On this date in 1799 Jeanne Geneviève Garnerin performed the first parachute descent by a woman. Garnerin ascended in a gondola attached to a balloon. At 900 meters she detached the gondola from the balloon and descended in the gondola by parachute. 10 facts about parachutes:
The earliest parachute design dates to the 1470s when an Italian named Taccola drew one in a manuscript. His drawing shows a free-hanging man clutching a crossbar frame attached to a conical canopy. As a safety measure, four straps run from the ends of the rods to a waist belt. Not long after that, Leonardo da Vinci got in on the act and published another design in his Codex Atlanticus. His design had the size of the parachute more proportional to the jumper’s weight.
The modern parachute was invented in the late 18th century by Louis-Sébastien Lenormand in France. It was he who coined the word parachute from the Italian prefix para, to avert, defend or resist, and chute, a French word for fall. He made the first recorded public jump in 1783.
The first military use of the parachute was by artillery observers on tethered observation balloons in World War I. They are still used today to deploy troops and supplies as well as their emergency function. Incidentally, it is not a war crime to attack troops deployed by parachute as they fall, but it is a war crime to attack a pilot who has ejected from his aircraft and is using a parachute to reach the ground safely.
Animals have been parachuted on many occasions, too. During the Second World War some British paratroopers had specially trained Dogs with them, to help with mine-detecting, guard and patrol duties. Ironically the breed most often used was the German Shepherd. On D-Day a dog called ‘Bing’, landed in a tree and was stuck there until the next morning when his handler came to get him. Dogs were also used in Afghanistan, and would be strapped to their handlers’ chests for the descent. Other parachuting animals include Monkeys which were launched off a cliff with parachutes to test ejection seats, and Beavers who were released into the wild by the Idaho Fish and Game Dept in the 1940s by being parachuted out of planes.
Dummies have been parachuted as well. During the D-Day landings, the Allies dropped thousands of 'paradummies' over Normandy to distract the enemy from where the real troops were landing.
There’s even been a “Parachute murder”. It happened in 2010 when two female Belgian skydivers fell in love with the same man. Els "Babs" Clottemans was found guilty of murder when she sabotaged her rival’s parachute.
Another crime involving a parachute was the hijack and robbery of a plane in 1971 by one D.B. Cooper, who then escaped with the loot using a parachute. Incidentally, Agent Dale Cooper, of Twin Peaks is named after him.
Early parachutes were made of silk or linen. The most common fabric today is Nylon. It isn’t recorded what the parachute that saved the pilot of a B-29 when his engine caught fire in China was made from, but he saved it and later proposed to his girlfriend with the words, “I’d like to have you make a wedding dress out of my parachute. It saved my life.” She said Yes.
Thinking of doing a parachute jump for charity? It might not be as lucrative as you think. There has been a study published in a medical journal which suggests that charity parachute jumpers in the UK injure themselves so frequently that, for every £1 they raise for charity, they cost the NHS £13.75.
James Bond aimed to impress with his parachute in the opening scene of The Spy Who Loved Me. He skies off a cliff and deploys a Union Jack parachute. At the premier this scene got a standing ovation. The then Prince Charles stood up to applaud with everyone else.
NEW!!
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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