About parachutes Archives - Record CF-World https://cfworldrecord.com/category/about-parachutes/ Blog about skydiving Thu, 24 Aug 2023 10:07:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3 https://cfworldrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/cropped-parachute-4986449_640-32x32.png About parachutes Archives - Record CF-World https://cfworldrecord.com/category/about-parachutes/ 32 32 How to choose a parachute https://cfworldrecord.com/how-to-choose-a-parachute/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:48:00 +0000 https://cfworldrecord.com/?p=64 Choosing a parachute is a very important task, which determines the comfort during jumps and, most importantly, the safety of the skydiver.

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Choosing a parachute is a very important task, which determines the comfort during jumps and, most importantly, the safety of the skydiver. First of all, it should meet the skydiver’s experience and the manufacturer’s recommended loading range (the ratio of the total weight in the equipment to the parachute area). The higher the load, the more maneuverable and “flyable” the canopy is, and the more altitude it loses when turning. The load can be increased very gradually: from 0.85 for students to 2.7 for elliptical pilots.

The second criterion is the tasks that the athlete sets for himself on the jumps. For dome acrobatics you need more accurate calm bags, manufacturers have special developments for wingsuit flights, for swoop you will need a high-speed model.

And the third important point is comfort, that is, the system should “sit” well on the figure, and all its elements – be freely accessible and have no external damage.

If you have the slightest doubts about how to choose a parachute before jumping, and even more so when buying one, you should seek advice from an experienced instructor.

Shapes of parachutes

The shape of the parachute “Wing” can be rectangular, semi-elliptical and elliptical.

Rectangular. This shape provides greater stability and safety for the parachute. As a rule, student parachutes are sewn in rectangular shape – for the increased area of 200-300 square feet they are called “mattresses”, parachutes for precision jumps and dome acrobatics, reserve parachutes.

Semi-elliptical. It is distinguished by a slightly elliptical leading and/or trailing edge (more often the trailing edge), and due to this gets an advantage in speed and maneuverability. But such parachutes are much more demanding on pilot’s skills and are prohibited for use by beginners.

Ellipse. It has a pronounced elliptical leading and trailing edge. This design gives the parachute very high flight characteristics and helps to develop decent speed and maximum maneuverability. High-speed ellipses are designed for use by skydivers with at least 500 jumps.

Main parachutes come in different sizes: from 500 square feet for the largest tandems to 37 square meters – with such a “handkerchief” in 2008 set a world record for piloting and landing the dome JVX-37 Brazilian skydiver Luigi Cani. Sizes between 150 and 90 square feet are considered the most workable for athletes.

Regardless of shape, any wing-type dome is highly controllable. To control the parachute, athletes use special pins: if you pull the left one, the dome will turn to the left, the right one – to the right, and with a slight loss of altitude. And if both control slings are pressed vigorously right before landing, the parachute will land softly on the athlete’s feet. This technique is called “cushion”.

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Interesting facts about parachutes https://cfworldrecord.com/interesting-facts-about-parachutes/ Sun, 04 Jun 2023 09:45:00 +0000 https://cfworldrecord.com/?p=61 Skydiving is about more than freefall - the less talked about area is what happens after your 60-second descent at 120 mph. We talk about parachute time.

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Skydiving is about more than freefall – the less talked about area is what happens after your 60-second descent at 120 mph. We talk about parachute time.

Our friends in the fabric don’t get enough love, and we thought it was time to give you an exclusive look into the tangible world with some little-known information about tandem parachutes and a general overview of the different types of parachutes.

TYPES OF AIR PARACHUTES: ROUND VS. RAM

The round parachute is almost OG in the world of skydiving. But with the development of sport skydiving, we realized that there are several problems with this design. Once you got out of the airplane, if you were under a round parachute, you didn’t have much choice about where you landed – you were at the mercy of the wind. Not to mention, when you landed, it was a bit rough.

Fortunately, the round parachute is very far from the types of parachutes we use now.

Ram-air canopies are rectangular, not round, and as the canopy moves forward and down, air is drawn into it, creating an inflated wing. The shape and design of the Ram-air canopy creates a type of parachute that is highly maneuverable and makes its users feel more like pilots than passengers.

SPECIALIZED AND SPORT PARACHUTES

There is no one size or one type that fits all when it comes to parachutes. There are many different types of parachutes in the skydiving world, and each is designed specifically for different levels of experience, disciplines, and to provide the desired performance. The type of parachute used by a wingsuit pilot is often very different from the parachute used by someone flying in a downward-facing body position (freighter).

SIZE MATTERS

In skydiving, there is a natural progression to canopy flying. Typically, skydivers start with larger (more docile) parachutes and progress to smaller, faster, and more efficient types of parachutes. Someone making their first tandem parachute jump will use a tandem parachute designed to comfortably carry the weight of two people and allow for an easy, soft landing. In the world of skydiving, a 366-square-foot tandem parachute is the equivalent of an 18-wheel truck. While the Corvette is driven by elite canopy pilots who control a 69-square-foot canopy.

WE ALWAYS HAVE A SPARE PARACHUTE

When skydiving, you don’t rely on just one parachute. All skydivers jump with an additional type of parachute that is specially designed to be useful in emergency situations. These are the so-called reserve parachutes. Reserve parachutes are designed for reliability over performance. But in a difficult situation, who is trying to look like a hot shot?

WE DON’T REALLY CALL THEM PARACHUTES

If you’re looking to stroll down to the landing zone and blend in with the skydiving crowd, there’s something you should know: in the business, we don’t really call any types of parachutes “parachutes”. That’s because things have changed. As you can see, the types of parachutes we use for modern sport skydiving are very different from the round, docile parachutes of old. Now, because of their maneuverability, they are more like fixed wings, so we generally call them domes!

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Training parachutes https://cfworldrecord.com/training-parachutes/ Sun, 23 Apr 2023 09:21:00 +0000 https://cfworldrecord.com/?p=58 The purpose of a running parachute is to add resistance to your run. Adding resistance while running is a great way to help you practice proper form and encourage you to work harder.

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The purpose of a running parachute is to add resistance to your run. Adding resistance while running is a great way to help you practice proper form and encourage you to work harder.

It will be more difficult to maintain your speed if you add parachute resistance to your running.

This means you must use a more efficient drive, and a higher drive efficiency will increase your overall strength and increase your running ability.

How does a Running Parachute work?

A running parachute usually consists of two parts.
The first part is a belt that you place around your waist. It usually has a cord that hangs down and a buckle attached to the end.
Then there is the parachute itself. The parachute is usually made of nylon and has a cord with a buckle at the end.
These two parts are connected together when you need resistance, and if you are doing an exercise that requires resistance when you fall, you can easily detach and continue working.

When the parachute is attached and you start running, the parachute catches the wind and expands.

As you pick up speed, the parachute will move behind you. This results in resistance being applied behind your body’s center of gravity.

The faster you run, the more resistance you experience.

Using a parachute is beneficial for all phases of speed. You can benefit during the start, acceleration and during the top speed phase.

You can also easily move in different directions, making it great for stop-and-go exercises or exercises that require jumping and turning.

Difficulties in Using a Running Parachute

I recently used a running parachute during my training and it was very useful but had its difficulties.

If the wind is inconsistent, it can cause the chute to float up and down or pull in different directions, which can be a bit distracting.

If you are doing longer intervals, say over 20-30 seconds, it can be VERY difficult to run fast enough to hold the chute.

This means that as you run, it will occasionally drag on the ground.

This can be frustrating, BUT it encourages you to pick up the pace and even if the chute is on the ground, you will still feel some resistance.

So don’t worry, training is not a waste. Over time, your pedal frequency and speed will improve during your resistance skydiving runs and you’ll be able to keep your parachute in the air in no time.

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