Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is an extreme sports which consists in jumping from a aircraft (plane, helicopter, hot air balloon) with a parachute, that is to say a device including a sail enabling to lower the speed of the jumper's fall, so as to allow him to land softly and safely on the ground.

During a classical parachute jump, there are two stages, the first one is the free fall which varies according to the discipline and the height of the fall (comprised between 0,6 miles and 3,8 miles), and the second stage is when the parachute is spread. People are often accompanied with an instructor for their first jumps so as to get used to the sensation of the free fall and the whole jump. Someone may jump alone only after realizing 15 jumps and passing a certificate.

As in many sports, there are several disciplines in parachuting. The eldest is the accuracy landing which consists in reaching a very small landing area. There are others disciplines in which the sky-divers have to realize several tricks in the sky.

These two disciplines are individual, but there are also collective disciplines where teams of four or height sky-divers have to realize a predefined series of tricks in a limited time. Free flying and Sky Surfing are other disciplines of parachuting.