| All about parachutes | The first known sketch of a parachute was made by Leonardo Da Vinci somewhere between 1483 and 1486. The first use of a parachute in an emergency, is credited to Jean Pierre Blanchard, who in 1793 claimed to escape from an exploding hot air balloon using a parachute. Robert Cocking in 1837 was the first person to die in a parachute accident! The parachute harness was invented in 1887 by Captain Thomas Baldwin. The first men to leave an airplane by parachute are Grant Morton and Captain Albert Berry who parachuted out in 1911. |
Top competitors and teams from across the country will be dropping in to Cark and taking part in various competitions in a bid to become National Champions and then to represent Great Britain. Style The Style competitors, leaving the aircraft alone from approximately 7000 ft, over five rounds, have to show off as many pre-set gymnastic type manoeuvres while being filmed for judging by ground to air video. Accuracy The Accuracy competition, held over ten rounds, requires solo competitors, jumping from approximately 3000 ft, to steer their special parachute to a landing target. This is so difficult that competitors are marked at fractions of a centimetre from target. The Winners of both Style and the Accuracy events will then represent the UK at the World Parachute Championships to be held in Germany next year. Formation
 | | Accuracy by Andy Ford |
Canopy formation, consists of teams of both eight-way and four-way plus camera flyers. With 7000 ft exits, the team members open their canopies immediately and have working times of 120 seconds have to build complicated formations, and rotate a stack of canopies, all of which takes skill, nerve and practice. Where & when You can catch all the action at The North West Parachute Centre, based at Cark Airfield, near Grange Over Sands from the 5th - 9th September. | 
