Buying a parachute
I assume the history of parachuting is as bloody as many other branches of aviation. I just looked up the details, because I remember a guy jumping from the Eiffel Tower being the first recorded instance of someone using a wearable parachute. Interestingly enough, the man (Franz Reichelt) was Austrian! That fills me with patriotic pride! The fact that he died during the event, dampens my patriotism a little bit, though.
I wonder if he really was the first one to try this. I assume that many great experiments and “firsts” in all areas of history have not been recorded.
Anyway, it’s amazing how far we’ve come and how reliable those things are nowadays! And aerobatics or not, this sure looks like one of Chuck’s wisest investment decisions ever, haha!
Stef
Franz Reichelt was the “George of the Jungle” of skydiving!
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8rViF7V_oA !
What about Leonardo da Vinci parachute? (which apparently he copied from a Mariano di Jacopo who copied it from a Muslim inventor, Abbas Ibn Firnas…)
Somehow i was specting the “Who would want to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft?” phrase here
@JL “perfectly good aircraft” might not accurately describe the average jump crate though.. “Still airworthy” might be a more accurate descriptor. They’re usually mechanically well maintained but far from optically good looking and are usually minimally equipped.