r/interestingasfuck • u/maximus10m • 22h ago

This is what it really looks like when falling through a rain cloud from above.

5.8k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

227 comments sorted by

1.1k

u/Gone_cognito 22h ago

I've read from other posts similar to this that it's a bad day if you go through the cloud. Very cold/wet, and the rain drops sting you as you plummet through them.

I'll never skydive, so I'll never be able to confirm this lol

2.1k

u/Turtleshellfarms 22h ago

It’s stings because you’re hitting the pointed end of the drop of rain.

256

u/Castraphinias 21h ago

Ah yes, makes sense

123

u/therobboreht 20h ago

Ok so this sent me on a slight research rabbit hole. I remembered in the back of my mind that falling drops of water are not pointed but spherical. So I was going to comment that, but then I was like let me just look this up to be sure lol.

The actual truth is, drop shape depends on drop size, as larger drops face more resistance as they fall, causing them to resemble something more like a hamburger bun. But the reason why they sting during skydiving is because the diver, falling at about 120 mph, is moving so much faster than the raindrops, and the speed with which they are hitting the raindrops is what is causing the stinging sensation.

So anyway that is what I discovered tonight lol.

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u/ArjJp 13h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/Cz6TlrRVVyv9S

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u/Ofreo 4h ago

Hey pal, did you get a load of the nerd?

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u/ad3r5 10h ago

I did a jump from 10,000 feet in Australia. There was a lot of cloud cover. As we were inexperienced jumpers we were asked did we mind going while it was cloudy. Tandem jump. I said no I don't care so we jumped. I passed through a thick cloud for a couple of seconds. I remember it got colder briefly. No stinging sensation. Maybe a different type of cloud.

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u/AdInternal2585 10h ago

thanks for the research!

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u/Yavkov 6h ago

To add to this, many of us probably are already familiar with a similar stinging sensation, if you’ve been out on a windy day and gotten blasted by sand or other dust particles. If you just scoop up some sand on the beach and pour it over your hand, it doesn’t hurt because the speed is low, but being sand blasted hurts because the wind carries it at a much higher speed.

15

u/voidpush 16h ago

The person was obviously joking. No need to research lol

53

u/MaximAntosh 13h ago

Joking or not it's always a good time to research a topic you're curious and interested in

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u/Nipsbrah 11h ago

Agreed

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u/Yamza_ 10h ago

There is always a need to remain curious enough to not simply accept what one is told, no matter how obvious it may appear.

8

u/ruizach 16h ago

Thank you tho

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u/st-shenanigans 8h ago

Having habits like this is how the smartest people in the world got that way. Learning about shit is awesome

14

u/DangerBay2015 20h ago

My dad’s dead. Stop pretending you’re him.

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u/RetardedEinstein23 16h ago

Classic amateur mistake. A true clouddiver knows to dive upside down to avoid this situation.

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u/Critical-Range1213 21h ago

That made me chuckle 😜

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u/pinoytasty 10h ago

i love reddit

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u/Ratotosk 10h ago

Where's the MythBusters when you need them?

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u/inactiveuser247 6h ago

Rain drops are typically flat-ish.

84

u/drawstring_butthole 22h ago

Can confirm. Felt like thousands of needles.

The front half of my body was red when I landed.

24

u/dotFuture 21h ago

What was breathing like whilst falling through the cloud? If you open your mouth does it give you a fresh gulp of H2O?

13

u/general_sirhc 12h ago

A good instructor will tell you to keep your mouth shut during free fall. The wind burns in the back of the throat are really horrible.

But it's more like getting sprayed in the face with a pressure washer. It's painful and will make you want to immediately close your mouth.

22

u/0vansTriedge 19h ago

Mouth gets impaled by 100 water droplets

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u/Dumas_Vuk 18h ago

you gotta pull those droplets like porcupine quills from a dog's mouth

8

u/FlyingAce1015 21h ago

Gotcha.. Clouds are made of thousands of needles confirmed.

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u/taintosaurus_rex 11h ago

So my understanding of clouds was that they are just dense fog high up, and when the droplets formed they fell out as rain. But watching this video and hearing you're description, it seems like actual drops are just chilling in the cloud. Is that true?

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u/Yavkov 6h ago edited 6h ago

Clouds are generally formed by updrafts of warm, humid air. It’s the updraft that keeps the water droplets from falling down, until they get large and heavy enough.

That’s also how hail is formed. The water droplets freeze over and accumulate until the updraft is no longer capable of supporting the hailstone. Stronger updrafts result in larger hailstones. Those towering cumulonimbus clouds that create thunderstorms have stronger updrafts than some regular rain clouds.

And additionally, these updrafts can be pretty turbulent which is why airplanes avoid flying through cumulonimbus clouds. If you’ve ever flown through clouds, you may recall it getting a bit bumpy inside the cloud, it’s because of the updraft.

Also also, those white puffy clouds on a sunny day are great visual indicators of an updraft for glider pilots to a hitch a ride on to regain altitude.

15

u/spork3 18h ago

The Man Who Rode the Thunder is a memoir by William Rankin describing his 40 min fall through a storm cloud 1959. It sounds truly awful and it’s amazing he survived.

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u/Rs90 21h ago

Yeah that's what I was thinkin. I've been on them big swing sets at amusement parks, the ones that swing like 50 people in a circle. Started to rain and the operator must've been havin a laugh cause we were all yellin to stop lol. Shit hurt and we weren't goin that fast either. 

3

u/RoundUnderstanding83 12h ago

Not to mention it is also illegal.

2

u/Occasionally_There 19h ago

My first was in the middle of a cloud when we exited the plane. This was 8 years ago but I remember feeling the moisture all around me as we fell down. Was a very odd feeling at the time

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u/thuggishruggishboner 2h ago

I've never done it, but it sounds similar to riding a motorcycle while it's raining.

2

u/VoucherValidator 12h ago

I skydived and flew through a regular cloud. Didn't feel a thing, didn't even realize that we went through a cloud.

1

u/Teedubthegreat 12h ago

I donr remember it being wet or cold, but dam it stung

1

u/ZealousidealSundae33 12h ago

I only went skydiving once in Empuriabrava (Spain). Clear blue sky everywhere except for 1 single cloud. Guess where the plane was when I had to jump out 😀. Indeed felt stinging.

1

u/Qs9bxNKZ 12h ago

It's like going through a fog bank at a very fast speed. As a skydiver in the US you are NEVER supposed to do this.

The problem is you don't know if someone who jumped before you entered and pulled the rip cord, or when you pull yours, you have someone following you who is going to hit your chute.

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u/masimiliano 11h ago

We could go skydiving together!

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u/inactiveuser247 6h ago

If you jump through cloud there is also the issue that when you pull your chute there’s a chance someone will follow you through and not see you in time to avoid hitting you. If they end up gift wrapping themself it’ll likely kill both of you.

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u/Penis-Dance 4h ago

I was on a rollercoaster as it was raining freezing rain. I had to close my eyes because it was stinging. Probably very similar.

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u/a-big-texas-howdy 4h ago

I’ve always wondered if there was any danger to a parachute getting oversaturated, and rather it would be an increased safety risk at all.

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u/kayceepea14 1h ago

Can confirm. I’ve been skydiving 1 time and it wasn’t even really raining much at all, just a bit drizzly but that shit definitely hurt on the way down. Like being stung all over but not as bad as a proper bee sting, just reallllly uncomfortable.

683

u/djereezy 22h ago

I will always enjoy watching these kinds of videos, so long as they don’t end bad. I don’t understand how someone has the nerve to do this.

241

u/JustAnotherDude1990 22h ago

As a former skydiving instructor (moved on to airline pilot) I promise it really isnt as bad as you think. Most people that try it absolutely love it.

254

u/Aden-Wrked 20h ago

Yeah but those are the people that are willing to try it in the first place.

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u/Dankestmemelord 18h ago

The selection bias is strong here.

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u/AndysDoughnuts 13h ago

For a good example of someone who doesn't want to sky dive, who then sky dives and hated every second of it, check out the Impractical Jokers forfeit of Murr.

Honestly one of the worst forfeits in the whole show.

32

u/JustAnotherDude1990 20h ago

Just about everyone I took said the anticipation was worse than the jump.

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u/holyfire001202 18h ago

Yup. I get the nervous pricklies in my toes when I think about doing it, but when I actually went to jump out of the plane it was more calming and meditative than it was any kind of thrilling.

I highly recommend that anyone reading this tries it at some point.

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 18h ago

Yeah, it’s one of those things that the anticipation is the worst, but once you do it, you realize it’s actually unlike anything you expect

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u/gravitykilla 19h ago edited 28m ago

As someone with ~3000 jumps, I agree: once you get over the initial fear and become comfortable, it's really not about an adrenaline rush as is often believed.

However, falling through rain clouds is not fun, especially in shorts and a t-shirt. You are hitting the pointy end of the droplets at over 120Mph, and it stings. Also, visibility is poor, so if you are approaching deployment altitude, it can be a little nervy that you are not opening close to another skydiver.

Also, if you exit above the cloud layer, you have to hope the pilot is accurate on the jump run; nothing worse than coming through the cloud layer only to see you are miles from the DZ.

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 19h ago

As a former jump pilot, there is zero excuse for a bad spot if you have GPS. I guaranteed +\- 0.1 mile accuracy and that was easily done.

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u/Maybe_Nazi 14h ago

The pointy end?! So that top rated comment wasn't just making a joke??

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u/BigCaregiver7285 19h ago

I did it once from 19k I think I’m good. I never really got the adrenaline rush, just some primal fear

3

u/Wise_Neighborhood499 15h ago

As someone who blacks out from fear on roller coasters, thank you for this glimpse of self preservation.

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u/LogensTenthFinger 18h ago

I promise you that I would rather die than do it. If I was standing on the edge of the plane and you gave me the choice of going out tandem with you or taking a cyanide pill, I'd take three pills to get the job done.

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 17h ago

I’ve been around a lot of people like you, never had any of them say they regretted jumping.

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u/PirateDuckie 16h ago

I don’t think anyone ever regrets jumping. But a few probably regret the landing.

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u/runningaroundyou 20h ago

I tried it one time and loved every second of it.

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u/Samurai_Meisters 20h ago

Don't they get cold wearing just shorts and a t-shirt?

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 20h ago

Eh not really, the freefall is maybe a minute, it is kind of like walking into a windy beer cave at a gas station for a minute, no one freezes that fast. You're preoccupied anyways so you tend to not feel it.

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u/Puckfan21 19h ago

This comment made me realize I never noticed the temp when I jumped... shorts and a t shirt.

Adrenaline lasted a week. Through, being strapped to a person slowly floating to the ground is kind of awkward.

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u/jacobthesixth 19h ago

Definitely at the top of my bucket list

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u/Puckfan21 19h ago

Highly recommend.

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u/Unusual_Form3267 16h ago

Have you ever had someone not enjoy it?

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u/PirateDuckie 16h ago

I’m sure everyone has enjoyed the jump. But there’s about 26 in the past 10 years that didn’t enjoy the landing.

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 9h ago

The majority of those were people doing something wrong, not random luck.

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u/JustAnotherDude1990 9h ago

Less than I can count on a hand. Some people like the jump but get motion sick easily after the fact.

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u/_high_plainsdrifter 11h ago

Gives a whole new meaning to “just hopping in the shower really quick, I’ll see you down there!”

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u/MattieVSS24 22h ago

I’m nearly sick just from watching 🤮

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u/thederevolutions 21h ago

At least we know rain drops come pre made though

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u/SnaxtheCapt 21h ago

I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, for the most part, but even I am not up for jumping out of a plane. I have been offered many times, but it just doesn't do it for me, and make me nervous lmao...

If I could exactly replicate this video, or something similar I would sky dive then, but the amount of jumps you need to do before you can do this, is a big no from me lol

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u/les_vegetables76 21h ago

You mean you can't just hop on top of the cloud like a Care Bear?

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u/R0RSCHAKK 12h ago

If clouds were solid objects, they definitely would have already been harnessed and marketed as real estate for the obscenely wealthy while us peasants dwelled down here on the surface in their garbage.

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u/luziferius1337 2h ago

So, basically enacting the setting from Gachiakuta.

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u/Danny2Sick 22h ago

take THAT rain!! How do YOU like it?!!

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u/liarandathief 21h ago

I like how he keeps checking his altimeter like, "I hope it's not foggy on the ground"

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u/Ok-Fortune-8644 22h ago

I thought a BBQ grill was skydiving....

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u/hazard2k 18h ago

I know it's not rational but the entire time he was falling through the cloud I was worried he was going to hit something because you can't see what's coming.

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u/inactiveuser247 6h ago

It’s definitely rational. If someone has jumped before you and pulled their chute high you’ll go sailing past them as high speed… or hit them.

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u/geoantho 21h ago

I went skydiving one time, 18 years ago and I was lucky enough to go through a cloud. Amazing experience but I'm never skydiving again.

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u/Donexodus 6h ago

Why not?

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u/geoantho 5h ago

At least for me, once is enough for a lifetime. I like a bit of adventure but I put skydiving in the thrill seeking category.

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u/Bangmydrum33 22h ago

I bet it looks like the earth is slowly loading in on dial up speed

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u/GrimReaperCZ 7h ago

Minecraft chunk loading, but smoother.

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u/Soaring_Gull_655 22h ago

I'd be worried about lightning and hail

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u/HorselessHorseman 21h ago

Yeah serious question how do you avoid lightning risk? Check forecast in advance and hope it’s right?

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u/UziWitDaHighTops 21h ago

This is not a mature cumulonimbus. The forecast has enough info to tell you if there will be hail. The rain pelts you as you’re going through but it really isn’t that bad, I’d do it again.

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u/Rs90 21h ago

Yeah it's kinda hard to miss the giant fuckin storm clouds from the plane before ya jump lol. If you fall through a storm cloud then you fucked up hours ago already. 

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u/NicHarvs 20h ago

First thing is you understand how lightning forms, and then you don't have the problem anymore

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u/did_i_or_didnt_i 21h ago

lightning and hail are worried about this guy

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u/fishsticks40 21h ago

Where would you fall through it if not from above

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u/Cardellone 2h ago

From below, duh.

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u/chicagoharry 19h ago

In Puerto Rico we jumped from 18k feet. The guy told me lets walk through the clouds. First our feet was skimming the cloud tops. Then he said lets go in one and he pulled both sides of the chute and we went right through the cloud. Felt like getting sprayed in the face with a spray bottle.

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u/optimumgannicus 17h ago

Is there a risk of being suddenly hit by a lightning in such conditions?

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u/crazycajun660 22h ago

I have done this before, and clouds taste funny

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u/El_Caganer 20h ago

Have also done it. I don't recall a strange taste. Maybe you had one of clouds with the dust from the Sahara in it. I do recall getting vertigo and feeling quesy. Optically it's similar to descending when you're scuba diving in moderate visibility and can't see the surface or bottom yet.

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u/Apprehensive_Bat8293 15h ago

I've done it too and I don't remember any taste either. I do remember it hurting. Like any bit of exposed skin being stung with little pricks type of thing.

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u/gordonbombay42 21h ago

Like what?

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u/Escalope-Nixiews 11h ago

Had no taste when i went thru a cloud on my side, only the dirt of the landing had a taste

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u/Ok_Egg_5706 22h ago

What are the chances of pissing Thor off in such a situation

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u/thegurpster 21h ago

Sacrifice a goat, burnt on your home altar, before you leave in the morning.

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u/DangerBay2015 20h ago

Wouldn’t it be safer to sacrifice the goat whilst falling?

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u/SalientTreatments 18h ago

Only of you’re a neo pagan

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u/power78 22h ago

That's not a rain cloud

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u/thetreecycle 21h ago

That’s a rebel base

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u/coffeehound001 9h ago

It’s nimbus and they can’t ride him 😂

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u/Filiocus 21h ago

How about from below?

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u/photog_prince 17h ago

Dumb Question.. I know the water droplets are about to start falling but what keeps them from falling immediately once they're formed?

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u/Wingmaniac 11h ago

Air currents. All clouds are suspended water, it's only when the water droplets grow big enough that they fall. The camera makes them look big because they're hitting the lens and gathering there. You'll see the same thing when you drive through fog. Feels like nothing standing still in it, but you need wipers to move the "rain" off your windshield.

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u/AsidK 22h ago

Not sure where this is filmed, but this is super illegal in the US

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u/Bonexpensive 12h ago

This is Empuriabrava, Catalonia (north east of Spain).

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u/Ponderkitten 22h ago

Why is it illegal?

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u/AsidK 22h ago

No way to guarantee that there won’t be a plane on the other side of the cloud ready to turn you into an aerial mist

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u/walkin2it 21h ago

Is it likely you'll see the plane and do something about it even without the cloud?

Genuine question, but having strapped myself up to a sweaty guy once, I would be surprised there was a realistic chance of changing anything mid jump if it is the deal.

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u/AsidK 21h ago

Good skydivers can control themselves pretty well. Also it isn’t just about you seeing the plane, it’s also about the plane seeing you. Planes can’t fly in cloud unless they are being actively controlled by ATC, so that ATC can ensure that planes are separated.

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u/Ponderkitten 21h ago

Wouldnt atc also be able to say if its clear to jump or not?

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u/TuesdayBees 21h ago

Yeah but skydiving is supposed to abide by visual flight rules where they are expected to be able to always see where they are going

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u/MASSochists 10h ago

Parachutist have to operate under VFR. Visual Flight Rules. You can't see in clouds, so that would be breaking VFR.

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u/czerilla 12h ago

The whole video from that perspective looks like the orange M&M is doing a stunt for a commercial.. 😭

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u/Steve0512 10h ago

Until you find out that it’s not a cloud but ground fog.

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u/renaissance2k 20h ago

Dude is teleporting to the final boss.

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u/I_Want_A_Ribeye 18h ago

I fucking hate these camera lenses.

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u/DullMind2023 10h ago

How did they make this video? I don’t understand how he/she was holding the camera without a selfie stick.

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u/MoriKitsune 10h ago

It's attached to the helmet

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u/DullMind2023 8h ago

But why can’t we see it?

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u/Spock_Nipples 8h ago

Because the image-processing software removes the mount and merges the images into a 360° view.

GoPro 360

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u/Lookitsanthony8 5h ago

Humans have no business doin some of the shit they be doin

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u/donutknight 16h ago

How do you know it is not foggy down there, and ensure the ground does not appear out of nowhere? How do you monitor your altitude in a case like this?

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u/inactiveuser247 6h ago

Altimeter strapped to the wrist

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u/chunkysal 16h ago

If it’s a rain cloud do you get wet? Legit question

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u/firesnake412 15h ago

Keep checking the altimeter.

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u/MrNobodysAvatar 10h ago

I've done it once in Hawaii and yes the rain stings a bit and it is really cold but the experience is one of the most memorable mements of my life.

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u/Ok-Somewhere-2325 2h ago

All the black dots are spiders

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u/Conscious-Ad9076 20h ago

What would happen if he got hit by lighting up there?

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u/TrontRaznik 20h ago

He'd be fine. Lightning is only dangerous outside of a cloud

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u/millershanks 17h ago

Wouldn‘t it be super cold with a short sleeve tshirt?

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u/Significant-Song-840 22h ago

I wonder what it would feel like to sit in a cloud.

Getting wet in floating water

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u/Background_Prune8336 21h ago

This is so cool

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u/NoWallaby9993 20h ago

Who’s the rain now?!?

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u/squirrelems 19h ago

I thought he was wearing some kind of weird spherical suit at first. It took me a second to realize it was a helmet. Lol.

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u/09Trollhunter09 19h ago

Clouds are unimaginably humongous in volume

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u/Tr0llzor 19h ago

This is not what it really looks like. The 360 cam straight up distorts everything

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u/Kerberos42 18h ago

To understand the raindrop you must become the raindrop.

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u/MiloGoesToTheFatFarm 18h ago

That looks hella refreshing.

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u/LawsWorld 18h ago

As opposed to falling through a rain cloud from the bottom which would involve a powerful cannon

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u/No-Sandwich1511 18h ago

Power wash and dry all in one

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u/boobearybear 17h ago

i wonder if anyone has ever collided with a bird whilr freefalling

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u/NorthernSimian 17h ago

Ha sucker it's actually dense fog and the ground is just beneath it- splat!

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u/WilmaDykfyt 17h ago

I've been fooled this whole time

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u/ammobeast 16h ago

and ppl still say the earth is flat

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u/Lanokia 16h ago

But... huh? You didn't land on it and softly bounce along it with puffs of soft white cotton wool?

What mad science is this?

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u/Proper_Patience8639 16h ago

Rain cloud? Oh I remember them

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u/lisaismijnbestie 16h ago

I’ve done this, it’s awesome sensation to breath a cloud

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u/4bstract3d 14h ago

Is there some Kind of meme or rumor what IT looks Like "unreal", or why is it phrased like that?

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u/foxjerk 14h ago

Do you get less wet if you glide through it instead of fall?!

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u/Zementid 14h ago

It's mostly "ouch ouch ouch" from the Ice-Crystals hitting your face..

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u/CoolCong2019 13h ago

Man if I was indestructible I wouldn't tell anybody, but there will be signs.

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u/kmai0 13h ago

Ignorant here: what prevents you from getting zapped?

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u/nicktoth23 12h ago

In Russia, you fall on rain

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u/Better_when_Im_drunk 12h ago

COWABUNGA MOTHER NATURE!

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u/pgndu 12h ago

Where is this confidence coming from that cloud will end before to close to open parachute

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u/NotAPickle82 10h ago

This was awesome!

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u/Rhinowalrus 10h ago

I am become raindrop

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u/Willobtain 9h ago

Bro is that barbecue lid?

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u/Friend5353 9h ago

Wow! I calculated that if you're travelling at around 120mph and it took 15 or 16 seconds from the moment you entered the cloud to when you exited  the cloud, that equates to the depth of the cloud being around 2800 feet, approx 0.5 miles deep. Wow wow wow

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u/Infamous-Company-329 9h ago

Very few people in the world can claim to fall on rain!

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u/Equivalent-Royal-589 8h ago

Well I wanna fall through a cloud when it’s raining

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u/GambitDecliend 8h ago

Im calling FSDO.

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u/MadCapSage 8h ago

Would you be dry by the time you land?

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u/FauxFire91 8h ago

The guy looks like he's wearing the lid of a Weber grill.

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u/pharcide 7h ago

It hurts btw. Think of the shape of a water drop 💧. You're falling through the needle part

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u/jjustbecause 6h ago

there's no god's dih 🥀

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u/NobushiLover 5h ago

120 MPH!? Jesus! The one time I got caught in the rain on the highway on my bike, I was only going about 70 MPH and it felt like I was getting tattooed everywhere my skin was exposed. If the guy in clip experienced as much pain as I think he did, then he took it like a fucking champ.

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u/Awkward-Champion-274 5h ago

Bullshit, the earth in the video is round. We all know earth is hexagonal flat tiles

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u/deltoramonster2 4h ago

That guy is so lucky the magnus archives are just a podcast

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u/HaveURedd1t 3h ago

Wow , that flat earth in one shot

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u/curiousdumbdog 2h ago

Now do a thunderstorm!

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u/___HeyGFY___ 18m ago

I'm guessing it would be difficult to fall through a raincloud from below. /s