observers and artillery fire directors were saved by  parachutes,  demonstrating  a  desperate  need  for a  foolproof  and  practical  lifesaving  device  for aviators. The next step was to improve parachute reliability and make them mandatory for military fliers. Parachute lore tells us that in 1917 a French pilot  attacked  a  German  Fokker  and  riddled  it with  bullets.  The  plane  exploded  in  flames  and began  to  plunge  to  earth.  As  the  Frenchman circled his kill, he was surprised to see the enemy pilot  jump,  immediately  followed  by  a  ribbon  of white swing out behind him as he fell through the clouds.  Still  amazed,  he  watched  as  a  great billowing   canopy   fluttered   and   opened.   The plummeting  body  slowed  with  a  jerk  and  began swaying  gently  beneath  the  air-filled  blossom.  The adversary   waved   at   the   stunned   victor   and proceeded to swing into no man’s land, where the reception  was  far  from  friendly.  Twenty-seven rifle and machine gun bullets were pumped into the  German’s  legs.  He  survived  and  gained  the honor of being the first person to save his life by an  emergency  escape  from  an  airplane. Official  documentation  reveals  that  regular emergency  bailouts  were  made  during  the  late months  of  1918  by  German  aviators.  Captured equipment showed the parachute to be a unique one   designed   by   Heineke.   Gradually,   German fighter  pilots  began  to  equip  themselves  with parachutes.  Soon,  whole  squadrons  were  doing the same. At the end of the war, it was reported that  all  fliers  in  the  entire  German  Air  Force  were in  the  process  of  wearing  parachutes  in  flight. All  parachutes,  however  clever  in  design,  were still dependent upon a static line attached to the aircraft  to  deploy  the  parachute,  and  they  were far  from  perfect.  Thus,  some  emergency  escape attempts  continued  to  take  lives.  Towards  the  end of 1918, with the war coming to a close, demands by the flying public and Congress finally resulted in the formation of a U.S. Air Service Parachute Board  at  McCook  Field  in  Dayton,  Ohio.  Floyd Smith, with a reputation for his ideas in parachute design, was put in charge of this new unit of the Engineering  Division.  He  surrounded  himself  with Guy M. Ball, James M. Russel, James J. Higgins, and  Sgt.  Ralph  W.  Bottreil.  At  the  beginning  of 1919, energetic Major E. L. Hoffman was chosen as  military  head  of  this  parachute  development team. The   “crash   program”   produced   results. Parachutes from all over the world, all attached (static-line  actuated)  types,  were  tested  and  found to be unsafe and weak, and otherwise unsuitable for  use  in  emergency  jumps  from  airplanes.  Initial testing  on  a  new  parachute  design  devised  by Floyd   Smith   showed   potential.   This   concept involved the use of a parachute canopy and lines packed into a container worn on a body harness, using a manually operated ripcord, yanked while falling freely through the air with no attachment to   the   aircraft,   to   open   the   parachute.   Floyd Smith, with Guy Ball working closely at his side, worked together to perfect this new revolutionary parachute. This  parachute  ultimately  became  the  U.S.  Air Service  Airplane  Parachute,  type  A.  It  had  a 28-foot diameter silk canopy with silk suspension lines.  The  canopy  was  formed  of  40  gores,  with a  novel  shock-reducing  vent  design,  and  it  was packed  into  a  backpack  container  worn  on  the body of the flyer, by being attached to a webbing harness.  A  small  pilot-chute  was  used  to  deploy the packed canopy and lines into the air when a pull on the ripcord opened the flaps on the back container  being  worn  on  the  body.  Not  being dependent on any attachment to the aircraft for operation,  it  allowed  the  aviator  to  leave  his disabled aircraft regardless of its position. It was capable  of  withstanding  an  opening  shock  de- livered  by  200  pounds  falling  at  a  speed  of  400 miles  per  hour. When Major Hoffman felt that it was time for the  Model  A  parachute  to  be  live-jumped,  he chose  a  young,  enthusiastic  parachutist  and designer named Leslie L. Irvin because of his vast experience   as   a   parachute   jumper.   Irvin   had responded to the government’s call for a suitable parachute,  and  submitted  a  static-line  operated parachute assembly with a cotton canopy. He was apprised   that   the   submitted   parachute   was unsuitable because by that time the use of a silk canopy,  as  well  as  the  ripcord  concept,  was considered  preferable.  Irvin  continued  to cooperate with the board by supplying parachute items.  On  April  28th,  1919,  flying  in  a  USD-9 airplane piloted by Floyd Smith at an altitude of 1,500 feet and airspeed of 80 miles per hour, Irvin jumped  from  its  turret  cockpit  wearing  a  proto- type  Model  A  chute.  He  pulled  the  ripcord, the   parachute   opened   in   one   and   two-fifth seconds, and he became the first man to make a free-fall  parachute  jump  from  an  aircraft. The new parachute was the first step on the way  to  all  modern  personnel  parachutes—emer- gency,  military,  and  sporting.  From  this  basic design came the seat pack, chest or reserve chutes, backpacks, and any other parachute that can be attached  to  a  harness. 1-2