>> On Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:33:50 -0400, Joseph DeMartino wrote   
   (in article    
   ):   
   > On Sep 23, 4:15 pm, Sue in PA  wrote:   
   >    
   >> [How did] Sheridan survive that plunge into a 2 mile high chasm.   
   >    
   > Well, the "two mile high" part sounds dramatic, but a two mile fall is   
   > no more deadly than a fall of a few hundred feet.  Sheridan would have   
   > reached terminal velocity (about 195 km/h or 122 mp/h for a typical   
   > skydiver in free fall) in under 20 seconds.  Beyond that it didn't   
   > matter if he fell one more foot or sixty miles, he wouldn't gain any   
   > speed or be any deader at the bottom, *based on the distance* fallen,   
   > than at the point where for force of drag acting on his falling body   
   > exactly matched the force of gravity pulling him down. <<   
   There's actually been a fair amount of research into the free fall    
   phenomenon.  There's a specific distance range for long falls that is    
   actually *better* than a short fall (of a hundred or a few hundred feet),    
   because the body has a chance to relax and untense, which helps you upon    
   landing.  It also helps if you fall into large leafy trees, or a deep    
   snow-covered slope (both the snow and the angle help).   
   Amy   
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