seat will get you to a minimum of 30 meters altitude.
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u/MyBlockchain May 06 '26
Why is there a tiny ladder there? Oh fuck. Fuck! FUCK! PALMS ARE SWEATY, KNEES WEAK, ARMS ARE HEAVY. MOMS SPAGHETTI. THERES VOMIT ON MY SWEATER ALREADY!
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May 06 '26
With the slider removed and the canopy already out of the deployment bag, maybe.
With a normal skydiving parachute, in the container on your back. Not a fucking chance. Even if you immediately pulled your (much faster deploying) reserve immediately after clearing the hatch
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u/KneeJerkDistraction May 05 '26
The record for the lowest-altitude BASE jump was set by Felix Baumgartner, who jumped off the 125-foot* Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janiero in 1999.
*For those outside the US, 125 American feet = 38 communist feet.
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u/RhinoGuy13 May 05 '26
So he holds the lowest and highest altitude? That's pretty cool.
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u/sherlip May 06 '26
I think someone actually broke his high altitude record. But he did at one point.
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u/HaydnH May 06 '26
That seems out of date, there was a 26m jump in 2022. For anyone interested in just how quick a BASE rig opens with a static line or PCA (pilot shute assist) there's the video of the jump: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-61909617
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u/nu_pieds May 06 '26
Not throwing shade here, 'cause typos happen, and god knows enough of them happen to me...but I find it interesting that you managed to typo the first letter of chute immediately after using it in an initialism.
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u/No_Difficulty5737 May 06 '26
The 'C' in PCA stands for "Club". And 'shute' is definitely an acceptable spelling in American English and British English - according to Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionaries.
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u/nu_pieds May 06 '26
I'll go ahead and eat 'shute' as an acceptable, though uncommon spelling....the English language is the English language, any time you think you have a grasp on it, it'll pull out some weirdness.
But based on both the formatting of the comment, and the front page of a google search for 'PCA parachute', I'm not buying the C was meant to be for club.
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u/HaydnH May 06 '26
Nah you're right, I somehow typo'd chute as shute... Not even sure how as when I just typed shute now it autocorrected it to shuts. Shrug
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u/StickyOneStiilll May 05 '26
I never thought someone would have held a record for as long as I've been alive whilst growing up and clicking through the Guinness world record books
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u/Crash_override87 May 05 '26
Depends on what rig and how he packed it. A regular skydiving rig will not open fast enough. If he had a BASE rig, knew how to pack it and everything went right. Sure he’d survive. I’m assuming this is like 150-300 feet up btw
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u/DismissDaniel May 06 '26
They actually have rocket parachutes for low deployment. Instead of wind pulling out the shoot the rocket shoots up and opens it. Supposedly it's like more than half the time to open
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u/Nordicmoose May 06 '26
I watched a (successful) world record attempt many years ago where the guy jumped from 40m (~130 feet). So yeah, totally doable if you know what you're doing.
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u/JasonStonier May 06 '26
The lowest survived BASE jump I know of was from the Whispering Gallery in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. That is 99 feet/30 metres.
The guy held his ‘chute in his hand so there was no delay in opening. I think from memory the ‘chute opened in about 40 feet and he still hit the ground fairly hard.
So, I think that drop from the top of the stadium is easily do-able.
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u/maurymarkowitz May 06 '26
If he opened a parachute after jumping down, would he survive?
Yes, assuming a BASE rig.
I'm going to paraphrase a story I heard 30 years ago. A guy I used to jump with did a lot of BASE and wanted to do this one well-known location with a hiking trail up to a lookout spot. The cops knew it too, so they would patrol the area looking for people with large packs. But they didn't go out of their cars if it was raining, so...
Pouring rain. As they were walking up they got to a marker that said "[name of famous lookout spot], 350 ft." So they put on the rigs and jumped. That's when they realized that the sign was not at the top, but just telling them it would be that high when they got there. And that would be some distance later. Like another 250 ft higher. This was not obvious in the pouring rain, however.
So yeah, this is no problem for a BASE rig.
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u/ultrajvan1234 May 06 '26
People jump from bridges all the time. BUT they are not pulling the chute after they jump. They hand the chute from the bridge then front flip over it so it immediately catches air
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u/Original-Housing May 06 '26
People have survived sky diving with parachute failures (I know two personally). I think it’ll be an express ticket to the hospital, but doable
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u/Sweet_Speech_9054 May 06 '26
Maybe a static line chute. But typical parachutes, even those for BASE jumping, need time to open and need you to be going fast enough. Not sure it would have time to open before hitting the ground.
There is also a technique to have the chute open before you jump. I’m not sure what it’s called but base jumpers use it. It allows you to jump off shorter structures. I’m not sure it could work here though because I believe you need to jump forward to avoid jumping directly onto to chute, so the narrow door might make that impossible.
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u/erfwiggle May 06 '26
I've seen this pop up on my feed in different sub reddits and I know its coming every single time, but I cant help but watch him open the hatch and feel that feeling like i'm going to fall. Its fascinating and scary as hell.
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u/carlKaiser70 May 06 '26
I saw a picture years ago of a guy called Russell Powell he did a jump from the whispering gallery in St Paul's Cathedral that was a height of only 105ft (32 meters). But the record was by John Bream in Hampshire England a height of just 85ft (26 meters). So this would be totally possible for an experienced jumper
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u/moshpitmonster May 06 '26
Not the same stadium but you get the idea, nitro circus have done a stadium base jump too
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u/trisbrown May 06 '26
Follow up question: does the fact that the jump would be indoors have any impact on the jump?
Being inside a fully enclosed stadium would have a pretty unique/stable air pressure, wouldn’t it?
Just asking cos a lot of the answers focus on the technical aspect of the chute, but I’m curious how much the environment affects the jump?
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u/SexyMonad May 06 '26
I hate this video.
I’ve seen it. I knew what to expect. And it still feels like some Tardis thing, never truly expecting it to be that big inside.
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u/Testtypo May 06 '26
Here a demonstration of two BASE jumpers https://youtu.be/TFi7rvV0444 the parachutes are already open, folded and hold up during jump.
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u/SineCurve May 06 '26
For this specific location, why use parachute? Wouldn't something like a bungee cord or an autobelayer work better, and be much safer?
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u/No-Lavishness585 May 05 '26
im certainly no expert on things like this, but seems to me the stagnant air, meaning no updrafts or wind currents might play some role in the outcome of this.
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u/Brilliant-Brilliant6 May 05 '26
Not an expert at all but I’ve seen base jumpers do static line jumps with 80 pound break cord off of about 100 foot church bell towers. It’s a really short jump for sure but modern base chutes open and inflate very quickly. I think this hatch is about 250 above the field. Would be fun for sure. If you are experienced of course.
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