-
1100
Earliest parachute
Evidence of umbrella shaped parachutes were used as entertainment in China in the twelfh centery. -
1495
Leonardo da Vinci
First known written account of a parachute concept is found in da Vinci's notebooks. Sketch he drew showed of a cloth material pulled tightly over a rigid pyramidal structure. He never made the device but he is given credit for the initial design of the device. -
Fausto Veranzio
Constructed a device similar to da Vinci's drawing and jumped from a tower in Venice -
Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier
Brothers who succeeded in lowering animals to the ground from rooftops or balloons -
Sebastien Lenormand
jumped from a tower using a 14-foot diameter parachute -
Jean Pierre Blanchard
Fhe first emergency use of a parachute after his hot air balloon exploded -
Andrew Garnerin
Made the first jump with a parachute without a rigid frame.
As the parachute descended, severe oscillations were induced in the canopy.
Added a small hole (vent) at the apex -
Thomas Baldwin
Developed the harness -
Charles Broadwick
Design the "coatpack" that folded the canopy and its suspension lines into a pack, which he then strapped to his back. -
World War I
During World War I, parachutes were introduced as rescue devices for observation balloon pilots
Airplane pilots were instructed to land with their aircraft.
The first emergency bailout from an airplane didn't occur until 1922. -
World War II
The first large scale troop insertions with parachutes are credited with turning the tide of the war against the Axis powers.
Ex. D-Day invasion Normandy. After World War II, an abundance of surplus parachutes and former soldiers with the courage to jump them resulted in the growth of parachuting as a hobby. -
1945 - today
Started using nylon instead of silk.
Parachute shapes evolved to include Cruciform (ability to steer), Pull-down apex (faster speed), Annular (forward speed).
