Typical Freefall Sensations

It’s difficult to imagine what freefall will feel like prior to doing your first jump. You will probably experience a range of emotions including euphoria, excitement, happiness, nervousness, freedom, overwhelming confidence, and strength. We’re not sure there are enough positive adjectives to describe how freefall feels.

From a technical or scientific perspective, you won’t experience a falling sensation. Falling is a sensation that requires gravity, and to a lesser extent, relative objects for your brain to produce that sensation. Although forces of gravity are at play, you’re technically weightless from the moment you leave the airplane until the parachute begins to open. This is why you feel a floating, as opposed to a falling, sensation. Physics proves it!

An undisputed freefall sensation is wind speed strength. We’ll be traveling through time and space at 120mph so you should also expect it to be very windy. You most likely already have a sense of this feeling. You can simulate it by putting your arm out the window while cruising down the highway. But wait until you go skydiving to feel the full effect of freefall wind speeds; it’s a lot safer than in your vehicle!

What you will not experience during freefall is, surprisingly, fear. While it is common for first-time skydivers to feel nervous prior to the skydive. For most people, it culminates at that epic moment at the door just prior to the skydive. Almost every single person (we’re talking 99.99%) leaves any nervousness inside the airplane. Once you leave the airplane, you’re fully present and focused on the moment. And those moments are blissful.   

Some describe the feeling as liberating and empowering. Many people that come to do try skydiving are doing to overcome the fear so sensations of strength and freedom are common.  Others experience happy and zen-like feelings, while some perceive the adrenaline rush similar to the sensory experience of falling in love and achieving a significant goal. Ultimately, words do not do the experience justice. It truly is one of those few things in life that you simply need to experience for yourself to understand.