Two hundred and sixteen years ago, André-Jaques Garnerin made the world's first parachute jump. Although he was inside a basket, his invention was extraordinaire.
The 28 year-old man jumped from a moving baloon over 900m high with nothing to stop his fall but a 7m silk cloth which resembled a giant umbrella. When he reached the expected hight, the French engineer cut the cord that held the baloon to his basket, automatically opening the parachute. He landed safely on Parc Monceau, in Paris, even though he had some problems getting back to the ground - turbulence, which damaged the object quite a bit. The basic principles of the invention, however, remain unaltered until today.
After the jump, Garnerin received the title of "France's Oficial Aeronaut", and became internationally acknowledged.
The 28 year-old man jumped from a moving baloon over 900m high with nothing to stop his fall but a 7m silk cloth which resembled a giant umbrella. When he reached the expected hight, the French engineer cut the cord that held the baloon to his basket, automatically opening the parachute. He landed safely on Parc Monceau, in Paris, even though he had some problems getting back to the ground - turbulence, which damaged the object quite a bit. The basic principles of the invention, however, remain unaltered until today.
After the jump, Garnerin received the title of "France's Oficial Aeronaut", and became internationally acknowledged.
~Ally