­Skydiving and Parachuting is not a sport which should appeal to those with dodgy tickers or frail bodies. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that the Adeline rush resulting from leaping out of an aircraft 10,000 above the earth may not be entirely beneficial to everyone!

That said, if you are in good health, there is no reason why you should not experience one of the most exhilarating forms of aviation there is.

Parachuting sometimes gets a bad press and suffers from the erroneous perception that it is a dangerous and fool-hardy pursuit. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is an activity tightly regulated by the British Parachute Association (BPA) in the UK, and by similar national federations in many countries around the world, and it has tens of thousands of enthusiastic participants worldwide

Most Parachute Schools are run as businesses, so you can take comfort from the fact they have a vested interest in ensuring that you have a memorable and enjoyable experience and want to come back for more! Your safety is quite literally their bread and butter!

Over 40s will need a certificate from their doctor before jumping and solo training for over 55s is not usually considered appropriate, but the British Parachute Association sees no problem with Tandem jumps - jumping with an experienced instructor strapped to a novice under a single large parachute..

If you are 55 or over you may need dispensation from the British Parachute Association and if that is the case, you local Parachute Club or School will be able to advise you on what needs to be done.

For more information about parachuting in the UK click on http://www.bpa.org.uk/your-first-jump

For information about parachuting outside the UK try http://start.fai.org/para-federations.asp which contains links to many National Parachuting Federations.