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to deploy if the reserve pilot chute is captured resulting in a horseshoe-type malfunction. The high-drag bridle would then pull the reserve bag off the parachutist’s back and allow the canopy to deploy free from the bag. In the late 1980s, assistor pockets were added to some bridles for additional drag as square reserves became bigger and heavier. [Figure 2-35] 

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Early main bridles were simply longer versions of the reserve bridles. This was necessary to compensate for the “burble” created in free fall by the parachutist. In the mid 1970s and with the advent of the hand deploy pilot chute, the length of the bridle was critical in order to allow proper extraction of the locking pin that secured the pack closed. 

In recent years and with the almost total use of ram-air parachutes, the need for collapsible main pilot chutes has become widespread. As the main canopies have become smaller and faster, the drag of the inflated main pilot chute after opening can have an adverse effect on canopy performance. This problem has been solved through the use of a collapsible pilot chute/bridle system. There are two primary designs used to accomplish this. 

The first is the “bungee” collapsible configuration. This consists of a length of elastic shock cord inside a tape sheath on the bridle near the pilot chute end. [Figure 2-36]  When relaxed, it holds the apex of the pilot chute collapsed. When the 

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pilot chute is deployed into the airstream, the airflow inflates the pilot chute, which deploys the canopy. After opening, the elastic pulls the apex down again and collapses the pilot chute, reducing the drag. While this system works, its main drawback is that certain airspeeds are needed to inflate the pilot chute. Remember, the primary function of the pilot chute is to initiate deployment. Collapsing the pilot chute is secondary. 

The second type is the “kill-line collapsible” configuration. This consists of a bridle with a full length channel through which passes a line of Kevlar $^{®}$ or Spectra$^{®}$. [Figure 2-37] The bridle is “cocked” and the lower end of the bridle is collapsed during packing. This allows the pilot chute to inflate immediately. During the deployment sequence, as the canopy inflates, the lower end is stretched to length and the centerline pulls the apex of the pilot chute down and collapses it. This configuration has become almost universal in use for skydiving today. The only drawback is if the user forgets to cock the bridle during packing. This results in a collapsed pilot chute and a pilot chute in tow. In the early days of use of the kill-line bridle, this was a problem but has become less frequent today. Some bridles have a colored “eye” at the locking pin location to show if it is cocked and the centerline is set correctly.  [Figure 2-38] 

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The kill-line configuration is used almost exclusively on tandem systems due to the high speeds involved and the size of the drogue pilot chutes. Some bridles are made from 2" 

