Assuming you know what parachutes are used for and that there are few sports as thrilling as skydiving, we want to tell you about everything that makes up this giant kite – used, as the name suggests, to slow the fall before reaching solid ground. Including the skydiver themselves! After all, aren't they a fundamental element in such a leap into the void?
Without going into details about the types of parachutes that exist (round, ram-air, cruciform...), they all consist of the following parts, which we'll explain one by one for their role in a parachute jump. You may never become a professional skydiver, but at the very least, knowing this is fascinating – especially if you're considering trying skydiving.
Click on each one to discover its function:
1. Upper surface
2. Slider
3. Stabilisers or flaps
4. Bands or risers
5. Suspension lines
6. Links
7. Leading edge
8. Trailing edge
9. Deployment bag
10. Pilot chute
11. Brake line
12. Container or harness-container
13. Housing
14. Closing pins
15. Handle or rip cord
16. Reserve parachute
17. Cutaway pad
18. RSL or reserve static line
19. Three-ring system
20. Altimeter
21. Line cutter
To help you understand better, here we detail each of the elements that make up the parachute and their function:
1. The upper surface of a parachute depends on the resistance needed during landing. The smaller the object or the lighter the jumper, the less air resistance there will be, and the larger the parachute surface needs to be.
2. The slider is a piece of fabric that softens the parachute's opening.
3. The stabilisers are structures that help align the trajectory of the entire skydiving equipment, thus stabilising it.
4. The set of bands with harnesses that distribute and adapt around the body (waist, shoulders and legs) of the skydiver to distribute the force exerted by the parachute.
5. The suspension lines connect the suspension lines with the harnesses located at the ends.
6. The links are mechanical materials that join all the lines and suspension bands.
7. The leading edge is the front extremity of the canopy.
8. Also called the tail, this is the rear extremity of the canopy where both parts join and where air passes through.
9. The deployment bag contains the canopy plus the suspension lines. Its purpose is to organise the parachute's opening and make it smoother.
10. The pilot chute is used in automatic opening skydives.
11. Not all parachutes have a brake line, especially newer generation ones. This device, made of silk and nylon, acts as a parachute brake.
12. The container consists of the layers that wrap the deployment bag, canopy, brake line and suspension lines. It has metal grommets from where the parachute container actually opens. It may or may not have additional compartments for external devices like the three-ring system, cutaway pad, reserve handle, reserve flaps...
13. The housing is a metal tube responsible for keeping both secondary and reserve equipment inside.
14. These fasteners, the closing pins, seal the key opening points of the parachute.
15. Usually placed at chest or waist height, the handle (formerly steel, now made of lighter material) is used to open the parachute. Also known as rip cord.
16. As the name suggests, this reserve parachute only opens if the main parachute fails.
17. The cutaway pad is essential for performing an emergency manoeuvre with the parachute. Its function is to release the loop (three-ring system) and separate the main canopy from the harness.
18. Once the main parachute is open, the RSL allows the reserve parachute to open.
19. This system composed of three metal rings serves to disconnect the main canopy from the rest of the skydiving equipment.
20. The altimeter measures barometric pressure while indicating the altitude and descent rate relative to ground level.
21. The line cutter is a blade component only used in extreme emergencies to cut any piece the professional deems necessary in a high-risk situation.
Although these are the main elements of a parachute, others can always be considered like skydiving attire – while they always wear protective helmets, they may complement with goggles, caps, neck warmers, gloves... depending on the jump temperature.
While it's true that newer parachute equipment tends to be lighter with more technological features guaranteeing a spectacular leap into the void, the aforementioned parts are what you'll find in any professional setup. That said, if you're looking for uncomplicated thrills while still experiencing that freefall sensation, it's best to check out all the skydiving centres you'll find in our country here.
