Beeswax.  A wax, usually mixed 1:1 with paraffin and heated. Webbing is dipped into it to prevent fraying. 

Bellyband.  A reserve tiedown strap. 

Bias construction.  Construction where the warp and filler threads of the material are at 45 degrees to the centerline of the gore. 

Bias cut. A diagonal cut across a piece of fabric. Canopy fabric may be cut on the bias and assembled so that both warp and fill threads run at a 45 degree angle to the vertical centerline of the gore. 

Block construction.  An arrangement of the gores such that the warp threads are parallel to the peripheral hem. 

Bobbin.  A small spool used to hold thread. Commonly found in sewing machines. 

Bodkin.  A large-eyed needle, flat or round, and usually blunt, used to draw tape, ribbon, elastic, or cord through a loop or hem. Used to pull pack opening bands through containers. 

Bolt.  A compact package or roll of fabric. 

Break tie.  Any tie or tacking designed to break under a specified amount of stress. 

Breakaway.  The jettisoning of the malfunctioned main parachute by activating riser releases and deployment of the reserve parachute; also known as cutaway. 

Breakcord.  A thread or tape tied between parachute components that is intended to break under the desired load during deployment. 

Bridle.  A line that attaches the pilot chute to the apex of the canopy or to a sleeve or bag. 

Bungees.  Pack opening bands. 

Burble.  The turbulent and unstable airflow behind a falling object, such as a skydiver in free fall. 

## C 

Cable ripcord. A flexible metal cable 3 ⁄32 " diameter made of 49 strands of stainless steel wire. The cable runs from the ripcord grip to the locking pins. It is housed in a flexible, protective tube. 

Calendering.  The process where a machine with heated rollers is used to finish fabric. The heat and pressure process lowers permeability by forcing the fibers between each other and flattening them. 

Canopy.  The umbrella-like surface of a parachute and its framework of cords, called suspension lines, from which the load is suspended. The drag surface of the decelerator. 

Canopy fabric. The fabric used in the fabrication of parachute canopies. It is lightweight and woven to withstand the impact of air pressure when the parachute opens. The canopy fabric is woven from nylon yarns usually in a ripstop weave. 

Canopy relative work (CRW). A skydiving discipline where the parachutists fly their open canopies in a formation formed by grasping the canopies or lines using the hands or legs. 

Canopy releases.  Devices that allow immediate release of the parachute canopy. They disconnect the harness main lift webs from the risers. 

Center pull.  A ripcord design for chest parachutes. 

Centerline.  Lines that run from the risers to the apex of a canopy and are used to pull the apex down, such as on a Para Commander. 

Certificated. A personnel parachute holding an FAA TSO certificate. Also used to refer to other FAA-approved parachutes, such as Government surplus personnel models, which were manufactured under military contract. 

CFM. Cubic feet per minute. A measure of permeability. 

Chafing strip. A light piece of webbing positioned between the load bearing webbing and a piece of hardware that acts as a buffer between the two. 

Chest parachute.  A parachute worn on the wearer’s chest. 

Chuck.  The upper part of the tool used to install fastener or grommet parts. 

Chute. A contraction of the term “parachute,” and used interchangeably with it. 

Clamp.  A medical hemostat used by riggers for picking threads or retrieving small objects. 

