>> 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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