PACK
A synonymous term for
the parachute container.
PACK OPENING BAND
A
cloth covered steel spring assembly
with hooks at each end, used to expedite
the opening of the pack by rapidly
pulling the flaps away from the
canopy.
PACK STIFFENER
Generally, metal stiffeners used in
military assemblies to give shape and
form to the pack.
PACK TRAY
The portion of the
container or deployment device
where the lines are stowed.
PACKING BAR
A long, flat
bar of metal or wood used in the folding
of the canopy of a parachute during
the packing process and to aid in
closing the container. Also known as
a long bar, paddle, or fid.
PACKING HOOK
A special
hook-like tool used to draw the suspension
lines into place in the hesitator
loops. Pull-up cords are
sometimes used for this purpose.
PACKING PADDLE
A flat,
narrow piece of metal or wood used
to form the packed container. Also
known as a packing bar, or fid.
PACKING TABLE
A table
used in packing parachutes, normally
3 feet wide by 40 feet long with a
smooth top surface.
PACKING
The operation of
folding the canopy and enclosing it in
the container.
PANEL
A subdivision of a gore.
Also known as a section.
PARACHUTE INDUSTRY
ASSOCIATION (PIA)
An
international trade organization composed
of parachute manufacturers,
dealers, riggers and others involved
in the parachute industry.
PARACHUTE PACK
Such
as a back pack or chest pack, means
the parachute assembly less the harness.
That is, it means the container,
canopy, suspension lines, pilot chute
risers and connector links. The terms
“pack” and “container” are not synonymous
in the terminology of this
part.
PARACHUTE RECORD
CARD
A card kept in the record
pocket, which records the packing
intervals of the parachute and other
important information as required
under 14 CFR subsection 65.131(c).
Also known as the “packing data
card.”
PARACHUTE RIGGER
A
person certified by the Federal
Aviation Administration who is
authorized to perform packing and
maintenance on parachutes.
PARACHUTE STANDARD
(PS)
PIA Specification for parachute
materials.
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PARACHUTE, STATIC
LINE OPERATED
A parachute operated by a length of
webbing after a jumper has fallen the
length of the static line. The ripcord pins are pulled from the pack, the
parachute opens, and a “break tie”
breaks, freeing the parachute.
PARACHUTE
An umbrellalike
device designed to trap a large
volume of air in order to slow the
descent of a falling load attached to
the parachute. The word “parachute”
is formed from the French words
“para,” for shield and “chute,” to fall.
Thus, “parachute” literally means “to
defend from a fall.”
PARTIAL INVERSION
A
type of deployment malfunction. It
occurs when one or more gore sections
near the skirt become inverted
during deployment and form a small
pocket which inflates, causing a partial
inversion of the canopy. The condition
may or may not work out or
may become a complete inversion;
i.e., the canopy turns completely
inside-out. It is the skirt, not the line,
which is “over;” not to be confused
with a “line-over.” Also known as a
“Mae West.”
PATCHING
Method of repair
by covering a hole or tear in a canopy
or pack.
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
The specifications which
define the minimum performance and
safety standards for certificating
parachutes. There are three standards
that have been used or are in use.
They are NAS-804, AS-8015A, and
AS-8015B.
PERMEABILITY
The mass
rate of flow or the volume rate of
flow per unit projected area of cloth
for a prescribed pressure differential.
In the U.S., permeability is measured
in cubic feet of air through one
square foot per minute at 1/2" of
water pressure. Sometimes confused
with porosity.
PERSONNEL
PARACHUTES
Parachutes
designed expressly for human use as
opposed to cargo drops or aircraft
deceleration.
PIGGYBACK
A single harness,
dual parachute system used for
intentional parachute jumping where
both parachutes are mounted on the
back of the jumper.
PILOT CHUTE ASSIST
SYSTEM
A connection of
breakcord or Velcro® between the
static line and the pilot chute of a sport
parachute which pulls the pilot chute
out of the pack and then separates.
PILOT CHUTE
A small parachute
used to accelerate deployment;
constructed in much the same manner
as the main canopy and from similar
material. Some types of pilot chutes
are equipped with a spring-operated,
quick-opening device. The frame is
compressed so as to open immediately
when released from the pack.
PIN PROTECTOR FLAP
A flap which covers the locking pins
and cones to prevent the pack from
being opened by any means other
than the ripcord. |
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PINS, LOCKING
Straight or
curved metal pins used with a throwout
or pull-out pilot chute for securing
the container closed.
PLATE, TENSION
A device
hooked into the connector links in
order to put tension on the canopy
while packing.
PLEAT
A fold sewn in the fabric.
POCKET, DATA
A small
patch pocket sewed to a parachute
pack for carrying the parachute packing
data card.
POCKET, RIPCORD HANDLE
Elastic or spring edged
pocket that holds ripcord handle in an
accessible position on the harness.
The chest-type pocket consists of a
piece of straight elastic webbing
serving the same purpose.
POROSITY
The ratio of void or
interstitial area to total area of a cloth
expressed in percent. The ratio of
open space to covered area of a drag
surface. Used for ring slot, ribbon,
ring sail, and rotafoil canopies. Not to
be confused with permeability.
PREMATURE OPENING
Opening of a parachute before the
user is clear of the aircraft; any accidental
opening of a parachute.
PREPACK INSPECTION
The inspection made on the parachute
prior to its packing.
PRESSER FOOT
The part of
the sewing machine above the feed
dog that holds the fabric in place.
PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
(PM)
The systematic
care, servicing, and inspection of
equipment and facilities for the purpose
of maintaining them in a serviceable
condition and detecting and
correcting incipient failures. Simple
or minor preservation operations and
the replacement of small standard
parts not involving complex assembly
operations.
PROOF LOAD
The testing of
an item for conformance with
strength requirements.
PROPER LAYOUT
Process
by which the canopy and suspension
lines are arranged on the packing
table for inspection and packing.
PULL THE DOT
A particular
type of snap fastener that can only be
opened or closed by pulling in one
direction designated by an indented
dot on the button.
PULL-UP CORDS
Nylon
cords of varying length used to pull
up the sides and ends of the container
flaps over the container cones, and to
pull the cones through the grommets.
They are also used to pull the suspension
lines into place in some types of
containers. |
