Dec 15, 2025

The Sky Chooses—Survival Psychology in Skydiving

Karim Elemary, Ph.D.
 

 

Back-Tracking Photo by SFC. Joe Gonzalez/U.S. Army

Published on Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Back-Tracking Photo by SFC. Joe Gonzalez/U.S. Army

Back-Tracking highlights interesting, lesser-known moments in skydiving through the years. These photos are often unearthed from boxes in the attic, old photo albums and dimly lit DZ closets. Please send submissions to communications@uspa.org.


In November 1965, the U.S. Army Parachute Team incorporated a week of high-altitude training at Brooks Air Force Base in Texas into its demonstration schedule. While the course was normally for pilots, it was adjusted to qualify thirteen skydivers to use a pressure suit (the MC-3A) that could be jumped from altitudes exceeding 43,000 feet. Here, Sgt. William Wise prepares for a ground-chamber simulation of a flight to 75,000 feet.

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Photo by David Cherry

At Skydive Arizona in Eloy, (clockwise from “driver”) Carlo Manuel, Dan Baker, Sam Laliberte and Joel Tremblay perform a car-drop stunt to promote Cleared Hot’s Vet Boogie.

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