Show I First Chute Leap in Century 4 Leonardo da Vinci Records Record Jump From Church New York York- she he parachute Is practically practically as old as as aviation as-aviation aviation Itself It tt Is the fruit of the of-the the genius s of ot Leonardo da dB daVinci Vinci who gave to the world the first aeronautical en engineering and design Da Vinci after atter establishing a theory of ot flight next made mode the necessary mathematical computations for tor a workable workable work work- able parachute Although his chute was square with four tour shroud lines attached to each corner It work worked d at least once Sig Fausto an architecture student was taken mostly mostly mostly most most- ly with the parachute Idea The other students art students art engineering and mathematics mathe mothe- matics mattes all all preferred the Da Vinci glider models However did have bare the tho good Judgment to make his pioneer Jump in his Ills native city Venice Making Milking the four shroud lines fast around his waist he Jumped from the top of ot one tIDe of ot the churches that bordered bordered bordered bor bor- dered the main lain canal What happened to thereafter history doesn't record With the death of ot Da Vinci In 1510 all Interest In flying parachute Jumping JumpIng jumping Jump Jump- ing Included came to a standstill It wasn't until ballooning became popular popular lar In I Europe late In the Eighteenth century that It appeared again To Andre Jacques the first official om cial aeronaut of ot goes France France goes oes the distinction dis unction of ot having made mae the first parachute parachute para para- chute chule Jump from an aircraft In flight lie He cut loose from a balloon fi flying over Paris taris on October 22 1707 We have no record Just why the man should have become Imbued with the Idea that he could land comfortably when and If It sufficient wind resistance were were attached to his body not But since he was 88 a awell well read student It Is easy to believe that he had come upon Da DaVinci DaVinci's Vinci Vinci's voluminous notes Parachuting In America came Inte accidental being through a misadventure misadventure ture of ot this country's pioneer balloonist balloon balloon- 1st Capt John Wise Captain Wise had been attached to Count Zeppelins Zeppelin's observatory tory balloon section In the Union army army After Arter the close of hostilities hos boa Captain Wise took up tion ballooning On one flight his balloon balloon bal bal bal- loon was caught in In a cyclonic twister r rand and had all of ot the gas Jas literally wrung out of It A As Aa the balloon started to fall the envelope pe was pushed Into the top of the net by the upward rush of air where It became In substance a parachute Based nasd on this experience he designed and used the first parachute parachute para para- chute seen In this country |