r/theydidthemath • u/Fizzerolli • 3d ago

[request] Assuming fresh powdery snow, how deep would it have to be for the paratrooper to survive, if possible?

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My son sent me this. My immediate thought based on nothing is that it’s unsurvivable regardless of the depth.

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u/SoylentRox 1✓ 3d ago

Ok so with a headwind, and I take it a white knuckle pilot to get the aircraft to a 50? foot altitude, so it's essentially hovering over the ground...still would be nice to have zip lines. But yes this seems survivable.

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u/CaptainRex8669 3d ago

I have some flight training (just over 20 hours, which is half of what you need for licence here in the UK).

In slow flight, with the ground that close to you, which you can use as a visual reference point, any pilot would be able to maintain altitude without deviating more than a foot, so flying at 20 feet, or even lower, would be achievable.

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u/SpoonNZ 2d ago

Tell me more about how the ground is a good visual reference point when it’s covered in a layer of snow thick enough for a man to jump into.

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u/CK2398 2d ago

During high winds as well. Sounds a lot like a snow storm