Page 16 - October 2018
P. 16
Photos: Charles E. Brown, Fox, and The Irvin Airchute Ltd.
DOWN TO EARTH ON SILKEN STRANDS
In order to familiarize airmen with descents by parachutes, practice jumps are carried out from RAF machines specially equipped for the work. In
the first place, the pupil is taken up standing on a platform attached to an interplane strut as seen above, From this position he releases his
parachute before leaving the machine and is pulled into mid-air as seen in the upper photograph, which shows the pilot parachute open ad the
main parachute unfurling. The Irvin parachute, as used by the RAF, measures up to 28 feet in diameter and weighs, complete with harness, 18 lbs.
