What makes a parachute deploy

By: Marshall Brain. Once the parachute is out and open, the skydiver looks up to make sure everything is OK. Then the skydiver can grab the two toggles and start steering the parachute toward the landing site. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Prev NEXT. Outdoor Activities. Air Sports. The skydiver uses the pilot chute to start the deployment sequence.

The drogue normally rides in a little pouch attached to the bottom of the container BOC. But this is just your main parachute. It often helps to understand that skydivers never leave the plane with just one. Its job is to regulate your descent to around mph and keep you belly-to-ground.

This chute is the large rectangular canopy we described above and helps you get to the ground safely. During almost every freefall, these two parachutes are all you need. Every skydiving system is also equipped with a reserve parachute, packed neatly in the top portion of the backpack. This back-up canopy is just like the main parachute, waiting in the wings as a precautionary measure.

Most skydivers will manually deploy their parachutes, however, each system is equipped with a handy device called an Automatic Activation Device AAD. Should your tandem skydiving instructor be unable to deploy the parachute, and you forget everything you learned in your pre-jump class both of which are highly unlikely , your AAD will be there to monitor your altitude and rate of descent. This device will be programmed to trigger deployment at a set height above ground— and get you to the ground safely.

Your parachute is tethered to you with strong parachute lines, which include handles to help you or your tandem partner navigate in the air. These glorified strings work just as you might imagine: they pull on certain parts of your chute to guide your direction. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.

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