Having been a skydiver for 15 years, I’ve read many articles about the sport in the mainstream press. I’ve found that it’s rare for a journalist to write an article about jumping that is not sensationalized, riddled with hyperbole, oversimplified, or just plain wrong. When the article includes a reference to a death in the skydiving community, objective reporting and accuracy tend to go right out the window.

Billy Baker’s thoughtful article “Joy and sorrow at Jumptown,” however, was a heartening surprise (Page A1, Aug. 19). It’s particularly noteworthy that he managed to succinctly describe some of the complex and sometimes conflicting emotions with which we, both as individuals and as a community, approach our sport and its inherent dangers.

We jumpers often have a hard time articulating why we do what we do. Baker nicely conveyed the feeling behind the words — a difficult task to accomplish. Most important, the way he included the news of Daniel Pelrine’s death felt honest and respectful, which are not words I think I’ve ever used in reference to an article about a skydiving fatality.