Obvious that you know what parachutes are used for and that there are few sports as exciting as skydiving, we want to talk to you about everything that makes up this giant kite used, like its name. indicates, to stop the fall before reaching solid ground. Even counting on the parachutist! Isn't it a fundamental element in such a jump into the void?
Without going into details of the types of parachutes that exist (round, ram air, cruciform...) they are all made up of the following pieces that we will explain to you one by one what they are used for in a >parachute jump. You may never become a professional skydiver, but at the very least, it is very curious to know, especially if you are thinking of trying skydiving.
Click on each one of them and discover what function it fulfills:
1. Upper surface
2. Slaider or slider
3. Stabilizers or flaps
4. Bands or raisers
5. Suspension bands
6. Links
7. Leading edge
8. Trailing edge
9. Bag
10. Extractor belt
11. Pintolín
12. Container or conteiner
13. Flexible
14. Pines
15. O-ring rip cord
16. Emergency parachute
17. Removal pad
18. SRL or reserve release system
19. Three ring system three ring
20. Alometer
21. Cut lines
So that you understand it better, here we detail each of the elements that make up the parachute and its operation:
1. The upper surface of a parachute will depend on the resistance to be exerted during landing. The smaller the object or the smaller the person who is going to jump, the less resistance it will exert in the air and the larger the surface area of the parachute must be.
2. The slider of a parachute a fabric that serves to soften the opening of the parachute.
3. They are the lateral folds structures that serve to align the trajectory of the entire skydiving equipment and thus stabilize it.
4. The set of bands with harnesses that are distributed and adapted to the body (between the waist, shoulders and legs) of the parachutist to distribute the force exerted by the parachute on the body
5. The suspension bands join the suspension lines with the harnesses located at the ends.
6. Links are mechanical materials that join all suspension lines and bands.
7. The leading edge is the front end of the front part of the canopy.
8. Also called tail, it is the end, this time at the rear of the canopy, where both parts join and through which the air passes.
9. In the bag are the canopy plus the suspension lines. Its purpose is to control the opening of the parachute and make it somewhat smoother.
10. The extractor belt is used in self-opening skydiving jumps.
11. Not all parachutes have a pintolín, especially the latest generation ones. This device, made of silk and nylon, acts as a brake for the parachute.
12. The container is made up of the layers that surround the bag, the canopy, the pintolin and the support lines. They have metal eyelets which is where the parachute container actually opens. They may or may not have additional sections to incorporate different external devices such as the three-ring system, release pad, reserve ring, reserve covers...
13. The flexible parachute is a metal tube that is responsible for keeping both secondary and reserve equipment inside.
14. These pins, the pins, close the key opening points of the parachute.
15. Generally placed at the height of the parachutist's chest or waist, the ring (previously made of steel, today made of a lighter material) light) is used to open the parachute. Also known as rip cord.
16. As its name indicates, this second parachute only opens if the main parachute fails.
17. The detachment pad is essential to perform an emergency maneuver 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 opened, the SRL allows the emergency 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 is used to measure barometric pressure in addition to indicating the height and descent that we are reaching with respect to ground level.
21. The line cutters are blades and are a component that is only used in extreme emergencies to cut any piece that the professional believes is necessary in a situation of maximum danger.
Although these are the main elements of a parachute, they can always be considered as many as the parachutist's attire since although they always wear a protective helmet, they can be complemented with glasses, hat, pants, gloves. .. depending on the temperature at which we are going to make the jump.
While it is true that the newer the parachute equipment is, the lighter it is and the more technological accessories that guarantee a spectacular jump into the void, the ones mentioned above are the ones you will find in any professional equipment. Of course, if what you are looking for is fun without complications, but always feeling like jumping into the void, it is best to take a look at all the skydiving centers that you will find in our country here.
