Treg,
There is a huge difference in the sound the rubber bands make as the shroud lines are removed during the opening process isn't it?
From an Airplane even....compared to Free Fall where one is at Terminal Velocity (Terminal....now there is a concept to that takes on new meaning when it comes to parachutes).
At slow speed...you can hear each one of them....."Thrup........Thrup.......Thrup....." but in Free Fall it is a single "Brrrrrrp" kind of sound.
A near Hover drop of a Static line Jumpers from a Chinook made for great Chuckles from the Chinook Crew. The Down Wash and near zero forward speed made for some very interesting openings when the Troops had only done C-130 and C-141 Jumps.
A seven Meter long Static Line on a 350......NO....NO....Hell NO!