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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 16, 2018 - 09:17am PT
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Here is a very interesting technical study on the use of parachutes that will be of use to anyone who uses them for enjoyment or 'safety' while flying.
The study 'Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial' compares the outcome of jumping from a plane or helicopter with either a parachute or an empty backpack and can be found here:
https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k5094
One conclusion of the study was
Parachute use compared with a backpack control did not reduce death or major traumatic injury when used by participants jumping from aircraft in this first randomized evaluation of the intervention.
Edited to add a comment from the study's discussion section:
Discussion
We have performed the first randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of parachutes for preventing death or major traumatic injury among individuals jumping from aircraft. Our groundbreaking study found no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome between the treatment and control arms. Our findings should give momentary pause to experts who advocate for routine use of parachutes for jumps from aircraft in recreational or military settings.
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perswig
climber
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Dec 16, 2018 - 09:26am PT
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Bwaha!
The def of a 'Hollywood' jump.
Dale
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snakefoot
climber
Nor Cal
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Dec 16, 2018 - 09:26am PT
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this is hilarious. Please, can I be in the control arm with just a back pack?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Dec 16, 2018 - 09:39am PT
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Wow! Thanks for posting this -- you have saved me a boatload of money! I was about to get into skydiving, and now, knowing that I don't have to waste money on expensive parachutes, I can afford lots of really expensive outdoor clothing that will impress people at the airfield.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 09:50am PT
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And as an added bonus reading a manly thread like this gets you a manly banner ad!
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Sula
Trad climber
Pennsylvania
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Dec 16, 2018 - 10:27am PT
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Right. Another sentence from the Conclusions paragraph:
However, the trial was only able to enroll participants on small stationary aircraft on the ground, suggesting cautious extrapolation to high altitude jumps.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 16, 2018 - 10:43am PT
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^^^ Bwahahahahaha
Okay, now I'm so happy, just giggling, frothing, oh so gay HAPPY that I didn't waste my time on that article.
Sigh... but I did on this thread. There's just no winning.
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 10:52am PT
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Hey mb, the article is actually quite a hoot; I was laughing my ass off it's so well done. Kudos for the British Medical Journal for their sense of humour!
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 16, 2018 - 10:58am PT
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Okay, okay. The thread is a hoot, so I guess I'll have to jump right in.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 16, 2018 - 11:17am PT
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Agreed, very well done. Rigorous study, the results of which cannot be refuted. As the study says, additional testing in contexts of higher altitude and velocity are needed. But for the context in which the tests were performed, the results seem repeatable and conclusive.
Thank you, Winemaker. This was an eye-opener, and I should not have been so quickly dismissive before reading the actual study. I stand corrected, and I'm big enough to admit it.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 11:24am PT
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Wait, wasn’t that study released on 1 April?
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
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mb, you are obviously a gentleman of the highest caliber!!!
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Pete_N
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 12:32pm PT
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Awesome! So glad to see that science is not dead yet in the US though it must be admitted that the '[World Health Organization’s Registry Network of the International Clinical Trials Registry] declined to register the trial because they thought that “the research question lacks scientific validity” and “the trial data cannot be meaningful.”' And clearly the authors are stand-up scientists: "We appreciated their thorough review (and actually agree with their decision)."
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skywalker1
Trad climber
co
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Dec 16, 2018 - 01:14pm PT
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Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, et al., Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results From the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA2002;288:321-33. doi:10.1001/jama.288.3.321 pmid:12117397
I like this reference.
S....
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 01:21pm PT
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^^^^ Did they jump outta da plane, too?
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 01:46pm PT
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My interest was piqued, so I researched a paper footnoted by the authors of the PARACHUTE study:
'Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials' (BMJ 2003;327:1459)
and found this interesting discussion
The medicalisation of free fall
It is often said that doctors are interfering monsters obsessed with disease and power, who will not be satisfied until they control every aspect of our lives (Journal of Social Science, pick a volume). It might be argued that the pressure exerted on individuals to use parachutes is yet another example of a natural, life enhancing experience being turned into a situation of fear and dependency. The widespread use of the parachute may just be another example of doctors' obsession with disease prevention and their misplaced belief in unproved technology to provide effective protection against occasional adverse events. https://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459?ijkey=ac7ca67c7939062bfcb341cd6a77e331231562f9&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
Are doctors doing the same thing with climbing?
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 16, 2018 - 03:49pm PT
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you are obviously a gentleman of the highest caliber!!!
Thank you kindly, sir. You have helped greatly in recovering my self-image from the depths of embarrassment and despair. I'm definitely not anti-science, and studies like this should enjoy the full respect to which they are entitled!
So many passages could be cited for special attention, but I quickly realized that the whole thing would need to be cited for special attention, which is, in effect, what you accomplish in the OP.
Thank you!
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 06:27pm PT
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Your studies do not address the psychic trauma suffered by people scourging themselves on the face of El Capitan, who hear the sound of tremendous rockfall, only to learn later that the traumatic sound is not rockfall, but that of a "harmlessly playful and fun-loving" parachutist.
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madbolter1
Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
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Dec 16, 2018 - 06:51pm PT
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So true, Tom. I lost one or two years off my life on RoF from that very thing. And then the guy popped his chute right next to us, about 80 feet away. Sounded like a cannon going off.
But then he lost control and started spiraling down, crashing into the forest. Eventually he staggered out onto the trail, took a few steps, then collapsed. When he didn't move for like five minutes, we finally called it in.
An hour later, Mr. "fun loving" was being stretchered out.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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Dec 16, 2018 - 06:59pm PT
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It is an abomination before God when people scourging themselves on El Capitan are traumatized by BASE jumpers.
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