Closing loops. Fabric or cord loops used to secure the container closed. Used in place of locking cones. 

Cloth. A pliable fabric that is woven, felted, or knitted from any filament; commonly fabric of woven cotton, woolen, silk, nylon, rayon, or linen fiber. 

Clove hitch knot. A type of knot used for attaching the suspension lines of a parachute to the connector links. 

Cloverleaf handle.  A ripcord handle with a cloverleaf shape. Commonly found on chest parachutes. 

Cocking.  Setting the collapsible bridle for operation. 

Confluence wrap.  A piece of webbing that wraps around the confluence of two or more pieces of webbing. Prevents the stitching from splitting. Most common use is on main risers and the 3-ring harness ring installation. 

Connector link.  Usually identified as a small, rectangular metal fitting used to connect ends of risers or lift webs to suspension lines. The suspension lines are tied and sewn above one part of the link, the webs being stitched about the lower part. The design of the link may vary in size and shape according to the intended use. 

Connector link separable.  Any connector link comprised of readily separable elements, which may be used to facilitate assembly of parachute canopies to a riser system. 

Container.  The portion of the parachute assembly that holds the canopy in place after being folded. This is not to be confused with the term “pack.” 

Contamination. Where foreign materials or substances come into contact with parachute materials and possibly cause degradation or weakening of the materials. 

Cords. Suspension lines. 

Cross connector strap.  A webbing strap attached between the risers to prevent the collapse of the canopy in the event one riser becomes disconnected. 

Cross seam. A seam joining sections of a panel. 

Cutaway.  The cutting of risers or suspension lines to release the deployed canopy while the parachutist is still in the air. Also known as breakaway. 

## D 

D-ring.  A metal fitting shaped like a D into which snap connectors are hooked. 

Daisy chain. A method of gathering the suspension lines when field packing a parachute so as to reduce the possibility of their becoming entangled. 

Damage chart.  A graphic representation of a canopy used to identify and mark damaged areas for repair. 

Dart.  A short, tapered seam. 

Data pocket. Small patch pockets sewed to the inside and outside surfaces of a parachute container for carrying the parachute record card. 

Decelerate. To slow down. A free-falling body decreases its rate of descent due to pressure of the atmosphere against its frontal area. This resistance gradually increases as the falling body nears the earth due to increasing atmospheric pressure. 

Denier.  A unit of measurement of silk in which the size of yarn is quoted as its weight per length. This is determined by weighing 9,000 meters and quoting the size of the yarn in grams. Thus, if 9,000 meters weigh 30 grams, the size of the yarn is then known as 30 denier. 

Deployment. That portion of a parachute’s operation occurring from the moment of pack opening to the instant the suspension lines are fully stretched but prior to the inflation of the canopy. Also known as development. 

Deployment bag. A container, typically fabric, and usually enclosed in a parachute pack containing a parachute canopy. 

Deployment device.  A sleeve or bag. 

Designated parachute rigger examiner (DPRE).  A master parachute rigger appointed by the Administrator to conduct oral and practical tests required for the certification of parachute riggers. 

Diagonal seam.  A French fell seam of the canopy that joins two sections of a gore. Diagonal seams meet the centerline of the gore at angles of 45 degrees and 135 degrees. 

Diameter.  The greatest distance across a flat canopy, from skirt to skirt, measured when the canopy is lying flat. This measurement designates the size of the parachute in feet. 

