One way to remain (relatively) calm is to focus on performing the steps that lead to greater survival rates. Stay aware of your body, moving your arms and legs to make sure they aren’t locked.
Fortunately, attaining the feet-first position seems to be an instinctive reaction. Keep your feet and legs tightly together so that both your feet hit the ground at the same time. Land on the balls of your feet. Point your toes slightly down before impact so that you will land on the balls of your feet. This will allow your lower body to more effectively absorb the impact.
Position yourself so that the front of your body faces the ground. Arch your back and pelvis and tilt your head back like you’re trying to touch the back of your head to the back of your legs Extend your arms and bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle so that your lower arms and hands point forward (parallel to, and on the sides of, your head) with your palms facing down; spread your legs to shoulder width. Bend your knees slightly. Do not lock your legs and keep your leg muscles relaxed and fall into the motion to absorb most impact.
Hard, inflexible surfaces such as concrete are the worst on which to fall. Very uneven or jagged surfaces, which present less surface area to distribute the force of impact, are also undesirable. The best possible surfaces on which to fall are those that will compress or give way when you fall on them, snow, soft ground (such as a newly tilled field or in a marsh), and trees or thick vegetation (although these present a high risk of impalement). Water is only safe to fall into up to around 150 feet (45. 7 m); past this height it will be little better than falling on cement as it cannot be compressed. Falling in water also presents the high risk of drowning (since you will most likely be knocked unconscious). Water is much safer to fall into if it is frothy and bubbly.
From the arch position described above, you can direct your flight forward by pulling your arms slightly back at the shoulders (so that they are not extended forward as much) and straightening (extending) your legs. You can move backward by extending your arms and bending your knees as though you are trying to touch the back of your head with your heels. Right turns may be accomplished while staying in the arch position by twisting your upper body slightly to the right (dipping your right shoulder), and left turns are performed by dipping the left shoulder.
If you are in an arch position, get your body vertical well before you hit the ground so that you don’t get caught in some other position at impact (as a guide, keep in mind that at 1,000 feet, depending on your velocity, you have about 6-10 seconds before impact).
