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Top parachute facts
What do you know about parachutes? Military parachuting was pioneered by the Special Forces, among others, and makes up a vital part of their work.
How do parachutes work?
Parachutes work because of air resistance. If there were no air resistance, then gravity would cause everything to fall at the same rate. So, no matter what you dropped from a plane (whether a feather or a paratrooper), it would hit the ground at exactly the same time.
A parachute needs to be light (to carry), foldable (for packing) and flexible (for steering), but also strong and tear-resistant (for safety). It also has to be carefully folded - or packed - to ensure that it will open reliably. If a parachute is not packed properly it can result in a malfunction where the main parachute - or canopy - fails to deploy correctly or fully.
What is parachuting for?
At its most basic, military parachuting is about delivering soldiers and supplies into action. It involves jumping out of a plane, waiting for the canopy to open automatically from a 'static line' attached to the aircraft, and then hoping the wind is blowing in the right direction.
More experienced parachutists, such as in the Special Forces, also use steerable chutes that they deploy themselves at whatever altitude is required. Their square parachutes are more manoeuvrable than the standard round static-line chutes and are used for precision landings.
Hairiest paratroopers?
During the Second World War (1939-45), some British paratroopers were accompanied by dogs - mostly German shepherds - trained to parachute alongside them. They were used for mine-detecting, guard and patrol duties.
'Para Dogs' went into action on D-Day (6 June 1944). One dog, called ‘Bing’, landed in a tree where he remained until his handler could rescue him the next morning!
Special Air Service (SAS) troops serving in Afghanistan (2001-14) sometimes parachuted into action with German shepherd dogs strapped to their chests. They were fitted with video cameras to help soldiers search buildings for enemies.
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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