HALO jump
noun phrase

- HALO: High Altitude, Low Opening

- HALO jump is high-altitude skydiving – it starts with an exit at an altitude much higher than that of a typical skydive and ends with the parachute opening at a lower, normal altitude

WNY Skydiving

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The HALO jumping technique likely originated sometime in the 1960s or 1970s.

Military parachuting techniques became more advanced during the Cold War era, as special forces units required ways to infiltrate enemy territory undetected. HALO parachute jumps would have been a logical evolution of military parachuting to meet these operational needs.

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TOP 5 MOST DANGEROUS SPORTS

- Free Solo Climbing = climbing mountains without any safety equipment or ropes is considered the most dangerous sport, with a high risk of fatal falls.

- Base Jumping / Wingsuit Flying = jumping from high structures like buildings, antennas, or cliffs with parachutes or wingsuits carries an extremely high risk of death or serious injury.

- Big Wave Surfing = riding massive waves over 100 feet tall poses serious risks of drowning, being pulled into the water by strong currents, or being struck by the surfboard.

- Bull Riding = attempting to stay on top of a 1,000 kg bull for 8 seconds results in a high rate of neck, head, and face injuries, as well as concussions.

- Street Luge = racing downhill at extremely high speeds on a luge board or sled on public roads has a high chance of collisions and severe crashes.

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SYNONYMS

- for “last minute, just-in-time”:

a moment's notice, almost (too) late, a narrow escape (squeak), at the eleventh hour (LAST MINUTE, moment, second), barely (in time, made it), by a hair (a hair’s breadth, a whisker, the skin of one's teeth), cutting it close (fine), deadline racing, down-to-the-wire, final countdown (gasp, instant,  moments, second, split-second), flirting with disaster, JUST IN (the nick of) TIME, just made the deadline (it), last bell (breath), nearly (too) late, on the razor's edge, perilously close, second to spare (left), touch-and-go, within an inch

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Extreme HALO JUMPING may be very exciting, but there is very little room for error.”

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