Finding the Best Parachuting Equipment

Undoubtedly, parachuting is among the most popular sports in its genre. Much of its popularity can be imputed to the portrayal of this dare devil sport in the movies and ads. But unfortunately, parachuting is no cheap sport.

Purchase of a brand-new complete set of equipment can really be very expensive, not to mention skydiving lessons, skydiving apparel, and the cost of an actual jump. That is why it is important to know where and how to find the best parachuting equipment for you.

The main part of your equipment is the chute system. A special backpack is used to keep two parachutes. While years ago, only one parachute is required, now skydivers are required to pack a second one in case the first parachute fails to open. This backpack has straps for your legs and chest.

You can also have an automatic activation device, a mechanism that triggers the opening of the parachute at a certain altitude if you fail to activate its opening. This fail-safe mechanism makes it an essential part of any parachuting equipment.

Generally, newbies are advised to use bigger parachutes. As one becomes more skilled, your parachute may be smaller and more responsive.

Now to purchase this equipment, there are two options for you. If you are seriously thinking of making skydiving a sport, then it is wise to invest in new gear. Or you may also purchase used ones which may be relatively cheaper but are just as durable as well.

You can browse through skydiving websites which also feature equipment for sale, or some other sites which support online purchases. Here you can see the different kinds of parachutes available. Some sites even compare the equipment by price and performance.

Some sites have forums for skydiving enthusiasts. You may post questions and read postings to give you an idea on which equipment to buy. Since these members are more knowledgeable because they are speaking through experience, it is wise to follow their advice.

You can also visit a sports shop in your locality. The good thing about visiting these shops is you are able to inspect the equipment prior to purchasing it. These stores may even put the equipment on sale or on discount during off-season. Ask their sales agents for more information on the different products.

One technique that professional skydivers do is to look for updates in the internet and then visit the local shop to personally check the equipment. Choose the best and latest equipment that you can find. Innovations in the materials used and the design make the new equipment more hard-wearing and effective than old parachutes. Also check for trends and new safety devices.

You can also purchase used equipment. Apart from the cost, another advantage of this type of equipment is that you are able to choose well by trying on different types before choosing one that you prefer the most.

Parachuting equipment, when properly used and maintained, can go a long way. Others would suggest on buying expensive gear, while others prefer buying the cheaper ones. Whatever equipment you will use, nothing beats proper inspection of your equipment before a jump.

And of course, you must know how to use them properly. Parachuting accidents can actually be avoided if one observes due diligence and gives full attention to detail.

Parachute Technology Projects

Parachutes are a good way to learn about research and the rules of aerodynamics. They are also simple enough to make with the right components. The components can be made out of plastic luggage, plastic materials from removed camping tents, strings and an item that will offer as the payload.


The instructions are very easy and there many resources that you can find in the internet. This is why parachutes are common science projects.

There are many variations that can be done with a parachute. You can make different designs and make a few variations with your over all design to yield different results.

Parachute Projects 

Parachutes work by slowing down the descent of a person or object in the atmosphere. They create drag or air resistance that slows down the descent while being pulled down by gravity. You can experiment with different designs but the easiest to make would be round shaped parachutes.

When an object falls down it has to push air molecules away. This causes the drag or air resistance that inflates parachutes. The amount of drag can be measured through the cross sectional area of the object. The canopy of a parachute has a large cross sectional area which results to more drag. This is what makes the falling object with a parachute slow down.

To be able to make a falling object have a soft landing, it must reach a terminal velocity. This is accomplished when the weight of the object is equal to the drag or air resistance. To be able to get the right drag you must have a chute with the right size. The size of the chute will depend on the payload or your weight. Generally, heavier objects need canopies with bigger radius. There is a formula for a decent speed for payloads that is applied to round parachutes.

The best way to start is to go simple first so that you will have an idea on how it works. Then you can go from there and experiment with different materials and weights. Using sand can be a bit hard to gauge. You can opt to go for large canopies if you want to try heavier weights. There are materials that are air resistant while some are not. Most if the time it will depend on the weight of your materials.

Toy parachutes can be made from plastic bags and strings. Apart from plastic bags you can also use a bandanna, handkerchief, scarf or any lightweight fabric. If fabrics are not available use lightweight paper. You can decide on what object you are going to use for the payload. The simplest payload would be metal washers. It's preferable to use lightweight strings.

Make small overhand knots at the corners of your cloth. Then tie the string above the knots. Hold the center of your cloth and pull the strings. Tie the ends of your strings with an overhand knot. Lastly tie the strings to the metal washer.  Release the parachute 6 feet high.

It's more convenient to use a lark's head knot so that you will able to easily untie your payload. You can add more metal washers if you want to experiment. You can also add suspension lines if you want a different design. There are also other materials that you can use. After you know the basics you can try out nylon fabrics from discarded tents and have heavier weights.

Parasailing: The Thrill of Flying with Less Risks

Parachuting is not for the faint of heart. Although modern parachutes are now safer than they were decades before fear of heights will always permeate through society. Up in the air anything can still happen. When you're free falling up in the air you only have a parachute to help you from falling to your death.

Let's just hope that your reserve works when your parachute fails. Fortunately for those who are extra cautious, there is a recreation that will still give the opportunity that is harmless.

Most parachute skydiving involves a lot risk. Jumping off an aircraft thousands of feet from the ground already strikes fear. Fortunately parasailing eliminates that for a more comfortable ride. This recreational activity is usually offered at resorts for vacationers and tourists.

Harmless fun by the beach 

The concept of parasailing began in the 60's. Pierre Lamoigne unintentionally started the sport. He attached a parachute to his moving car to help his training for safe landing techniques.  He used this method because it's the easiest way to raise the pilot without having to use an aircraft. He was a parachute teacher and used this method to instruct his students.

The intention was to raise the pilot high enough and then set him free to float. However when he did not set the pilot free this contributed to the start of the sport. Colonel Michel Tournier flew behind a tractor using his parachute in 1961.

In the 70's Mark McCulloh used the parachutes at sea. He started raising the parachutes on the shore. After that he used a motorized platform he designed and later on a boat to raise his parachute. Water provided safer landings so parasailing were done at sea since then. He later on created the parasail winchboat.

In 1963 the Parachute Pioneer Company began making parasails.  Jacques-André Istel bought the license from Pierre Lamoigne who made the first parasail to able to manufacture and sell it. Brian Gaskin also made some of the early parasails. He experimented with parachutes that were made in the 60's and later on created the "Waterbird". It's the first true parasail that became the template for modern ones used today. In 1975 Brain Gaskin founded "Waterbird Parakites", a company that makes parasails for commercial and recreational use in United Kingdom.

McCulloh's parasail winchboat (which was introduced in the 80's) along with Brian Gaskin's "Waterbird" created a combination that made parasailing widespread. All parasailing operators use winchboats that are equipped with a power take off. The boat's engine serves as a hydraulic winch. Parasails are annular and pull down apex type of parachutes. It is originally a variant of the round parachute with suspension lines and a hole in the apex that can be opened.

Water parasailing is mostly recreational while the ones done in land is a competitive sport in Finland. In land parasailing, instead of using a boat, they use a car or a snowmobile to raise the parasail. The vehicle towing the parasail controls the height and speed while the parascender controls lateral movement.  

If you are looking for a safe thrilling ride then parasailing is for you. The faint of heart does not need to jump of a plane into dizzying heights. The water provides soft landing and a life vest comes as standard equipment.

Parachute Games and Sports, from the Innocent to the Extreme

The use of parachutes for military purposes has been long gone. Although the military can still use it for their own tactics, they are popularly known for extreme sports and children's games. The use of parachutes has changed along its development. They can now be used by ordinary civilians for recreation.

Most of the time, they are used in extreme sports. A thrill opted for adrenaline junkies and curious people who have enough guts. Sky diving is not the extreme sport. There are different variations of parachute sports and games nowadays.

Parachute sports are also included in the Olympics. There are many events held for enthusiasts and competitors. They are also included in X games, an event that hosts extreme sports including skateboarding and snowboarding.

Parachute games, from mild to extreme

There are many parachute games for children. Different variations have been made and usually involve children that foster cooperation rather than competition. This includes parashuffle, paraswap, parasight, paraseek, paraball, lucky 7, round the plughole, and shoe shuffle.

Adults tend to take things into a more extreme level. People often engage in extreme sports for excitement and to be able do something different than the usual routine of everyday living. There are many sites to engage in parachute sports. Resorts offer parasailing. There are also skydiving clubs that you can join to undergo training. You can choose to make tandem jumps or get a skydiving course.

Safe and milder forms of parachute sports are paragliding and parasailing. The first one is a competitive sport while the latter is recreational. A paraglider is a free flying type of aircraft that is launched by foot. Parasailing is wherein a person is towed behind a boat while being attached to a parasail. Paragliding does involve some degree of risk but not as dangerous as the following sports.

An extreme sport variant is the speed skydiving. Unlike the conventional method these one entails a skydiver to jump from an aircraft 13,000 feet above ground. The skydiver accelerates vertically in a head first position into a predetermined measuring zone. The measuring zone begins from 8,850 feet up to 5,570 feet. Altimeters are attached to participants during their jump to measure their average speed as they go through the measuring zone.

Skysurfing on the other hand, as the name suggest uses a board similar to that of a snowboard. The board, which is attached to the skydiver's feet, enables him or her to do different stunts. Skydivers can land while the board are still on and slide on the ground or kick it off before landing. Skysuring can be very dangerous and only experienced skydivers engage in such sport.

BASE (Buildings, Antennas, Spans [bridges], and Earth [cliffs]) jumping involves jumping off of fixed objects. This is very dangerous because if the parachute is not deployed at the right moment the jumper will die. Base jumpers need to have sharp reflexes because they don't have enough altitude to free fall.

They need to deploy their parachutes at the right moment because if it's too late may lead to a bad landing that can cause grave injuries. They should also be skilled in parachute packing to make sure that it will deploy correctly and in controlling their canopies for a harmless landing.

Parachute sports can be exciting but it does involve a lot of risk. If you are interested it's best to start with the basic and apply for a skydiving course.  

Jumping without a Parachute

The use of parachutes when jumping off a plane has been customary. It's natural to rely on these devices to get you down on earth in one piece, even Evel Knievel used one. However some people are not thrilled by skydiving anymore. It was just a matter of time before someone pushed the limits of aerodynamics and parachute skydiving. Enthusiasts have found a way to jump off the plane without the use of parachute.

Using the flying squirrel as a model, skydivers are now attempting to disembark from a plane and land safely on the ground without a parachute.  Many consider this as dangerous but tests are still being done around the world. The technology is still being developed and designers refuse to divulge their own idea due to competition.

Wing suit

Jumping off an airplane without a parachute is practically stupid but many skydiving enthusiasts are all competing to be the first one. Skydiving has been a common parachute sport today. Skydivers are willing to push the limits for a world record. Some skydivers have come up with their own design to enable them accomplish the feat.

Skydivers are attempting to land by using a wing suit without the use of a parachute. Wing suits are not new. A safer modern version has been created in 1990 by Patrick de Gayardon. Since then it has been put to use by enthusiasts with the aid of parachutes.

Using the wing suit and landing without the aid of parachute is almost akin to flying which has inspired many skydivers to push their abilities to the test. The trajectory is vertical as compared to the usual skydiving which is horizontal.

The wing suit has nylon woven tightly between the legs, arms, and torso. This creates wings that get filled with air and produce lift. The suit allows forward movement and aerial maneuvers while slowing down to descend.

Jeb Corliss, a BASE jumper, have designed his own wing suit that he thinks will enable him to land without a parachute. Currently he is still testing his design but hasn't made any attempts to actually land using it. The first test involved jumping out of a plane, making a 270 turn and then re-enter the aircraft.

Unfortunately the first test didn't do well; he missed the plane and was forced to land with a parachute. He plans to get funding and make the first landing on a runway that he will also design. The design will borrow from principle behind Nordic ski jumping.

Another designer has also made her own prototype wing suit. Maria von Egidy cannot test the suit herself so she employs skydivers to test them for her. She is also looking for funding and is still working on a way to land the pilot safely.

The main problem with wing suits is landing. Pilots can slow down vertical descent by 30 miles an hour but they are moving 75 miles per hour forward. Even though a pilot can manage to slow down their descent any wrong movement can be fatal. Mr. Corliss plan is to slide down while von Egidy is planning to create a form of forward brakes.

For now landing without a parachute is still in the works. Individuals may have to settle themselves with skydiving for now before they can glide through the sky like a flying squirrel.

A Brief History of Parachutes

The physics behind a parachute is easy to understand. But making real ones are far from easy. Making toy parachutes seem like a good idea for an easy science project but experimenting with different variations is not as easy as tying strings to a fabric. Making parachutes for use in real life takes a lot of risk and accuracy.

Before modern parachutes gave us the thrill of skydiving it took a lot of guts for early investors to design parachutes that actually work and not fall them to their death. The history of parachutes went through a lot of development and a few deaths.

The modern parachute was invented by Louis-Sébastien Lenormand in 1783. However there are earlier versions of parachutes created by a few centuries earlier. Before the silk parachute was invented, there were basic designs built that worked in the same principles.

Parachutes, past and present

The earliest form was a cloak attached to wooden struts. It was made by an Arab Muslim named Arem Firman in the 9th century. He jumped from a tower in Cordoba and suffered only minor injuries. Parasols were used in China for entertainment. It allows entertainers to jump form high places and float to the ground.

Leonardo da Vinci also sketched parachute with conical designs. It served as an escape device to enable people to jump from burning buildings. In 1617 Faust Vrancic was the first person to be able to make a successful jump with a parachute.

Jean Pierre Blanchard developed his own parachute as a means to get off a hot air balloon. His first demonstrations were done with a dog as the passenger. He later on unintentionally put his invention to the test as he escaped from his ruptured hot air balloon.

In the 1790's he made a parachute out of silk which were more stringer and lighter than previously used materials. Early parachutes were made of linen with a wooden frame.

Andre Garnerin invented the vented parachute in 1797 and made a successful jump using Blanchard's design. The vented parachute improved stability during descent. Gleb Kotelnikov invented he knapsack parachute. It was popularized by Katchlen Paulus and Paul Letterman.

The first major use of parachutes was in the military. It was by artillery spotters and pilots. Unfortunately the parachutes were heavy and pilots were not able to use it entirely. The German Air Service provided parachutes to their pilots. Unfortunately there were many setbacks that most of the pilots died when using them.

Leslie Irvin was able to invent a parachute that can be used by pilots when jumping out of an airplane in 1919. The Irvin parachute became successful leading to the creation of the Caterpillar Club.

Experiments on parachutes were continued by several countries. It was then used in surprise attacks by dropping soldiers in enemy lines in World War II. The soldiers were called paratroopers. Airborne forces and crew were trained and equipped with parachutes.

Their designs were developed and improved over time. After the war parachutes were used in skydiving which is an extreme sport. The latest parachute is called Ram-air which has the same capability of a paraglider.

It enables its passenger to control the speed and direction of the parachute for a soft landing. It's made of nylon and uses the latest technology to prevent tearing.