Every term defined straight, then used in a sentence by a manchild. Learn the language before your first tandem — or send an entry to the whuffo who keeps asking.
Automatic Activation Device — deploys your reserve if you can’t. No joke on this one; it has saved a lot of lives.
No jokes on this entry. Some terms hold the sport up — ask your instructor, not a meme.
The banana-shaped body position that keeps you stable and belly-to-earth in freefall.
“Arch, look at the camera, and stop screaming. One of three is fine.”
The traditional penalty for any skydiving first — first cutaway, first landing off, first anything. Payable in beer, at the bonfire.
“New helmet? Beer fine. New record? Beer fine. Mentioned your crypto portfolio on jump run? Two beer fines.”
The signal that jumping is done for the day and the beer may open. Once it’s on, nobody jumps.
“Beer light means beer light. Not even you, Chad.”
A multi-day skydiving event with visiting aircraft, load organizers, and a bonfire. Usually happens.
“Every boogie in history has occurred except one. You’re on its website.”
The planned altitude where a group stops the skydive and tracks apart to gain safe separation before deploying.
“Break-off is not a suggestion. It’s the one meeting you can’t reschedule.”
The pocket of turbulent air directly behind a falling jumper. Also the manifest software half the industry runs on.
“He fell out of the sky AND the booking system. Double burble.”
Releasing a malfunctioning main canopy before deploying the reserve. Trained procedure, practiced constantly.
No jokes on this entry. Some terms hold the sport up — ask your instructor, not a meme.
Rehearsing the skydive on the ground, walking through every point before boarding.
“We dirt dove it nine times. The sky had other plans. See: Zoo dive.”
The airport or field where skydiving operations happen — manifest, packing area, landing area, bonfire.
“Home is where the windsock is.”
When a freefall formation collapses and everyone tumbles through everyone else’s air.
“The 8-way funneled on exit. All eight maintain it wasn’t them.”
A licensed skydiver jumping for the love of it, as opposed to working a tandem or filming one.
“Fun jumper (see also: manchild).”
A low-altitude jump with deployment shortly after exit. Short freefall, long canopy ride.
“The blimp offers exclusively hop-n-pops. The blimp is not booked.”
The final flight path the aircraft flies over the spot while jumpers exit.
“Door open, green light, and Chad still isn’t sure about the winds.”
An experienced jumper who plans and leads group skydives at boogies.
“Our load organizers have planned hundreds of jumps and completed the bonfire portion of all of them.”
An aggressive turn close to the ground under canopy. The leading cause of serious injury in the sport.
No jokes on this entry. Some terms hold the sport up — ask your instructor, not a meme.
A licensed skydiver whose gear is worth more than their car — and one of the best humans you will ever meet.
The flagship entry. It has its own page.
The desk (and software) that assigns jumpers to loads. Also the act of putting yourself on one.
“Manifest for a boogie with no plane is the most relaxing job in aviation.”
The de Havilland Twin Otter — the gold-standard boogie aircraft. Twenty-two jumpers, two engines, one door.
“Booked until 2031. We checked.”
Parachute Landing Fall — the feet-knees-hips roll that turns a hard landing into a story instead of an injury.
“A good PLF is invisible. A great one gets applause from the packing area.”
A slow, drawn-out canopy opening. Uncomfortable to wait through, gentle when it ends.
“Hope, like a snivel, takes forever to end. We’ve been sniveling since 2019.”
The point over the ground where jumpers exit, chosen so everyone can glide home. Picking it is “spotting.”
“Two-hour spot debate for a jump that isn’t happening. Standard.”
The last load of the day, flown into golden light. Sacred.
“Sunset load is guaranteed.* (*not guaranteed)”
A first-timer harnessed to an instructor. How almost everyone meets the sky.
“The manchild has flown a thousand of them past the camera step.”
Flying your body horizontally across the sky in freefall — used at break-off to create separation.
“He tracked so far he landed at a different boogie. It also didn’t happen.”
Jumping paused for clouds, winds, or rain. The great equalizer of dropzone plans.
“Day 2,573 of the weather hold. Conditions: perfect.”
A non-skydiver. From the eternal question: “whuffo you jump out of planes?”
“Whuffos welcome here. Registration is free and nothing will happen to you. Literally.”
Wind speed and direction at altitude — what actually decides the spot and the separation between groups.
“Consulted, debated, and ultimately ignored since 2019.”
A skydive that dissolves into chaos — funnels, missed docks, blown exits. Everyone walks away laughing.
“The committee reviews all zoo footage. For science.”
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