Around 200 km/h and still no falling sensation: why freefall feels like lying on air, and what terminal velocity has to do with the tingle in your gut.
The honest answer to "how fast do you actually fall?": around 193 to 200 km/h in the classic belly position — and yet it doesn't feel like falling, but like lying on a firm cushion of air. The reason is a physical principle called terminal velocity: past a certain point you stop accelerating and fall at a constant speed. And it's exactly this constancy that removes the falling sensation from your inner ear.
The rollercoaster tingle in your stomach comes from acceleration — from suddenly speeding up. In freefall you're at terminal velocity within seconds, so you no longer accelerate, and the loud, powerful wind gives your body a clear "up-down" reference. That's why almost all first-timers report the same thing: it feels like flying, not falling. And because freefall is statistically the most harmless part of the jump — only 2.7 % of all injuries happen here — you can simply enjoy this moment.
You don't need a physics degree, just three terms in your head: Terminal velocity — the constant top speed at which you stop accelerating. Drag (air resistance) — the braking force of the air that stabilises your fall. Frontal area — how much body you present to the wind. A little trust that the physics here works for you, not against you.
### 1. Why you don't keep speeding up forever On the jump you accelerate at first because of gravity — but the faster you fall, the stronger air resistance brakes you. Eventually gravity and drag are exactly equal, the net force is zero, and you fall on at a constant speed. That's terminal velocity. In the belly position it's around 193 to 200 km/h.
### 2. Why frontal area decides the speed Present more body area to the wind — flat, spread, like a human parachute — and you fall slower. Make yourself small and you fall faster; head-down, experienced jumpers reach 240 to 290 km/h. So your body position controls speed AND direction. On a tandem a small drag chute, the drogue, often keeps the combined fall rate in the usual range.
### 3. Why the stomach feeling disappears The queasy rollercoaster feeling comes from accelerating. Once you reach terminal velocity you no longer accelerate — the stimulus to your balance organ falls away. That's why the typical rollercoaster tingle flips after the first few seconds into a stable, supporting feeling. Interestingly, novices strongly overestimate the freefall duration; the sense of time stretches under tension. In reality only around 50 to 60 seconds of freefall pass from 4,000 metres — to many first-timers it feels like considerably more. Good to know if the thought of an "endless drop" makes you nervous beforehand: the freefall is short, structured and over faster than your head paints it.
### 4. What happens on opening When the canopy opens, a strong braking force acts briefly, the so-called opening shock — a rapid deceleration that brings you from around 200 km/h to canopy speed. Modern ram-air canopies dampen this with a slider, so the opening is smooth rather than jolting. After that it goes instantly quiet and slow.
The physics of freefall is fascinating, but it doesn't replace training. All figures here serve understanding, not self-control: on a tandem your tandem master takes complete control of fall rate and opening. You learn to steer yourself only in certified AFF training at a dropzone. This website explains the why, the school teaches the how.
If the nerves grip you on the climb, remember a single sentence: "I only accelerate for the first few seconds." That's the part that feels like falling — and it's over in a few moments. After that you're lying on a 200 km/h cushion of air that holds you. Internalise that beforehand and the exit isn't falling into nothing, but the moment the wind catches you.
### How fast do you fall while skydiving? In the classic belly position you reach a terminal velocity of around 193 to 200 km/h. That's the constant top speed at which drag and gravity balance out. Head-down, experienced jumpers reach 240 to 290 km/h; the speed depends on the body's frontal area.
### What altitude do you jump from and how long is the freefall? Standard is around 4,000 metres, giving about 50 to 60 seconds of freefall. Note: novices often clearly overestimate this duration because the sense of time stretches under stress. So the freefall is shorter than it feels — and after it come around five minutes of canopy flight.
### Why doesn't freefall feel like falling? Because the falling sensation comes from accelerating, not from the speed itself. Within seconds you're at constant terminal velocity, no longer accelerating, and the strong wind gives your body a clear reference. That's why most describe it as lying on air rather than falling.
### Does the opening shock hurt? On a clean opening, no. The opening shock is a short, strong deceleration from around 200 km/h to canopy speed, which modern ram-air canopies cushion with a slider. A symmetrical, relaxed body position on opening keeps the load on neck and back low.