The idea of parachuting scares me. I'm so worried about if the parachute failed, plus I'm scared of heights! Have you ever done a sky dive?
No, I haven't! I'm scared too even though parachutes have been around since 1797.
Wow, I had no idea they had been around so long! Do you know who first invented them?
They were invented by Andre-Jacques Garnerin! He first tested a parachute by jumping from a hydrogen balloon above Paris! Can you imagine?!
Talk about dedication! I'm not sure if he was a genius or mad! The whole thought makes me feel a bit sick!
Me too! It wasn't until 1919 that the first freefall jump with a more modern, ripcord-style parachute was completed.
That's a long time difference. Do you know who invented the ripcord style parachute?
descent was not planned. Broadwick cut her static line and deployed her parachute manually, only as a means of freeing herself from the aircraft to which she had become entangled.
The military developed parachuting technology as a way to save aircrews from emergencies aboard balloons and aircraft in flight, and later as a way of delivering soldiers to the battlefield. Early competitions date back to the 1930s, and it became an international sport in 1952.
Common uses.
Parachuting is performed as a recreational activity and a competitive sport.
xenophobes in the country, I haven't been this scared since the Cuban Missile Crisis. I think the human race is hanging in a delicate balance right now, and I'm just so afraid he will put us in a war. He scares me."
Books.
- (Van Dyke's memoir)
External links.
- — PDF Article
- Dick Van Dyke -Disney Legends profile (requires Flash)
- Dick Van Dyke talks about his career for the Archive of American Television Arts and Sciences