Page 13 - October 2018

When he has fallen clear of the aeroplane he pulls a rip cord
which rips open the pack and lets out the parachute. At first
there was tremendous controversy as to whether the static
line of free type was better. It was argued in favor of the
static line type that nobody could be expected, unless he was
an experienced parachutist , to pull the rip cord at the right
moment, and that a pilot wounded in aerial battle might be
able to get out of the machine but unable to pull the rip cord
while he was falling.
For a time it looked as if the RAF would adopt the static line
type of parachute. But th matter was settled by practical
AFTER THE FALL experience in America. The United States air service had
One of the most intrepid and successful of modern taken up free type parachutes and had obtained a good deal
parachutists was John Transum, who is seen in this of evidence of their value and trustworthiness. Exhibitions
photograph packing up his parachute after making one of his
record-breaking jumps. Interest in parachuting was largely parachutists had allowed themselves to fall what seemed
stimulated by the exploits of this intrepid Dane, who by 1931, then to be great distances without pulling the rip cord, and
had made 1400 jumps from aeroplanes.
had then been able to open their parachutes exactly when
they wished.
The Guardian Angel was All previously held theories
the make with which, about people losing
perhaps most experience consciousness as they fell were
had been obtained disproved, and, finally, the
before the War, and the British Air Ministry adopted the
type invented by Colonel Irvin Airchute, which was of
Holt, was the next best American origin, and was the
known. Many successful type already in use in the U.S.
drops were made with services. This is a free type
both types. But the pack parachute, with silken canopy
type was not operated in and cords and is carried in a
the same way then as it is pack attached to the person,
in the Royal Air Force. either at the back, or as a seat
parachutes today. During or even in the lap. The rip cord
the earlier experimental is a wire led through guides to a
period, and in the convenient position and slipped
German design the pack into a small pocket either over
was attached to the the heart or at the hip. The hi[
aeroplane by a “Static position is now the more
Line” general, but at first the heart
In the free type used position was always used. At
today the experimenter the end of the cord is a large
jumps clear of the ring, which is easily seized and

aeroplane, wearing the THE RING THAT SPELLS SAFETY pulled when the time comes.
parachute in its pack, and The majority of parachutes today are of the free type, ie. They From the time of introduction
falls without being are not connected to the aeroplane by a “static line” of cord or
wire which, on being pulled taut by the parachutist’s falling of the Irvin Airchute,
connected in any way
body, opens the parachute, but are completely independent experience in the use of
with the aeroplane units, carried in a pack and operated by means of a rip cord parachutes was rapidly
attached to a large ring. The appearance of the fee type is well
shown in this photograph. accumulated in the R.A.F.