1 00:00:03,904 --> 00:00:08,041 {\an7}\h\hNarrator: PARACHUTES GIVE THE ULTIMATE ADRENALINE RUSH. 2 00:00:08,075 --> 00:00:09,443 {\an7}Man: YOU FEEL LIKE A BIRD. 3 00:00:09,476 --> 00:00:10,844 {\an7}WE KNOW WHY BIRDS SING. 4 00:00:10,878 --> 00:00:13,447 {\an7}IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE HAVING \h\h\hSO MUCH FUN UP THERE. 5 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,649 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT BESIDE THE THRILLS, 6 00:00:15,682 --> 00:00:19,186 {\an7}THOUSANDS OWE THEIR LIVES \h\h\h\hTO THE PARACHUTE. 7 00:00:19,219 --> 00:00:21,688 {\an7}Man: HE CUT MY TAIL OFF, 8 00:00:21,722 --> 00:00:25,593 {\an7}AND I WAS HEADED STRAIGHT DOWN \h\h\h\h\hAT 600 MILES AN HOUR. 9 00:00:25,626 --> 00:00:27,495 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: PERFECTING THE PARACHUTE 10 00:00:27,528 --> 00:00:30,231 {\an7}HAS BEEN A RISKY ENDEAVOR \h\h\h\hFOR THE PIONEERS. 11 00:00:30,264 --> 00:00:32,133 {\an7}Man: I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS \h\h\h\h\h\hSIX OR SEVEN TIMES 12 00:00:32,165 --> 00:00:33,800 {\an7}BY OPENING SHOCKS. 13 00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:36,870 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: PARACHUTES HAVE CONQUERED EARTH. 14 00:00:36,904 --> 00:00:40,141 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE NEXT CHALLENGE IS PARACHUTING ASTRONAUTS 15 00:00:40,173 --> 00:00:43,076 {\an7}TO ALIEN PLANETS. 16 00:00:43,110 --> 00:00:46,547 {\an7}Man: WE ARE STANDING BY \hFOR PARACHUTE DEPLOY. 17 00:00:46,580 --> 00:00:49,917 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THIS IS THE UNTOLD STORY OF PARACHUTES, 18 00:00:49,950 --> 00:00:51,552 {\an7}FROM THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGN THEM, 19 00:00:51,585 --> 00:00:52,619 {\an7}TEST THEM, 20 00:00:52,653 --> 00:00:54,688 {\an7}AND WHO OWE THEIR LIVES TO THEM. 21 00:01:02,195 --> 00:01:03,730 {\an7}THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 22 00:01:03,764 --> 00:01:06,867 {\an7}JANUARY 2015. 23 00:01:06,900 --> 00:01:10,003 {\an7}\hLUE MORTON IS PILOTING A BRAND-NEW PRIVATE PLANE 24 00:01:10,037 --> 00:01:14,008 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h2,000 MILES FROM CALIFORNIA TO HAWAII. 25 00:01:14,041 --> 00:01:18,746 {\an7}\h\hTO FLY THIS FAR, HE NEEDS EXTRA FUEL. 26 00:01:18,779 --> 00:01:20,047 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hLue Morton: THE AIRCRAFT’S NORMAL RANGE 27 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:22,215 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIS ABOUT A THOUSAND NAUTICAL MILES. 28 00:01:22,249 --> 00:01:26,086 {\an7}AND SO THE TWO EXTRA FUEL TANKS \h\h\h\h\hADD THE EXTRA RANGE. 29 00:01:26,119 --> 00:01:28,288 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BUT JUST OVER HALFWAY THERE, 30 00:01:28,322 --> 00:01:32,793 {\an7}\hMORTON NOTICES THAT ONE OF THE RESERVE TANKS IS BLOCKED. 31 00:01:32,826 --> 00:01:37,931 {\an7}HE’LL RUN OUT OF FUEL 150 MILES FROM LAND. 32 00:01:37,965 --> 00:01:39,066 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMorton: IT SETTLED IN PRETTY QUICKLY. 33 00:01:39,099 --> 00:01:40,300 {\an7}I’VE JUST GOT TO FOCUS 34 00:01:40,334 --> 00:01:44,738 {\an7}\h\h\hON PREPARING FOR DITCHING THE AIRCRAFT. 35 00:01:44,771 --> 00:01:46,273 {\an7}MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY. 36 00:01:46,306 --> 00:01:49,709 {\an7}NOVEMBER 7 YANKEE TANGO. 37 00:01:49,743 --> 00:01:52,179 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: A PASSING JETLINER CAPTAIN TRIES TO HELP. 38 00:01:59,419 --> 00:02:00,854 {\an7}AND THE U.S. COAST GUARD 39 00:02:00,887 --> 00:02:05,058 {\an7}GUIDES HIM TO THE ONLY SHIP \h\h\h\h\h\h\hWITHIN RANGE. 40 00:02:05,092 --> 00:02:07,561 {\an7}\h\hMORTON IS GOING TO TRY AND FIND IT 41 00:02:07,594 --> 00:02:10,564 {\an7}BEFORE HIS FUEL RUNS OUT. 42 00:02:10,597 --> 00:02:11,965 {\an7}Morton: SO I CALCULATED OUT, 43 00:02:11,999 --> 00:02:13,801 {\an7}\h\h\hOK, HERE’S THE COORDINATES, HERE’S THE DIRECTION IT’S GOING, 44 00:02:13,834 --> 00:02:15,302 {\an7}HERE’S HOW FAST IT’S GOING. 45 00:02:15,335 --> 00:02:18,805 {\an7}I HOPE I CAN FIND THIS BOAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN. 46 00:02:18,839 --> 00:02:20,274 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: MORTON REACHES THE SHIP 47 00:02:20,307 --> 00:02:22,242 {\an7}JUST AS HIS TANK RUNS DRY. 48 00:02:22,275 --> 00:02:25,178 {\an7}[BEEPING] 49 00:02:25,212 --> 00:02:30,084 {\an7}\h\h\h\hA COAST GUARD PLANE FILMS THE UNFOLDING DRAMA. 50 00:02:30,117 --> 00:02:32,419 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT HE’S NOT PLANNING ON DITCHING IN THE OCEAN... 51 00:02:36,523 --> 00:02:40,794 {\an7}\hBECAUSE HIS ENTIRE PLANE HAS AN EMERGENCY PARACHUTE. 52 00:02:44,531 --> 00:02:45,799 {\an7}Morton: IT JUST FEELS LIKE 53 00:02:45,832 --> 00:02:47,934 {\an7}\h\h\hSOMEBODY GRABBED THE TAIL OF YOUR PLANE 54 00:02:47,968 --> 00:02:49,803 {\an7}AND JUST YANKED YOU BACK. 55 00:02:52,139 --> 00:02:53,374 {\an7}Narrator: AMAZINGLY, 56 00:02:53,407 --> 00:02:57,311 {\an7}MORTON GRABS HIS CAMERA \h\h\hAND HITS RECORD. 57 00:02:57,344 --> 00:02:58,979 {\an7}Morton: YOU JUST SEE THIS WIDE-OPEN CANOPY 58 00:02:59,012 --> 00:03:01,281 {\an7}OF A PARACHUTE ABOVE YOU. 59 00:03:01,314 --> 00:03:02,715 {\an7}Narrator: INCREDIBLY, 60 00:03:02,749 --> 00:03:06,753 {\an7}A PARACHUTE IS GOING TO LOWER \hTHE ENTIRE 1.5-TON AIRPLANE 61 00:03:06,787 --> 00:03:08,756 {\an7}ONTO THE WATER. 62 00:03:08,789 --> 00:03:11,558 {\an7}WITHOUT IT, HE WOULD HAVE \hHAD TO TAKE HIS CHANCES 63 00:03:11,591 --> 00:03:15,228 {\an7}WITH A CRASH LANDING \h\h\hIN HEAVY SEAS. 64 00:03:15,262 --> 00:03:16,430 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMorton: YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE OCEAN, 65 00:03:16,463 --> 00:03:18,465 {\an7}AND IT WAS PRETTY AGGRESSIVE. 66 00:03:18,498 --> 00:03:19,733 {\an7}I MEAN, THOSE SWELLS, 67 00:03:19,766 --> 00:03:25,071 {\an7}I MEAN, IT’S LIKE A THREE-STORY \h\h\h\hBUILDING COMING AT YOU. 68 00:03:25,105 --> 00:03:26,907 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE PARACHUTE ALLOWS MORTON 69 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:31,311 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTO PREPARE FOR AN EMERGENCY EXIT. 70 00:03:31,344 --> 00:03:34,147 {\an7}Morton: I’M ALREADY ABLE \h\hTO HAVE MY DOOR OPEN 71 00:03:34,181 --> 00:03:36,583 {\an7}AND READY TO GET OUT \h\hOF THE AIRCRAFT. 72 00:03:42,055 --> 00:03:43,957 {\an7}Narrator: HE GETS OUT... 73 00:03:43,990 --> 00:03:46,493 {\an7}JUST IN TIME. 74 00:03:46,526 --> 00:03:48,728 {\an7}\h\h\h\hMorton: PRETTY SHORTLY AFTER THE IMPACT ON THE WATER, 75 00:03:48,762 --> 00:03:50,831 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHE RIGHT WING GOT GRABBED BY A SWELL 76 00:03:50,864 --> 00:03:56,269 {\an7}AND COMPLETELY FLIPPED \h\hTHE AIRCRAFT OVER. 77 00:03:56,303 --> 00:03:59,506 {\an7}Narrator: THE PLANE PARACHUTE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hHAS SAVED HIM. 78 00:04:03,176 --> 00:04:04,778 {\an7}Morton: I WAS KIND OF \hJUST THINKING ABOUT 79 00:04:04,811 --> 00:04:06,179 {\an7}HOW LUCKY I WAS 80 00:04:06,213 --> 00:04:10,084 {\an7}\h\h\hTO HAVE THIS AIRCRAFT WITH THIS PARACHUTE SYSTEM. 81 00:04:10,117 --> 00:04:11,619 {\an7}Narrator: MODERN PARACHUTES 82 00:04:11,651 --> 00:04:15,522 {\an7}ARE HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED \h\hPIECES OF TECHNOLOGY. 83 00:04:15,555 --> 00:04:16,723 {\an7}THEY ARE A RESULT 84 00:04:16,757 --> 00:04:20,027 {\an7}\h\h\h\hOF OVER 500 YEARS OF PARACHUTE DEVELOPMENT. 85 00:04:23,997 --> 00:04:27,133 {\an7}IT ALL STARTS IN 1485, 86 00:04:27,167 --> 00:04:30,003 {\an7}WHEN LEONARDO DA VINCI \h\h\hDESIGNS A DEVICE 87 00:04:30,036 --> 00:04:33,373 {\an7}TO SAVE PEOPLE PLUNGING \hFROM A TALL BUILDING. 88 00:04:33,406 --> 00:04:37,877 {\an7}IT’S THE FIRST WORKABLE \h\h\hPARACHUTE DESIGN. 89 00:04:37,911 --> 00:04:39,246 {\an7}DA VINCI HAS FIGURED OUT 90 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:45,619 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT AIR RESISTANCE WILL SLOW THE RATE OF DESCENT. 91 00:04:45,652 --> 00:04:51,591 {\an7}BUT DA VINCI’S AERIAL LIFE-SAVER REMAINS A SKETCH UNTIL 1783, 92 00:04:51,625 --> 00:04:53,627 {\an7}\h\h\hWHEN INVENTOR SEBASTIEN LENORMAND 93 00:04:53,660 --> 00:04:55,595 {\an7}LEAPS INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS 94 00:04:55,629 --> 00:04:58,565 {\an7}WITH THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL \h\h\h\h\hPARACHUTE JUMP 95 00:04:58,598 --> 00:05:01,534 {\an7}FROM AN OBSERVATORY IN FRANCE. 96 00:05:01,568 --> 00:05:04,805 {\an7}EVENTUALLY PARACHUTES BECOME \h\h\hFAIRGROUND ATTRACTIONS, 97 00:05:04,838 --> 00:05:07,074 {\an7}WITH CROWDS GATHERING \hTO WATCH DAREDEVILS 98 00:05:07,107 --> 00:05:09,343 {\an7}DROP FROM GREAT HEIGHTS. 99 00:05:09,376 --> 00:05:10,978 {\an7}THESE SHOWS ARE POPULAR 100 00:05:11,011 --> 00:05:14,982 {\an7}THROUGHOUT THE 19th CENTURY \h\h\h\hAND INTO THE 20th. 101 00:05:15,015 --> 00:05:16,416 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPat Works: ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WOULD 102 00:05:16,449 --> 00:05:18,017 {\an7}SET UP, PUT OUT WAYBILLS 103 00:05:18,051 --> 00:05:19,819 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT SAID, "HEY, COME WATCH THIS GUY DIE, 104 00:05:19,853 --> 00:05:20,754 {\an7}DEATH-DEFYING... 105 00:05:20,787 --> 00:05:22,355 {\an7}YADA YADA YADA, 106 00:05:22,389 --> 00:05:25,325 {\an7}WHOOP WHOOP." 107 00:05:25,358 --> 00:05:26,860 {\an7}Announcer: 3,000 FEET TO GO. 108 00:05:26,893 --> 00:05:28,228 {\an7}A LONG DROP. 109 00:05:28,261 --> 00:05:29,863 {\an7}LET’S HOPE HE MAKES \hA HAPPY LANDING. 110 00:05:31,832 --> 00:05:35,035 {\an7}Narrator: BUT FOR PARACHUTES \h\h\h\hTO REALLY COME OF AGE 111 00:05:35,068 --> 00:05:38,471 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTAKES CONFLICT TO BREAK OUT IN EUROPE. 112 00:05:38,505 --> 00:05:41,108 {\an7}WORLD WAR I. 113 00:05:41,141 --> 00:05:45,712 {\an7}\h\hAERIAL WARFARE ADDS A NEW DIMENSION TO THE BATTLEFIELD. 114 00:05:45,745 --> 00:05:49,749 {\an7}SUPREMACY OF THE SKIES IS KEY FOR BOTH SIDES, 115 00:05:49,783 --> 00:05:54,321 {\an7}AND HIGHLY TRAINED PILOTS \hARE A SCARCE RESOURCE. 116 00:05:54,354 --> 00:05:58,158 {\an7}\hYET THEY’RE DYING IN THEIR THOUSANDS. 117 00:05:58,191 --> 00:06:01,194 {\an7}\h\h\h\hWorks: LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A PILOT WAS 60 FLIGHT HOURS. 118 00:06:01,228 --> 00:06:03,997 {\an7}ABOUT THREE WEEKS. 119 00:06:04,030 --> 00:06:05,932 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: BY SAVING PILOTS’ LIVES, 120 00:06:05,966 --> 00:06:09,336 {\an7}\hCOMMANDERS COULD GAIN AN EDGE OVER THE ENEMY. 121 00:06:09,369 --> 00:06:10,737 {\an7}AS THE WAR GOES ON, 122 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:14,407 {\an7}IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS \h\hTHAT PILOTS NEED PARACHUTES 123 00:06:14,441 --> 00:06:17,945 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTO SAVE THEM FROM STRICKEN AIRCRAFT. 124 00:06:17,978 --> 00:06:19,279 {\an7}BUT THERE’S A PROBLEM. 125 00:06:19,312 --> 00:06:20,613 {\an7}NO ONE HAS YET SOLVED 126 00:06:20,647 --> 00:06:23,550 {\an7}HOW TO SAFELY ESCAPE FROM A DOOMED PLANE. 127 00:06:28,421 --> 00:06:31,457 {\an7}OCTOBER 1918. 128 00:06:31,491 --> 00:06:34,260 {\an7}THE YEAR AFTER AMERICA \h\h\h\hJOINS THE WAR, 129 00:06:34,294 --> 00:06:36,563 {\an7}\hTHE U.S. AIR SERVICE ASSEMBLES A CRACK TEAM 130 00:06:36,596 --> 00:06:40,934 {\an7}TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE. 131 00:06:40,967 --> 00:06:43,069 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAndrew Kididis: THIS EFFORT WAS PROBABLY 132 00:06:43,103 --> 00:06:45,005 {\an7}THE FIRST REAL TECHNICAL LOOK 133 00:06:45,038 --> 00:06:48,475 {\an7}\hAT DEVELOPING A PARACHUTE FOR A SPECIFIC APPLICATION: 134 00:06:48,508 --> 00:06:51,111 {\an7}TO SAFELY BAIL OUT \h\hOF AN AIRPLANE. 135 00:06:51,144 --> 00:06:53,913 {\an7}Narrator: THEY’RE LED BY JAMES FLOYD SMITH, 136 00:06:53,947 --> 00:06:57,717 {\an7}\h\h\hAN ENGINEER WITH AN UNCONVENTIONAL PAST. 137 00:06:57,751 --> 00:07:00,954 {\an7}\h\hKididis: JAMES FLOYD SMITH HAD AN INTERESTING BACKGROUND. 138 00:07:00,987 --> 00:07:04,390 {\an7}HE HAD BEEN A CIRCUS PERFORMER, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAN AERIALIST. 139 00:07:04,424 --> 00:07:06,293 {\an7}HE HAD ALSO BUILT HIS OWN AIRPLANE 140 00:07:06,326 --> 00:07:08,495 {\an7}AND TAUGHT HIMSELF TO FLY. 141 00:07:08,528 --> 00:07:10,463 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SMITH ANALYZES PARACHUTES 142 00:07:10,497 --> 00:07:14,534 {\an7}THAT HAVE BEEN SAVING LIVES \h\hIN THE WAR SINCE 1916. 143 00:07:14,567 --> 00:07:16,335 {\an7}TETHERED ABOVE THE FRONT LINE, 144 00:07:16,369 --> 00:07:19,839 {\an7}\h\h\h\hBALLOON OBSERVERS CAN SPOT ENEMY POSITIONS, 145 00:07:19,873 --> 00:07:22,242 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hBUT THEY’RE VULNERABLE TO ATTACK, 146 00:07:22,275 --> 00:07:26,479 {\an7}\h\hSO THE OBSERVERS ARE GIVEN PARACHUTES. 147 00:07:26,513 --> 00:07:28,548 {\an7}Kididis: THE BALLOON PILOT \h\h\h\h\h\hCOULD BAIL OUT, 148 00:07:28,581 --> 00:07:31,751 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hJUMP OUT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BASKET. 149 00:07:31,785 --> 00:07:33,086 {\an7}Narrator: THE OBSERVER’S HARNESS 150 00:07:33,119 --> 00:07:36,389 {\an7}IS ATTACHED TO A PARACHUTE \hHANGING FROM THE BALLOON, 151 00:07:36,423 --> 00:07:37,858 {\an7}SO AS THEY FALL, 152 00:07:37,891 --> 00:07:41,328 {\an7}THE CHUTE OPENS AUTOMATICALLY. 153 00:07:41,361 --> 00:07:43,029 {\an7}THE DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM 154 00:07:43,063 --> 00:07:45,332 {\an7}IS CALLED A STATIC LINE. 155 00:07:45,365 --> 00:07:48,535 {\an7}AND IT’S VERY EFFECTIVE. 156 00:07:48,568 --> 00:07:51,838 {\an7}SO MUCH SO, THAT IN MARCH 1918, 157 00:07:51,871 --> 00:07:54,407 {\an7}GERMANY STARTS GIVING \hSIMILAR PARACHUTES 158 00:07:54,441 --> 00:07:58,412 {\an7}TO THEIR FIGHTER PILOTS. 159 00:07:58,445 --> 00:08:00,080 {\an7}Bill Booth: THE AMERICANS \h\h\h\hSTARTED NOTICING 160 00:08:00,113 --> 00:08:01,314 {\an7}THAT THEY WERE FIGHTING \h\h\h\hTHE SAME GERMAN 161 00:08:01,348 --> 00:08:02,816 {\an7}THEY’D SHOT DOWN THE DAY BEFORE 162 00:08:02,849 --> 00:08:04,651 {\an7}THE NEXT DAY. 163 00:08:04,684 --> 00:08:06,219 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: LIKE THE BALLOON OBSERVERS, 164 00:08:06,252 --> 00:08:09,355 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE PILOTS’ PARACHUTES ARE ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT 165 00:08:09,389 --> 00:08:12,993 {\an7}AND OPEN AUTOMATICALLY \h\hAS THE PILOT JUMPS. 166 00:08:13,026 --> 00:08:14,361 {\an7}[GUNFIRE] 167 00:08:14,394 --> 00:08:18,331 {\an7}Works: WHEN THEY GOT LIT UP \h\h\hBY THE ALLIED FORCES, 168 00:08:18,365 --> 00:08:22,870 {\an7}THEY COULD HOP OVER THE SIDE INSTEAD OF GETTING BARBECUED. 169 00:08:22,902 --> 00:08:25,838 {\an7}Narrator: BUT ALTHOUGH THE CHUTE WORKS FOR SOME PILOTS, 170 00:08:25,872 --> 00:08:28,408 {\an7}MANY PERISH... 171 00:08:28,441 --> 00:08:29,842 {\an7}AS THERE’S A DEADLY GLITCH 172 00:08:29,876 --> 00:08:34,981 {\an7}IN THE STATIC-LINE DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM. 173 00:08:35,015 --> 00:08:38,118 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHEY WORK WELL FROM A STABLE BALLOON, 174 00:08:38,151 --> 00:08:40,086 {\an7}\h\h\h\hBUT WHEN A PILOT HAS TO JUMP FROM A PLANE 175 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:42,055 {\an7}THAT’S OUT OF CONTROL, 176 00:08:42,088 --> 00:08:44,223 {\an7}THEIR CHUTE CAN GET TRAPPED. 177 00:08:50,263 --> 00:08:51,564 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBooth: IF THE AIRPLANE’S SPINNING 178 00:08:51,598 --> 00:08:53,500 {\an7}AND YOU’RE TIED TO IT \h\h\h\hAND JUMP OUT, 179 00:08:53,533 --> 00:08:55,635 {\an7}YEAH, THE PARACHUTE’S GOING TO \h\hENTANGLE WITH THE AIRPLANE, 180 00:08:55,668 --> 00:08:58,571 {\an7}YOU’RE STILL GOING TO DIE. 181 00:08:58,605 --> 00:09:01,441 {\an7}\h\h\hNarrator: FOR EVERY TWO GERMAN PILOTS SAVED, 182 00:09:01,474 --> 00:09:03,509 {\an7}ONE IS LOST. 183 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:09,015 {\an7}FOR THE ALLIES, 184 00:09:09,049 --> 00:09:12,419 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE PARACHUTE TEAM KNOW THAT SUCH A HIGH FAILURE RATE 185 00:09:12,452 --> 00:09:17,023 {\an7}IS NOT AN OPTION. 186 00:09:17,057 --> 00:09:20,727 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hBUT JAMES FLOYD SMITH’S EXPERIENCE AS A CIRCUS PERFORMER 187 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:22,629 {\an7}HAS GIVEN HIM A RADICAL IDEA. 188 00:09:26,966 --> 00:09:28,201 {\an7}[SPLASH] 189 00:09:29,803 --> 00:09:33,340 {\an7}\h\h\hHE MEETS UP WITH AN UNLIKELY CHARACTER: 190 00:09:33,373 --> 00:09:37,110 {\an7}HOLLYWOOD STUNTMAN LESLIE IRVIN, 191 00:09:37,143 --> 00:09:43,616 {\an7}\h\h\h\hWHO HAS THE EXPERIENCE SMITH NEEDS TO PROVE HIS POINT. 192 00:09:43,650 --> 00:09:46,653 {\an7}Kididis: LESLIE IRVIN HAD BEEN \h\h\hA WELL-KNOWN STUNT-JUMPER 193 00:09:46,686 --> 00:09:50,456 {\an7}INVOLVED IN HOLLYWOOD MOVIES. 194 00:09:50,490 --> 00:09:54,127 {\an7}HE WAS KNOWN AS SKY-HIGH IRVIN. 195 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:55,728 {\an7}Narrator: SMITH THINKS \h\h\hHE’S FOUND A WAY 196 00:09:55,762 --> 00:09:57,264 {\an7}TO AVOID PARACHUTES 197 00:09:57,297 --> 00:10:00,300 {\an7}\h\hGETTING TANGLED UP WITH A SPINNING PLANE: 198 00:10:00,333 --> 00:10:02,502 {\an7}BY JUMPING FREE OF THE AIRCRAFT 199 00:10:02,535 --> 00:10:06,372 {\an7}\h\h\hBEFORE RELEASING THE PARACHUTE BY HAND. 200 00:10:06,406 --> 00:10:09,009 {\an7}HE PERSUADES IRVIN TO HELP. 201 00:10:09,042 --> 00:10:10,744 {\an7}SMITH’S RADICAL IDEA 202 00:10:10,777 --> 00:10:16,049 {\an7}REQUIRES BEING IN FREE-FALL \h\h\h\hFOR A FEW SECONDS. 203 00:10:16,082 --> 00:10:21,254 {\an7}BUT AT THE TIME, MOST PEOPLE ARE SCARED THAT FREE-FALL IS DEADLY. 204 00:10:21,287 --> 00:10:22,722 {\an7}Booth: SCIENTISTS TOLD PEOPLE 205 00:10:22,755 --> 00:10:24,223 {\an7}THAT IF YOU FELL OUT \h\h\hOF AN AIRPLANE, 206 00:10:24,257 --> 00:10:25,959 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hYOU WOULD DIE OR AT LEAST LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS 207 00:10:25,992 --> 00:10:27,861 {\an7}AND YOU COULDN’T BREATHE. 208 00:10:27,894 --> 00:10:31,264 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: IRVIN AND SMITH DISAGREE. 209 00:10:31,297 --> 00:10:34,567 {\an7}THEY KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE \hTHAT FREE-FALL IS SAFE. 210 00:10:34,601 --> 00:10:38,772 {\an7}Kididis: LESLIE IRVIN HAD BEEN AROUND ENOUGH HOLLYWOOD STUNTS 211 00:10:38,805 --> 00:10:42,542 {\an7}THAT HE SAW PLENTY OF PEOPLE \h\hFALLING THROUGH THE AIR, 212 00:10:42,575 --> 00:10:44,577 {\an7}AS WELL AS HIS OWN EXPERIENCES, 213 00:10:44,611 --> 00:10:47,147 {\an7}TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE \hWERE NOT INCAPACITATED 214 00:10:47,180 --> 00:10:49,082 {\an7}WHEN THEY FELL THROUGH THE AIR. 215 00:10:49,115 --> 00:10:52,452 {\an7}\h\hNarrator: SO SMITH DESIGNS A MANUALLY OPERATED PARACHUTE. 216 00:10:56,055 --> 00:10:58,858 {\an7}\hAFTER GETTING AWAY FROM A DAMAGED PLANE, 217 00:10:58,892 --> 00:11:02,028 {\an7}THE AIRMAN PULLS A RIPCORD. 218 00:11:02,061 --> 00:11:05,398 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHAT LAUNCHES A SMALL PILOT PARACHUTE OUT THE BACK, 219 00:11:05,431 --> 00:11:06,866 {\an7}WHICH CATCHES THE AIR 220 00:11:06,900 --> 00:11:09,970 {\an7}AND PULLS OUT THE MAIN CHUTE. 221 00:11:10,003 --> 00:11:13,707 {\an7}IT’S A REVOLUTIONARY DESIGN. 222 00:11:13,740 --> 00:11:15,842 {\an7}[CHEERING] 223 00:11:15,875 --> 00:11:19,545 {\an7}BY THE TIME IT’S READY, \h\h\hTHE WAR IS OVER. 224 00:11:19,579 --> 00:11:23,383 {\an7}BUT PILOTS WILL STILL BE CRUCIAL IN ANY FUTURE WAR, 225 00:11:23,416 --> 00:11:25,051 {\an7}SO THEY CARRY ON, 226 00:11:25,084 --> 00:11:30,823 {\an7}\hAS DETERMINED AS EVER TO TEST THEIR NEW PARACHUTE FOR PLANES. 227 00:11:30,857 --> 00:11:34,227 {\an7}\h\h\h\hSTUNTMAN IRVIN AGREES TO PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE. 228 00:11:38,097 --> 00:11:42,668 {\an7}ON APRIL 28, 1919, 229 00:11:42,702 --> 00:11:47,874 {\an7}\h\hJAMES FLOYD SMITH FLIES LESLIE IRVIN TO 1,500 FEET. 230 00:11:56,950 --> 00:12:00,487 {\an7}IRVIN TAKES A DEEP BREATH... 231 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,355 {\an7}AND JUMPS. 232 00:12:15,868 --> 00:12:18,371 {\an7}Kididis: AND THE PARACHUTE \h\hOPENED JUST AS PLANNED. 233 00:12:28,481 --> 00:12:31,651 {\an7}\h\h\h\hEVERYTHING WENT FINE UNTIL LESLIE HIT THE GROUND, 234 00:12:31,684 --> 00:12:34,520 {\an7}AND HE HAD A BAD LANDING \hAND HE BROKE HIS ANKLE. 235 00:12:34,554 --> 00:12:36,923 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: DESPITE THE BROKEN ANKLE, 236 00:12:36,956 --> 00:12:38,858 {\an7}IRVIN, SMITH, AND THE TEAM 237 00:12:38,891 --> 00:12:41,827 {\an7}HAVE PROVED THAT BEING \hIN FREE-FALL IS SAFE, 238 00:12:41,861 --> 00:12:44,464 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT UNLIKE A STATIC-LINE PARACHUTE, 239 00:12:44,497 --> 00:12:46,599 {\an7}\hTHEIR NEW DESIGN WOULD ALLOW PILOTS 240 00:12:46,633 --> 00:12:48,568 {\an7}\h\h\hTO JUMP CLEAR OF A DAMAGED PLANE. 241 00:12:53,273 --> 00:12:56,009 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY CALL IT THE "MODEL A" PARACHUTE, 242 00:12:56,042 --> 00:12:59,913 {\an7}AND IT’S INSTANTLY IN DEMAND. 243 00:12:59,946 --> 00:13:02,482 {\an7}Works: RIGHT AFTER IRVIN \h\hGOT HIS ORDER FOR 250 244 00:13:02,515 --> 00:13:03,850 {\an7}FROM THE AMERICANS, 245 00:13:03,883 --> 00:13:07,687 {\an7}THE BRITS GAVE HIM ONE \h\h\h\hFOR OVER 2,500, 246 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:10,256 {\an7}AND ULTIMATELY ALL OF THE WORLD \h\h\h\h\hBOUGHT THAT PARACHUTE 247 00:13:10,290 --> 00:13:12,025 {\an7}BECAUSE OF ITS TEST RECORD, 248 00:13:12,058 --> 00:13:14,060 {\an7}AND IN A VERY SHORT \h\hPERIOD OF TIME, 249 00:13:14,093 --> 00:13:18,564 {\an7}IRVIN SOLD 100,000 PARACHUTES \h\h\h\hALL AROUND THE WORLD. 250 00:13:18,598 --> 00:13:21,134 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE RIPCORD AND PILOT CHUTE OF THE MODEL A 251 00:13:21,167 --> 00:13:22,802 {\an7}ARE SO SUCCESSFUL, 252 00:13:22,835 --> 00:13:25,404 {\an7}THEY’VE BARELY CHANGED \hIN ALMOST A CENTURY. 253 00:13:28,141 --> 00:13:33,747 {\an7}EVEN TODAY, EMERGENCY CHUTES \h\hHAVE A SIMILAR DESIGN... 254 00:13:33,780 --> 00:13:35,915 {\an7}APART FROM ONE KEY COMPONENT: 255 00:13:35,948 --> 00:13:39,585 {\an7}THE MATERIAL THEY’RE MADE FROM. 256 00:13:39,619 --> 00:13:42,589 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hAND THAT CHANGE COMES DURING WORLD WAR II. 257 00:13:49,996 --> 00:13:52,899 {\an7}PLANES HAVE ADVANCED RADICALLY, 258 00:13:52,932 --> 00:13:55,034 {\an7}AND AERIAL COMBAT \hIS NOW CRITICAL 259 00:13:55,068 --> 00:13:58,104 {\an7}TO THE ALLIED WAR EFFORT. 260 00:13:58,137 --> 00:13:59,805 {\an7}[GUNFIRE] 261 00:13:59,839 --> 00:14:02,175 {\an7}BUT WHILE AIRPLANE SPEEDS \h\h\h\h\hHAVE INCREASED 262 00:14:02,208 --> 00:14:07,046 {\an7}FROM JUST 170 MILES PER HOUR \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO OVER 450, 263 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,017 {\an7}PARACHUTES HAVE HARDLY CHANGED. 264 00:14:11,050 --> 00:14:12,652 {\an7}THEY MAY NO LONGER BE A MATCH 265 00:14:12,685 --> 00:14:16,756 {\an7}FOR THE NEW BREED OF FASTER PLANE. 266 00:14:16,789 --> 00:14:18,491 {\an7}Booth: AS THE AERIAL VEHICLES \h\h\h\hGOT MORE PERFORMANCE, 267 00:14:18,524 --> 00:14:20,693 {\an7}\hWE NEEDED PARACHUTES WITH MORE PERFORMANCE. 268 00:14:20,727 --> 00:14:25,832 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hYOU’VE GOT TO KEEP UP WITH WHAT YOU’RE WORKING WITH. 269 00:14:25,865 --> 00:14:28,234 {\an7}Narrator: U.S. FIGHTER PILOT \h\h\h\h\h\hBOB WITHEE’S LIFE 270 00:14:28,267 --> 00:14:30,736 {\an7}WILL HANG IN THE BALANCE 271 00:14:30,770 --> 00:14:34,540 {\an7}AFTER HE OPENS HIS CHUTE \h\h\h\h\hAT HIGH SPEED. 272 00:14:34,574 --> 00:14:37,610 {\an7}HE’S FLYING A P-51 MUSTANG \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN TAIWAN-- 273 00:14:37,643 --> 00:14:40,045 {\an7}THEN KNOWN AS FORMOSA-- 274 00:14:40,079 --> 00:14:44,817 {\an7}AND WEARING A RIPCORD-ACTIVATED \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSILK PARACHUTE. 275 00:14:44,851 --> 00:14:47,654 {\an7}HIS MISSION IS TO PROTECT \h\h\hFOUR OTHER FIGHTERS 276 00:14:47,687 --> 00:14:50,957 {\an7}ATTACKING TARGETS ALONG THE COAST. 277 00:14:50,990 --> 00:14:53,226 {\an7}Robert Withee: WE WERE HITTING \h\h\h\hEVERYTHING THAT MOVED. 278 00:14:53,259 --> 00:14:55,061 {\an7}WHETHER TROOPS ON THE GROUND, 279 00:14:55,094 --> 00:14:56,929 {\an7}PLANES IN AN AIRPORT, 280 00:14:56,963 --> 00:15:00,266 {\an7}OR SHIPS AT SEA. 281 00:15:00,299 --> 00:15:03,435 {\an7}Narrator: HE’S CRUISING \hAT 350 MILES PER HOUR 282 00:15:03,469 --> 00:15:06,405 {\an7}AND AN ALTITUDE OF 5,000 FEET. 283 00:15:06,439 --> 00:15:10,276 {\an7}WITHOUT WARNING, HIS WINGMAN \hTURNS ABRUPTLY TOWARD HIM. 284 00:15:10,309 --> 00:15:12,111 {\an7}THEY COLLIDE, 285 00:15:12,145 --> 00:15:14,914 {\an7}CUTTING OFF THE TAIL \hOF WITHEE’S PLANE, 286 00:15:14,947 --> 00:15:17,516 {\an7}PUTTING IT INTO A TERMINAL DIVE. 287 00:15:17,550 --> 00:15:19,952 {\an7}Withee: I WAS SPINNING DOWN \h\h\h\h\hAT A GREAT RATE, 288 00:15:19,986 --> 00:15:22,188 {\an7}SO WHEN I RELEASED \h\hMY SAFETY BELT, 289 00:15:22,221 --> 00:15:24,523 {\an7}JUST THE AIR CURRENT \h\h\hPULLED ME OUT. 290 00:15:24,557 --> 00:15:27,427 {\an7}THE NEXT THING I KNEW, \h\h\hI WAS IN THE AIR. 291 00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:29,862 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: DUE TO HIS PLANE’S SPEED, 292 00:15:29,896 --> 00:15:33,967 {\an7}\h\h\hWITHEE IS FALLING THROUGH THE AIR AT 350 MILES PER HOUR, 293 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:37,604 {\an7}\h\h\h\hMUCH FASTER THAN NORMAL TERMINAL VELOCITY. 294 00:15:37,637 --> 00:15:41,574 {\an7}AND HE KNOWS HE ONLY HAS \hSECONDS BEFORE IMPACT. 295 00:15:41,607 --> 00:15:44,376 {\an7}\h\hWithee: I DIDN’T WANT TO TAKE ANY CHANCE OF HITTING THE WATER, 296 00:15:44,410 --> 00:15:48,481 {\an7}SO I OPENED MY CHUTE. 297 00:15:48,514 --> 00:15:54,220 {\an7}Narrator: BUT THE HIGH SPEED IS \hTEARING THE SILK CHUTE APART. 298 00:15:54,253 --> 00:15:57,256 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWithee: IT RIPPED OUT TO THE POINT 299 00:15:57,290 --> 00:16:00,360 {\an7}\hWHERE I COULD LOOK THROUGH AND SEE MY WINGMAN ABOVE ME. 300 00:16:00,393 --> 00:16:03,863 {\an7}\hSO YOU’RE THINKING OF ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN. 301 00:16:03,896 --> 00:16:06,699 {\an7}WAS IT GONNA RIP OUT MORE? 302 00:16:06,732 --> 00:16:08,968 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS WITHEE PLUNGES TO EARTH, 303 00:16:09,001 --> 00:16:12,972 {\an7}\h\h\h\hHE DOESN’T KNOW IF HIS CHUTE WILL HOLD. 304 00:16:13,005 --> 00:16:15,674 {\an7}Withee: I JUST PREPARED MYSELF \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO HIT THE WATER 305 00:16:15,708 --> 00:16:17,410 {\an7}AT A PRETTY GOOD SPEED. 306 00:16:26,486 --> 00:16:27,887 {\an7}Narrator: DESPITE THE RIP, 307 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:31,924 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTHE PARACHUTE SLOWED HIM DOWN ENOUGH. 308 00:16:31,958 --> 00:16:33,793 {\an7}NEITHER HE, NOR HIS CHILDREN, 309 00:16:33,826 --> 00:16:36,662 {\an7}\h\h\h\hGRANDCHILDREN, OR GREAT GRANDCHILDREN 310 00:16:36,696 --> 00:16:38,431 {\an7}WOULD BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT IT. 311 00:16:38,464 --> 00:16:40,733 {\an7}Withee: HE’S MY BUDDY. 312 00:16:40,766 --> 00:16:43,636 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHIS IS JUST A PART OF THE PARACHUTE. 313 00:16:43,669 --> 00:16:45,938 {\an7}Narrator: WITHEE STILL HAS \h\hA SECTION OF THE CHUTE 314 00:16:45,972 --> 00:16:47,674 {\an7}AND THE RIPCORD THAT SAVED HIM. 315 00:16:47,707 --> 00:16:48,908 {\an7}Withee: RIGHT HERE. 316 00:16:48,941 --> 00:16:51,610 {\an7}SO WHEN YOU WANT TO OPEN THE CHUTE, YOU PULL THIS. 317 00:16:51,644 --> 00:16:53,012 {\an7}Narrator: BUT HIS CLOSE SHAVE 318 00:16:53,045 --> 00:16:55,681 {\an7}REVEALS THAT SILK PARACHUTES \h\h\h\h\h\hCAN BE UNRELIABLE 319 00:16:55,715 --> 00:16:58,318 {\an7}WHEN DEPLOYED AT HIGH SPEED. 320 00:16:58,351 --> 00:17:01,154 {\an7}Kididis: SILK PARACHUTES \h\h\hHAD DISADVANTAGES. 321 00:17:01,187 --> 00:17:05,358 {\an7}THEY WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO, UH, MOLD, MILDEW. 322 00:17:05,391 --> 00:17:08,060 {\an7}\h\h\h\hWorks: IF SILK IS FOLDED IN THE SAME PLACE SEVERAL TIMES, 323 00:17:08,094 --> 00:17:09,429 {\an7}IT’S LIKE PAPER. 324 00:17:09,462 --> 00:17:11,831 {\an7}IF YOU FOLD IT ENOUGH, \hIT’S GOING TO BREAK. 325 00:17:11,864 --> 00:17:13,065 {\an7}Narrator: THE AIR FORCE 326 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:15,969 {\an7}MUST FIND A STURDIER \hMATERIAL THAN SILK, 327 00:17:16,002 --> 00:17:19,272 {\an7}AND THERE’S AN ADDED URGENCY \h\h\h\h\h\hTO THEIR SEARCH. 328 00:17:19,305 --> 00:17:20,673 {\an7}Booth: ALL THE WORLD’S SILK 329 00:17:20,706 --> 00:17:22,641 {\an7}\h\hPRETTY MUCH CAME FROM JAPAN AND CHINA, 330 00:17:22,675 --> 00:17:26,179 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND JAPAN CUT OFF THE SUPPLY OF SILK TO US. 331 00:17:26,212 --> 00:17:30,850 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: ONE NEW FABRIC STANDS OUT. 332 00:17:30,883 --> 00:17:33,986 {\an7}\hAND IT COMES FROM AN UNLIKELY SOURCE. 333 00:17:37,189 --> 00:17:40,459 {\an7}LADIES’ STOCKINGS. 334 00:17:40,493 --> 00:17:42,395 {\an7}TRADITIONALLY MADE FROM SILK, 335 00:17:42,428 --> 00:17:44,096 {\an7}BY WORLD WAR II, 336 00:17:44,130 --> 00:17:46,766 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY’VE SWITCHED TO A MORE DURABLE ALTERNATIVE 337 00:17:46,799 --> 00:17:49,902 {\an7}CALLED NYLON. 338 00:17:49,936 --> 00:17:51,471 {\an7}IT’S A SYNTHETIC MATERIAL 339 00:17:51,504 --> 00:17:56,142 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hCREATED BY CHEMIST WALLACE CAROTHERS OF DUPONT. 340 00:17:56,175 --> 00:18:00,246 {\an7}\h\hITS MOLECULAR STRUCTURE MAKES IT EXTREMELY ROBUST. 341 00:18:02,515 --> 00:18:08,154 {\an7}THE NYLON FIBERS ARE MADE UP OF \hSUPER-LONG MOLECULAR CHAINS. 342 00:18:08,187 --> 00:18:10,156 {\an7}THE OVERLAPPING MOLECULES 343 00:18:10,189 --> 00:18:14,326 {\an7}\h\hGIVE THE MATERIAL EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTH. 344 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:15,561 {\an7}Works: SILK IS DAMN GOOD, 345 00:18:15,595 --> 00:18:18,231 {\an7}\h\hAND THE ONLY THING THAT’S BETTER IS NYLON. 346 00:18:18,264 --> 00:18:20,066 {\an7}THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE IT. 347 00:18:20,099 --> 00:18:22,034 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: TESTS REVEAL THAT NYLON 348 00:18:22,068 --> 00:18:24,404 {\an7}IS EVEN STRONGER THAN SILK, 349 00:18:24,437 --> 00:18:27,840 {\an7}AND IT HAS OTHER BENEFITS, TOO. 350 00:18:27,873 --> 00:18:30,075 {\an7}\hBooth: IT PACKS UP SMALLER, AND IT’S STRONGER THAN SILK, 351 00:18:30,109 --> 00:18:33,012 {\an7}AND IT COSTS A WHOLE LOT LESS. 352 00:18:33,045 --> 00:18:34,480 {\an7}Narrator: BY 1942, 353 00:18:34,513 --> 00:18:37,750 {\an7}DUPONT HAS TURNED ITS ENTIRE \h\h\h\hNYLON PRODUCTION OVER 354 00:18:37,783 --> 00:18:39,418 {\an7}FROM STOCKINGS TO CHUTES 355 00:18:39,452 --> 00:18:41,688 {\an7}AND OTHER MILITARY SUPPLIES. 356 00:18:41,721 --> 00:18:43,122 {\an7}AS A RESULT, 357 00:18:43,155 --> 00:18:45,457 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORLD WAR II PILOTS’ LIVES 358 00:18:45,491 --> 00:18:47,393 {\an7}ARE SAVED. 359 00:18:49,996 --> 00:18:54,067 {\an7}EVEN TODAY, NYLON IS ESSENTIAL \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR PARACHUTES, 360 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:59,806 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND NOT JUST CANOPIES, BUT ALSO STRAPS AND HARNESSES. 361 00:18:59,839 --> 00:19:04,610 {\an7}\hBILL BOOTH’S COMPANY HAS MADE OVER 60,000 PARACHUTE SYSTEMS. 362 00:19:04,644 --> 00:19:06,546 {\an7}THEY REGULARLY TEST \h\h\hTHE MATERIALS 363 00:19:06,579 --> 00:19:09,949 {\an7}THAT SKYDIVERS’ LIVES \h\h\h\hDEPEND ON... 364 00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:12,218 {\an7}Booth: NOW, IT’S JUST BEGINNING \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO LOAD UP. 365 00:19:12,251 --> 00:19:15,287 {\an7}Narrator: ...LIKE THE NYLON WEBBING USED IN HARNESSES. 366 00:19:15,321 --> 00:19:17,590 {\an7}Booth: THE MACHINE IS GOING \h\h\h\hTO SLOWLY PUT FORCE 367 00:19:17,623 --> 00:19:20,025 {\an7}ON THIS WEBBING. 368 00:19:20,059 --> 00:19:21,594 {\an7}Narrator: ONE PIECE OF WEBBING 369 00:19:21,627 --> 00:19:23,929 {\an7}CAN HOLD THOUSANDS OF POUNDS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hOF WEIGHT. 370 00:19:23,963 --> 00:19:25,531 {\an7}Booth: EVERYBODY STAND BACK \h\h\h\h\h\h\hA LITTLE BIT. 371 00:19:25,564 --> 00:19:26,799 {\an7}WHAT HAVE WE BEEN GETTING \h\h\h\h\h\hON THIS NOW? 372 00:19:26,832 --> 00:19:27,800 {\an7}Man: OVER SIX. 373 00:19:27,833 --> 00:19:29,368 {\an7}\h\hBooth: OVER SIX. 6,500. HERE IT GOES. 374 00:19:29,402 --> 00:19:30,436 {\an7}[SNAP] 375 00:19:30,469 --> 00:19:32,805 {\an7}[MACHINERY WHIRRING] 376 00:19:32,838 --> 00:19:36,742 {\an7}THE MACHINE HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN \h\h\h\h\h\hTHE NYLON MOLECULES 377 00:19:36,776 --> 00:19:39,746 {\an7}AND PULLED THEM APART \h\hTILL THEY BROKE. 378 00:19:39,779 --> 00:19:43,683 {\an7}THIS LITTLE, THIN PIECE OF NYLON TOOK--WHAT WAS THE NUMBER? 379 00:19:43,716 --> 00:19:45,384 {\an7}Man: 6,789. 380 00:19:45,418 --> 00:19:48,354 {\an7}Booth: 6,789 POUNDS TO BREAK. 381 00:19:48,387 --> 00:19:52,258 {\an7}IT’S A COOL SUBSTANCE. 382 00:19:52,291 --> 00:19:53,692 {\an7}NYLON IS THE KING. 383 00:19:53,726 --> 00:19:55,695 {\an7}WE MAKE OUR PACKS, \h\hOUR HARNESSES, 384 00:19:55,728 --> 00:19:58,297 {\an7}AND OUR PARACHUTE CANOPIES \h\h\h\h\h\h\hOUT OF NYLON. 385 00:19:58,330 --> 00:20:01,133 {\an7}SO THAT HASN’T CHANGED \h\hSINCE WORLD WAR II. 386 00:20:03,169 --> 00:20:05,138 {\an7}Narrator: IN 1942, 387 00:20:05,171 --> 00:20:09,242 {\an7}AMERICAN FACTORIES ARE PRODUCING MILLIONS OF NYLON PARACHUTES 388 00:20:09,275 --> 00:20:11,210 {\an7}FOR THE WAR EFFORT, 389 00:20:11,243 --> 00:20:14,246 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT THEY’RE NOT JUST SAFETY DEVICES FOR PILOTS. 390 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,116 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE WAR BRINGS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT USE. 391 00:20:21,887 --> 00:20:24,356 {\an7}SPECIALIST AIRBORNE UNITS, 392 00:20:24,390 --> 00:20:29,729 {\an7}WITH THE SKILLS AND NERVE TO PARACHUTE INTO BATTLE. 393 00:20:29,762 --> 00:20:32,798 {\an7}\h\h\h\hKididis: YOU CAN FLY THEM AND DROP THEM WHEREVER YOU WANT, 394 00:20:32,832 --> 00:20:34,200 {\an7}THE ENEMY DOESN’T KNOW \h\hWHEN THEY’RE COMING 395 00:20:34,233 --> 00:20:36,969 {\an7}AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO SHOW UP. 396 00:20:37,002 --> 00:20:40,539 {\an7}HAVING AIRBORNE TROOPS REALLY \h\h\hPROVIDED THE CAPABILITY 397 00:20:40,573 --> 00:20:44,977 {\an7}THAT CHANGED MODERN WARFARE. 398 00:20:45,010 --> 00:20:47,212 {\an7}Narrator: IN 1944, 399 00:20:47,246 --> 00:20:50,015 {\an7}13,000 U.S. PARATROOPERS 400 00:20:50,049 --> 00:20:53,486 {\an7}\h\hLEAD THE D-DAY INVASION OF FRANCE 401 00:20:53,519 --> 00:20:57,256 {\an7}TO DEVASTATING EFFECT. 402 00:20:57,289 --> 00:20:59,391 {\an7}\h\h\h\hWorks: THE SKIES LITERALLY WERE BLACKENED, 403 00:20:59,425 --> 00:21:02,361 {\an7}AND THEY WERE ABLE TO INJECT \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAIRBORNE FORCES 404 00:21:02,394 --> 00:21:04,563 {\an7}BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES \h\hAT STRATEGIC POINTS 405 00:21:04,597 --> 00:21:07,767 {\an7}WHERE THEY COULD CONTROL \h\hCROSSROADS, BRIDGES, 406 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,836 {\an7}AND HARASS ENEMY \hFROM THE REAR. 407 00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:14,540 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE. 408 00:21:14,573 --> 00:21:17,409 {\an7}\hNarrator: PARATROOPERS SOON EARN THE REPUTATION 409 00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:21,514 {\an7}AS AMONG THE ARMED FORCES’ \h\h\hMOST ELITE SOLDIERS. 410 00:21:21,547 --> 00:21:24,750 {\an7}\h\hTHE U.S. ARMY FORMS FIVE AIRBORNE DIVISIONS 411 00:21:24,784 --> 00:21:27,654 {\an7}THAT PLAY A DECISIVE ROLE \h\h\hIN WINNING THE WAR. 412 00:21:35,327 --> 00:21:36,895 {\an7}IN THE POST-WAR YEARS, 413 00:21:36,929 --> 00:21:41,801 {\an7}\h\h\h\hEX-PARATROOPERS INVENT A WHOLE NEW USE FOR PARACHUTES: 414 00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:46,706 {\an7}\h\h\hJUMPING FROM A PLANE JUST FOR THE THRILL OF IT. 415 00:21:46,739 --> 00:21:48,074 {\an7}Booth: AFTER THE WAR, 416 00:21:48,107 --> 00:21:50,142 {\an7}WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAD \h\h\h\hJUMPED OUT OF AIRPLANES 417 00:21:50,176 --> 00:21:51,778 {\an7}AND KNEW THEY COULD DO IT. 418 00:21:51,811 --> 00:21:53,212 {\an7}MY FIRST JUMP WAS ON MILITARY 419 00:21:53,245 --> 00:21:55,514 {\an7}SURPLUS GEAR FROM THE FIFTIES. 420 00:21:59,151 --> 00:22:01,020 {\an7}Narrator: THE NOVELTY SPREADS, 421 00:22:01,053 --> 00:22:07,026 {\an7}AND SKYDIVING CLUBS START OPENING AROUND THE WORLD. 422 00:22:07,059 --> 00:22:08,694 {\an7}BUT THERE’S A HIDDEN DANGER 423 00:22:08,727 --> 00:22:11,697 {\an7}\h\h\hFOR THIS NEW BREED OF INEXPERIENCED JUMPER. 424 00:22:15,568 --> 00:22:17,336 {\an7}John Eiff: THE PARACHUTES 425 00:22:17,369 --> 00:22:19,605 {\an7}WERE NOT VERY MANEUVERABLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAT THE TIME, 426 00:22:19,638 --> 00:22:23,675 {\an7}AND YOU GOT BLOWN WHERE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO GO. 427 00:22:23,709 --> 00:22:26,212 {\an7}\h\h\hBooth: THERE WAS A FATALITY I HEARD OF IN THE EARLY FIFTIES. 428 00:22:26,245 --> 00:22:29,181 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hA GUY WAS KILLED LANDING ON A MOVING TRAIN. 429 00:22:29,215 --> 00:22:30,850 {\an7}THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT DROWNED 430 00:22:30,883 --> 00:22:35,154 {\an7}BECAUSE THEY GOT BLOWN \hOVER BODIES OF WATER. 431 00:22:35,187 --> 00:22:38,190 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: SKYDIVERS ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE WIND 432 00:22:38,224 --> 00:22:41,461 {\an7}\hAND HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHERE THEY LAND. 433 00:22:41,493 --> 00:22:42,828 {\an7}THEY NEED A PARACHUTE 434 00:22:42,862 --> 00:22:46,499 {\an7}THAT CAN GLIDE TOWARD A SAFE LANDING SPOT. 435 00:22:46,532 --> 00:22:49,268 {\an7}IT WILL TAKE AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WAY OF THINKING 436 00:22:49,301 --> 00:22:50,803 {\an7}TO ACHIEVE THIS. 437 00:22:57,643 --> 00:23:03,349 {\an7}IN 1957, A KITE MAKER AND PILOT \h\h\h\h\hCALLED DOMINA JALBERT 438 00:23:03,382 --> 00:23:06,352 {\an7}HAS A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA. 439 00:23:06,385 --> 00:23:08,587 {\an7}Eiff: HE WAS A KITE DESIGNER. 440 00:23:08,621 --> 00:23:12,425 {\an7}\hAND IT WAS INTERESTING HOW HE TOOK THE CONCEPT. 441 00:23:12,458 --> 00:23:14,727 {\an7}\h\hHE WAS FLYING OVER TO THE BAHAMAS ONE DAY, 442 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:15,894 {\an7}\h\hAND HE JUST KIND OF LOOKED OUT AT THE WING 443 00:23:15,928 --> 00:23:18,464 {\an7}AND STARTED TO IMAGINE \h\hTHE FLOW OF THE AIR 444 00:23:18,497 --> 00:23:23,736 {\an7}GOING ACROSS THE WING. 445 00:23:23,769 --> 00:23:24,870 {\an7}AND HE WAS THINKING, 446 00:23:24,904 --> 00:23:27,306 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hBOY, IF I COULD DESIGN A KITE LIKE A WING, 447 00:23:27,339 --> 00:23:29,508 {\an7}IT WOULD FLY LIKE A WING. 448 00:23:29,541 --> 00:23:32,778 {\an7}SO THAT’S WHAT HE DID. 449 00:23:32,811 --> 00:23:34,212 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS SOON AS HE LANDS, 450 00:23:34,246 --> 00:23:38,851 {\an7}\h\h\hJALBERT MEASURES THE PLANE’S DIMENSIONS. 451 00:23:38,884 --> 00:23:44,723 {\an7}HIS PLAN IS TO MAKE A WING \h\h\h\h\h\hOUT OF FABRIC. 452 00:23:44,757 --> 00:23:49,061 {\an7}GERALD NATHE WAS A RESEARCHER \h\hWHO WORKED WITH JALBERT. 453 00:23:49,094 --> 00:23:52,264 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hHE’S TRACKED DOWN SOME OF THE ORIGINAL KITES. 454 00:23:52,298 --> 00:23:53,933 {\an7}Gerald Nathe: YOU SEE THIS, 455 00:23:53,966 --> 00:23:58,537 {\an7}IT SAYS, "JALBERT’S MULTICELLED PARAFOIL, PATENT APPLIED FOR." 456 00:23:58,570 --> 00:24:02,040 {\an7}\h\h\h\hBRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES. 457 00:24:02,074 --> 00:24:04,243 {\an7}\h\h\h\hIF YOU LOOK AT WHAT I’M HOLDING HERE, 458 00:24:04,276 --> 00:24:06,011 {\an7}THE RED PART OF THE SIDE HERE 459 00:24:06,045 --> 00:24:08,447 {\an7}IS THE AIRFOIL OR THE WING, 460 00:24:08,480 --> 00:24:12,617 {\an7}WHAT LOOKS LIKE A WING \h\h\h\hON AN AIRPLANE. 461 00:24:12,651 --> 00:24:15,387 {\an7}\hNarrator: AIR ENTERS THE HOLES AT THE FRONT, 462 00:24:15,421 --> 00:24:19,759 {\an7}INFLATING THE KITE INTO A RIGID SHAPE: 463 00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:23,929 {\an7}A TECHNIQUE CALLED RAM-AIR. 464 00:24:23,963 --> 00:24:26,632 {\an7}\h\hAS THE FABRIC WING PASSES THROUGH THE AIR, 465 00:24:26,665 --> 00:24:30,235 {\an7}THE PRESSURE ON TOP IS LOWER THAN THE PRESSURE UNDERNEATH, 466 00:24:30,269 --> 00:24:32,538 {\an7}PRODUCING LIFT... 467 00:24:32,571 --> 00:24:37,709 {\an7}JUST LIKE THE WINGS ON A PLANE. 468 00:24:37,743 --> 00:24:38,944 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hDomina Jalbert: OK, UP STRAIGHT, UP STRAIGHT. 469 00:24:38,978 --> 00:24:40,847 {\an7}THERE’S A RIGHT TURN. 470 00:24:40,879 --> 00:24:42,280 {\an7}PULL TO THE RIGHT. 471 00:24:42,314 --> 00:24:45,617 {\an7}Works: A KITE THAT GLIDES... 472 00:24:45,651 --> 00:24:48,154 {\an7}THAT’S REVOLUTIONARY. 473 00:24:48,187 --> 00:24:49,622 {\an7}Jalbert: I RELEASE THE RIGHT \h\h\h\hAND PULL ON THE LEFT. 474 00:24:49,655 --> 00:24:51,824 {\an7}SHE GOES TO LEFT TURN. 475 00:24:51,857 --> 00:24:53,926 {\an7}LEFT-HAND TURN. 476 00:24:53,959 --> 00:24:55,594 {\an7}STRAIGHT UP. 477 00:24:55,627 --> 00:24:57,395 {\an7}BRING IT DOWN TO A STALL. 478 00:24:57,429 --> 00:25:00,132 {\an7}Narrator: AFTER HIS SUCCESS \h\h\h\h\hWITH SMALL KITES, 479 00:25:00,165 --> 00:25:02,734 {\an7}\hJALBERT AND HIS TEAM MAKE BIGGER AND BIGGER VERSIONS 480 00:25:02,768 --> 00:25:06,038 {\an7}OF HIS INVENTION. 481 00:25:06,071 --> 00:25:12,678 {\an7}Nathe: I HAVEN’T SEEN THIS BABY \h\h\h\h\h\hIN 50 YEARS EITHER. 482 00:25:12,711 --> 00:25:13,946 {\an7}IT’S A MUCH BIGGER ONE 483 00:25:13,979 --> 00:25:18,116 {\an7}THAN THE SMALL ONE THAT WE JUST USED. 484 00:25:18,150 --> 00:25:19,685 {\an7}Narrator: THE BIGGER IT GETS, 485 00:25:19,718 --> 00:25:21,520 {\an7}THE MORE LIFT IT PRODUCES. 486 00:25:25,824 --> 00:25:27,392 {\an7}Nathe: YOU FEEL IT. 487 00:25:27,426 --> 00:25:31,864 {\an7}THERE’S A LOT OF PULL ON IT. 488 00:25:31,897 --> 00:25:33,766 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hYOU CAN FEEL THE LIFT ON THE THING. 489 00:25:33,799 --> 00:25:35,668 {\an7}A PERSON COULD HAVE \hA DIFFICULT TIME 490 00:25:35,701 --> 00:25:38,871 {\an7}HOLDING THIS IN A STRONG WIND. 491 00:25:38,904 --> 00:25:42,307 {\an7}Narrator: JALBERT SOON REALIZES \h\h\hTHAT HIS NEW FABRIC WING 492 00:25:42,341 --> 00:25:45,077 {\an7}HAS HUGE POTENTIAL. 493 00:25:45,110 --> 00:25:47,012 {\an7}\h\hIF HE COULD MAKE A PARACHUTE FROM ONE, 494 00:25:47,046 --> 00:25:48,748 {\an7}IT WOULD GLIDE, 495 00:25:48,781 --> 00:25:52,385 {\an7}\h\h\hGIVING SKYDIVERS THE CONTROL THEY NEED. 496 00:25:52,418 --> 00:25:56,722 {\an7}BUT IS IT RELIABLE ENOUGH \hTO USE AS A PARACHUTE? 497 00:25:56,755 --> 00:25:58,457 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNathe: I WAS VERY SKEPTICAL ABOUT 498 00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:00,459 {\an7}IF WE EVER HAD SOMEONE PUT ON IT 499 00:26:00,492 --> 00:26:01,893 {\an7}AND THEY JUMPED OUT \h\hOF AN AIRPLANE, 500 00:26:01,927 --> 00:26:06,265 {\an7}\hWHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD OPEN A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TIME. 501 00:26:06,298 --> 00:26:08,300 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT 502 00:26:08,333 --> 00:26:10,569 {\an7}IS TO TRY IT. 503 00:26:10,602 --> 00:26:12,437 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hBILL BOOTH IS ONE OF THE PIONEERS 504 00:26:12,471 --> 00:26:16,642 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWHO TESTS THE NEWLY DESIGNED CHUTES. 505 00:26:16,675 --> 00:26:22,247 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hBooth: I TEST-JUMPED SOME OF THE EARLY JALBERT FOILS. 506 00:26:22,281 --> 00:26:24,216 {\an7}\h\h\h\hSOMETIMES IT’S A GREAT LEAP OF FAITH, 507 00:26:24,249 --> 00:26:28,820 {\an7}\h\h\hAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED WORKING OUT THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY. 508 00:26:28,854 --> 00:26:30,656 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hA LOT DEPENDS ON PEOPLE HAVING ENOUGH GUTS 509 00:26:30,689 --> 00:26:33,792 {\an7}TO JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE WITH AN UNPROVEN PARACHUTE. 510 00:26:43,469 --> 00:26:46,005 {\an7}Narrator: THE NEW DESIGN WORKS, 511 00:26:46,038 --> 00:26:50,609 {\an7}AND BOOTH GLIDES THROUGH THE SKY. 512 00:26:50,642 --> 00:26:52,144 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBooth: IT WAS SUCH A GOOD FEELING. 513 00:26:52,177 --> 00:26:53,645 {\an7}MEN HAVE ALWAYS WANTED \h\hTO FLY LIKE BIRDS, 514 00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:56,215 {\an7}AND NOW WE REALLY COULD. 515 00:26:56,248 --> 00:26:57,583 {\an7}WITH A ROUND PARACHUTE, 516 00:26:57,616 --> 00:26:59,451 {\an7}ALL YOU DID WHEN YOU POINTED IT \h\h\hIS YOU CHANGED YOUR VIEW. 517 00:26:59,485 --> 00:27:01,153 {\an7}YOU DIDN’T REALLY GO THERE. 518 00:27:01,186 --> 00:27:02,354 {\an7}BUT WITH A RAM-AIR, 519 00:27:02,387 --> 00:27:04,556 {\an7}I COULD ACTUALLY FLY \hWHERE I WANTED TO. 520 00:27:04,590 --> 00:27:06,492 {\an7}YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE \hKING OF THE SKY NOW. 521 00:27:06,525 --> 00:27:10,329 {\an7}♪ 522 00:27:10,362 --> 00:27:13,031 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: JALBERT NAMES HIS INVENTION 523 00:27:13,065 --> 00:27:15,200 {\an7}THE PARAFOIL. 524 00:27:15,234 --> 00:27:17,503 {\an7}BUT WHEN THE TEST-JUMPERS TRY WAITING A FEW SECONDS 525 00:27:17,536 --> 00:27:19,705 {\an7}BEFORE PULLING THEIR RIPCORD, 526 00:27:19,738 --> 00:27:21,473 {\an7}THEY NOTICE A DESIGN FLAW. 527 00:27:27,212 --> 00:27:29,781 {\an7}\hBooth: THE RAM-AIR WOULD COME OUT AND GO, "BAM! HI!" 528 00:27:29,815 --> 00:27:32,051 {\an7}AND YOU’RE AT THE OTHER END \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hGOING BOOM. 529 00:27:32,084 --> 00:27:34,553 {\an7}\h\h\h\hSO YOU’RE GOING FROM 120 MILES AN HOUR, 530 00:27:34,586 --> 00:27:36,888 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND HALF A SECOND LATER YOU’RE GOING 10 MILES AN HOUR. 531 00:27:36,922 --> 00:27:38,991 {\an7}\h\hTHAT’S PUTTING ON THE BRAKES HARD. 532 00:27:39,024 --> 00:27:40,526 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WHEN THEY PULL THE RIPCORD, 533 00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:44,530 {\an7}THE PARACHUTE SLOWS THEM DOWN \h\h\h\h\h\h\hTOO VIOLENTLY. 534 00:27:44,563 --> 00:27:48,167 {\an7}JOHN EIFF ALSO MAKES \h\hSOME TEST JUMPS. 535 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:49,601 {\an7}\h\h\hEiff: AT NIGHT YOU’D SEE THE BRUISES 536 00:27:49,635 --> 00:27:52,371 {\an7}WHERE YOUR PARACHUTE \h\h\h\hHARNESS WAS. 537 00:27:52,404 --> 00:27:55,173 {\an7}IT’S LIKE BELLY-FLOPPING \h\h\h\hFROM A HIGH DIVE. 538 00:27:55,207 --> 00:27:56,909 {\an7}Booth: I WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS SIX OR SEVEN TIMES 539 00:27:56,942 --> 00:27:59,211 {\an7}BY OPENING SHOCKS. 540 00:27:59,244 --> 00:28:01,213 {\an7}SO WE HAD TO STOP IT \h\h\hFROM GOING BAM. 541 00:28:01,246 --> 00:28:02,347 {\an7}WE HAD TO FIND WAYS 542 00:28:02,381 --> 00:28:06,118 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTO STOP THE AIR FROM GETTING IN SO FAST. 543 00:28:06,151 --> 00:28:09,554 {\an7}\h\hNarrator: JALBERT’S REVOLUTIONARY PARAFOIL 544 00:28:09,588 --> 00:28:13,092 {\an7}\h\hHAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE SAFEST, MOST RELIABLE PARACHUTE 545 00:28:13,125 --> 00:28:14,994 {\an7}OF ALL TIME. 546 00:28:15,027 --> 00:28:17,229 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT FIRST, SOMEONE MUST FIND A WAY 547 00:28:17,262 --> 00:28:19,798 {\an7}TO EASE THE VIOLENT OPENING. 548 00:28:21,833 --> 00:28:23,335 {\an7}Eiff: YOU WOULD TRY EVERYTHING. 549 00:28:23,368 --> 00:28:25,570 {\an7}\h\h\h\hI MEAN LITERALLY WE’D TIE THINGS IN KNOTS 550 00:28:25,604 --> 00:28:28,607 {\an7}AND SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK. 551 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:31,243 {\an7}Narrator: IT’S NOT UNTIL 1973 552 00:28:31,276 --> 00:28:34,479 {\an7}\h\hTHAT AN ENGINEER CALLED GREG JARBENET 553 00:28:34,513 --> 00:28:39,818 {\an7}\h\h\hCOMES UP WITH THE SOLUTION WHILE TESTING A MODEL PARACHUTE. 554 00:28:39,851 --> 00:28:41,052 {\an7}Booth: AND HE LOOKED \hAT HIS WEDDING RING 555 00:28:41,086 --> 00:28:42,654 {\an7}AND SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE. 556 00:28:42,688 --> 00:28:46,892 {\an7}\hWHAT IF I TAKE THIS RING AND PUT IT OVER THESE LINES 557 00:28:46,925 --> 00:28:49,294 {\an7}AND SLIDE IT UP TO THE CANOPY?" 558 00:28:49,328 --> 00:28:55,034 {\an7}HE WENT, "WOW, THAT CLOSES IT \h\h\hWAY DOWN, IT REEFS IT." 559 00:28:55,067 --> 00:28:57,169 {\an7}BUT WHEN I LET GO OF THIS RING, 560 00:28:57,202 --> 00:29:00,439 {\an7}THEN THE PARACHUTE’S \h\hALLOWED TO OPEN. 561 00:29:00,472 --> 00:29:03,875 {\an7}IT JUST SLOWS DOWN THE OPENING. 562 00:29:03,909 --> 00:29:05,411 {\an7}AND THAT’S WHAT MADE \h\hJUMPING RAM-AIRS 563 00:29:05,444 --> 00:29:07,279 {\an7}AT TERMINAL VELOCITY POSSIBLE. 564 00:29:07,312 --> 00:29:09,514 {\an7}SIMPLE LITTLE DEVICE. 565 00:29:09,548 --> 00:29:11,316 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THE SLIDER IS BORN. 566 00:29:15,087 --> 00:29:17,556 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBY KEEPING THE PARACHUTE PARTIALLY CLOSED 567 00:29:17,589 --> 00:29:19,491 {\an7}FOR A FEW SECONDS, 568 00:29:19,524 --> 00:29:23,862 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hTHE SKYDIVER SLOWS DOWN MORE GENTLY. 569 00:29:23,895 --> 00:29:27,031 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hMODERN SLIDERS ARE A RECTANGULAR PIECE OF FABRIC 570 00:29:27,065 --> 00:29:33,672 {\an7}\hTHAT MOVES DOWN THE LINES ABOVE THE SKYDIVER’S HEAD. 571 00:29:33,705 --> 00:29:38,276 {\an7}JALBERT’S PARAFOIL IS COMPLETE. 572 00:29:38,310 --> 00:29:40,445 {\an7}FOR THE FIRST TIME, 573 00:29:40,479 --> 00:29:43,816 {\an7}\h\h\h\hPARACHUTES COULD BE FLOWN OVER LARGE DISTANCES 574 00:29:43,849 --> 00:29:46,418 {\an7}TO A PRECISE LANDING SPOT. 575 00:29:49,988 --> 00:29:54,726 {\an7}\hTHE PARACHUTE HAS CHANGED FROM A DEVICE TO SIMPLY SLOW YOU DOWN 576 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:56,428 {\an7}TO A FABRIC WING 577 00:29:56,461 --> 00:30:02,934 {\an7}THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO FLY WITH INCREDIBLE CONTROL. 578 00:30:02,968 --> 00:30:05,504 {\an7}Eiff: IT JUST GIVES YOU \hTHE ULTIMATE FREEDOM. 579 00:30:05,537 --> 00:30:07,039 {\an7}YOU FEEL LIKE A BIRD. 580 00:30:07,072 --> 00:30:08,340 {\an7}WE KNOW WHY BIRDS SING. 581 00:30:08,373 --> 00:30:11,076 {\an7}IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE HAVING \h\h\hSO MUCH FUN UP THERE. 582 00:30:14,046 --> 00:30:17,116 {\an7}Narrator: THRILL-SEEKERS NOW MAKE OVER THREE MILLION JUMPS 583 00:30:17,149 --> 00:30:22,154 {\an7}\h\h\hWITH RAM-AIR PARACHUTES EVERY YEAR IN THE U.S. ALONE. 584 00:30:22,187 --> 00:30:25,624 {\an7}FROM FIRST-TIME TANDEMS... 585 00:30:25,657 --> 00:30:27,692 {\an7}TO EXPERIENCED BASE JUMPERS... 586 00:30:31,830 --> 00:30:34,066 {\an7}TO COMPETITIVE SWOOPERS. 587 00:30:41,039 --> 00:30:46,912 {\an7}\h\hBUT PARACHUTES ARE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST PEOPLE. 588 00:30:46,945 --> 00:30:48,346 {\an7}AND THAT STORY GOES BACK 589 00:30:48,380 --> 00:30:53,919 {\an7}TO THE HANG-GLIDING BOOM \h\h\h\h\h\hIN THE 1970s. 590 00:30:53,952 --> 00:30:55,821 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hBoris Popov: THE HANG-GLIDING SCENE 591 00:30:55,854 --> 00:30:58,557 {\an7}IN THE ’70s WAS WILD, CRAZY. 592 00:30:58,590 --> 00:30:59,558 {\an7}IT WAS GREAT. 593 00:30:59,591 --> 00:31:01,126 {\an7}IT GOT YOU INTO THE AIR. 594 00:31:01,159 --> 00:31:04,229 {\an7}SO ALL OF US WERE, YOU KNOW, THRILLED. 595 00:31:04,262 --> 00:31:07,799 {\an7}\hIT’S A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL ACTIVITY. 596 00:31:07,833 --> 00:31:12,104 {\an7}Narrator: BUT IT’S ONLY FUN UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG, 597 00:31:12,137 --> 00:31:15,674 {\an7}BECAUSE PERSONAL PARACHUTES \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hARE NO USE. 598 00:31:15,707 --> 00:31:16,841 {\an7}Popov: BEING IN A HANG-GLIDER, 599 00:31:16,875 --> 00:31:18,410 {\an7}YOU’D HAVE TO BREAK AWAY \h\hFROM THE HANG-GLIDER, 600 00:31:18,443 --> 00:31:19,844 {\an7}SOMEHOW CUT AWAY. 601 00:31:19,878 --> 00:31:21,046 {\an7}IT TAKES TIME. 602 00:31:21,079 --> 00:31:25,116 {\an7}IT’S NOT GONNA WORK IN THIS SITUATION. 603 00:31:25,150 --> 00:31:27,452 {\an7}Narrator: IN 1977, 604 00:31:27,486 --> 00:31:30,789 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBORIS POPOV IS FLYING HIS HANG-GLIDER 605 00:31:30,822 --> 00:31:34,426 {\an7}BEHIND A FRIEND’S BOAT. 606 00:31:34,459 --> 00:31:36,494 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPopov: I SAID IF I CROSS MY SKIS, SLOW DOWN, 607 00:31:36,528 --> 00:31:40,165 {\an7}IF I SPREAD MY SKIS APART, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hSPEED UP. 608 00:31:40,198 --> 00:31:41,966 {\an7}SO HE HIT THE THROTTLE \h\h\h\hON THIS THING, 609 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,468 {\an7}AND UP I WENT. 610 00:31:43,502 --> 00:31:46,338 {\an7}Narrator: HE CLIMBS TO 500 FEET, 611 00:31:46,371 --> 00:31:51,443 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT THEN COMMUNICATION BREAKS DOWN. 612 00:31:51,476 --> 00:31:56,348 {\an7}Popov: I’M SCREAMING IN SPEED, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hWAY TOO FAST. 613 00:31:56,381 --> 00:31:58,049 {\an7}SO I SIGNAL FOR HIM \h\h\hTO SLOW DOWN, 614 00:31:58,083 --> 00:32:00,285 {\an7}AND HE GOT THE MESSAGE CROSSED. 615 00:32:00,318 --> 00:32:06,457 {\an7}HE HIT THE REST OF THE THROTTLE. 616 00:32:06,491 --> 00:32:10,895 {\an7}THE CROSSBAR BROKE. 617 00:32:10,929 --> 00:32:16,735 {\an7}PITCHED UP, STOPPED, \h\h\hPITCHED DOWN... 618 00:32:16,768 --> 00:32:20,105 {\an7}\h\h\hSTART SPINNING TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY SURE DEATH. 619 00:32:20,138 --> 00:32:24,709 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h500 FEET, YOU’RE NOT GONNA SURVIVE THAT. 620 00:32:24,743 --> 00:32:30,582 {\an7}\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS HE FALLS, HE HAS A MOMENT OF REALIZATION. 621 00:32:30,615 --> 00:32:33,051 {\an7}Popov: I WAS ANGRY, \h\h\hI WAS SCARED. 622 00:32:33,084 --> 00:32:34,285 {\an7}A LOT OF EMOTIONS. 623 00:32:34,319 --> 00:32:35,787 {\an7}BUT THE PRIMARY ONE 624 00:32:35,821 --> 00:32:37,723 {\an7}\hWAS HOW STUPID THIS SITUATION IS 625 00:32:37,756 --> 00:32:41,593 {\an7}WHEN I HAVE ALL THIS TIME, \h\hALL THIS AIR AROUND ME. 626 00:32:41,626 --> 00:32:42,994 {\an7}\h\hSO I’M THINKING, IF YOU SURVIVE THIS, 627 00:32:43,028 --> 00:32:46,932 {\an7}\h\hBY GOD, YOU’RE GONNA DEVELOP SOME KIND OF A PARACHUTE SYSTEM. 628 00:32:46,965 --> 00:32:49,000 {\an7}Narrator: AS HE SPINS, 629 00:32:49,034 --> 00:32:53,639 {\an7}POPOV IS PINNED TO THE WRECKAGE \h\h\hAND CANNOT FREE HIMSELF. 630 00:32:53,672 --> 00:32:55,607 {\an7}BUT HE HAS AN ADVANTAGE. 631 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,878 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS A GYMNAST, HE’S BEEN TRAINED HOW TO FALL. 632 00:32:59,911 --> 00:33:01,279 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPopov: I GOT IN THAT TUCK POSITION 633 00:33:01,313 --> 00:33:02,681 {\an7}AND PREPARED FOR IMPACT. 634 00:33:10,455 --> 00:33:12,624 {\an7}KNOCKED A COUPLE FILLINGS \h\h\h\hOUT OF MY TEETH, 635 00:33:12,657 --> 00:33:15,593 {\an7}BUT BASICALLY SWAM AWAY \h\h\hAND WALKED AWAY. 636 00:33:15,627 --> 00:33:17,562 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: WITH A NEW LEASE ON LIFE, 637 00:33:17,596 --> 00:33:20,599 {\an7}\hPOPOV KEEPS GOOD THE PROMISE HE MADE 638 00:33:20,632 --> 00:33:24,302 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO DESIGN A NEW PARACHUTE SYSTEM. 639 00:33:24,336 --> 00:33:25,704 {\an7}ALTHOUGH THERE’S NOT ENOUGH TIME 640 00:33:25,737 --> 00:33:27,639 {\an7}\hTO FREE YOURSELF FROM A HANG-GLIDER 641 00:33:27,672 --> 00:33:30,642 {\an7}AND DEPLOY A PERSONAL PARACHUTE, 642 00:33:30,675 --> 00:33:32,644 {\an7}\h\hPOPOV REALIZES A LARGER PARACHUTE 643 00:33:32,677 --> 00:33:35,213 {\an7}\h\h\hCOULD BRING THE WHOLE HANG-GLIDER AND PILOT DOWN 644 00:33:35,247 --> 00:33:37,483 {\an7}TOGETHER. 645 00:33:37,516 --> 00:33:39,785 {\an7}Popov: I WANTED TO JUST GET IN THE AIR 646 00:33:39,818 --> 00:33:44,222 {\an7}\hAND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DEPLOY A PARACHUTE IN THE AIR. 647 00:33:44,256 --> 00:33:46,258 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, 648 00:33:46,291 --> 00:33:49,494 {\an7}THE HANG-GLIDER PARACHUTE \h\h\hSLOWLY TAKES SHAPE. 649 00:33:54,266 --> 00:33:56,802 {\an7}BUT POPOV DOESN’T STOP THERE. 650 00:34:00,572 --> 00:34:02,908 {\an7}HE WANTS TO SCALE IT UP 651 00:34:02,941 --> 00:34:06,611 {\an7}TO PROTECT AS MANY AVIATORS \h\h\h\h\h\h\hAS POSSIBLE. 652 00:34:06,645 --> 00:34:11,917 {\an7}PARACHUTES FOR WHOLE PLANES. 653 00:34:11,950 --> 00:34:14,252 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hHE KNOWS THAT IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY 654 00:34:14,286 --> 00:34:19,291 {\an7}AVIATORS ALREADY EXPERIMENTED \hWITH PARACHUTES ON PLANES, 655 00:34:19,324 --> 00:34:23,929 {\an7}BUT THE MASSIVE CHUTES TOOK UP TOO MUCH SPACE. 656 00:34:23,962 --> 00:34:24,996 {\an7}Popov: THEY WEIGHED A LOT, 657 00:34:25,030 --> 00:34:27,900 {\an7}\h\h\hTHEY WERE BIG, THEY WERE CUMBERSOME. 658 00:34:27,933 --> 00:34:30,235 {\an7}\hNarrator: TO CONVINCE PILOTS TO INSTALL THEM, 659 00:34:30,268 --> 00:34:32,971 {\an7}\h\h\h\hPOPOV MUST DESIGN A FAR MORE COMPACT CHUTE 660 00:34:33,004 --> 00:34:36,941 {\an7}THAT STILL GIVES ENOUGH DRAG. 661 00:34:36,975 --> 00:34:41,146 {\an7}IT’S A HUGE UNDERTAKING. 662 00:34:41,179 --> 00:34:46,251 {\an7}AND THE FIRST TESTS \h\hARE A DISASTER. 663 00:34:46,284 --> 00:34:48,887 {\an7}Popov: WHAT THE HELL? 664 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:50,922 {\an7}THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE 665 00:34:50,956 --> 00:34:54,092 {\an7}\hWAS BASICALLY GETTING A LIGHT ENOUGH MATERIAL 666 00:34:54,125 --> 00:34:57,328 {\an7}TO MAKE THE PARACHUTE \h\h\h\hSMALL ENOUGH. 667 00:34:57,362 --> 00:34:58,530 {\an7}Narrator: FOR INSPIRATION, 668 00:34:58,563 --> 00:35:01,933 {\an7}HE TURNS TO THE WORLD OF SPORTS PARACHUTES. 669 00:35:01,967 --> 00:35:04,136 {\an7}\h\hFOR RAM-AIR CHUTES TO WORK AT THEIR BEST, 670 00:35:04,169 --> 00:35:07,572 {\an7}\h\h\h\hFABRIC MANUFACTURERS HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW MATERIAL 671 00:35:07,606 --> 00:35:11,777 {\an7}CALLED ZERO-POROSITY FABRIC. 672 00:35:11,810 --> 00:35:13,378 {\an7}ORDINARY PARACHUTE NYLON 673 00:35:13,411 --> 00:35:16,547 {\an7}ALLOWS SOME AIR TO PASS \h\hBETWEEN THE FIBERS, 674 00:35:16,581 --> 00:35:19,050 {\an7}WHICH REDUCES THE DRAG. 675 00:35:19,084 --> 00:35:21,420 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hBUT NYLON WITH A SILICONE COATING 676 00:35:21,453 --> 00:35:24,089 {\an7}\h\hPREVENTS THE AIR FROM PASSING THROUGH, 677 00:35:24,122 --> 00:35:28,360 {\an7}CREATING MORE DRAG. 678 00:35:28,393 --> 00:35:30,929 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHAT MEANS A MUCH SMALLER PARACHUTE 679 00:35:30,962 --> 00:35:33,231 {\an7}CAN DO THE SAME JOB. 680 00:35:33,264 --> 00:35:34,532 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPopov: USING ZERO-POROSITY MATERIAL 681 00:35:34,566 --> 00:35:37,602 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hPROBABLY DECREASES THE SIZE OF A GIVEN PARACHUTE 682 00:35:37,636 --> 00:35:40,906 {\an7}WITH THE SAME GEOMETRY \h\h\hAND SAME DESIGN, 683 00:35:40,939 --> 00:35:44,643 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hI WOULD GUESS 30, 40 PERCENT AT LEAST. 684 00:35:44,676 --> 00:35:47,546 {\an7}SO IT’S SIGNIFICANT. 685 00:35:47,579 --> 00:35:51,049 {\an7}\h\h\h\hNarrator: POPOV REFINES HIS NEW ZERO-POROSITY PARACHUTE 686 00:35:51,082 --> 00:35:54,953 {\an7}UNTIL IT’S CERTIFIED FOR USE \h\h\h\h\hIN LIGHT AIRCRAFT. 687 00:35:58,657 --> 00:36:01,193 {\an7}\h\h\h\hIN 2015, LUE MORTON BOARDS 688 00:36:01,226 --> 00:36:04,963 {\an7}A PARACHUTE-EQUIPPED \h\h\h\hCIRRUS PLANE. 689 00:36:04,996 --> 00:36:09,968 {\an7}\hA RED HANDLE ABOVE HIS HEAD TRIGGERS THE EMERGENCY CHUTE. 690 00:36:10,001 --> 00:36:12,770 {\an7}WHEN HE RUNS OUT OF FUEL \h\h\h\hABOVE ROUGH SEAS, 691 00:36:12,804 --> 00:36:14,105 {\an7}HE REACHES FOR IT. 692 00:36:17,075 --> 00:36:19,578 {\an7}\h\h\hMorton: YOU FEEL LIKE THIS 5-YEAR-OLD KID AT THE HIGH DIVE, 693 00:36:19,611 --> 00:36:20,879 {\an7}LIKE STANDING AT THE EDGE. 694 00:36:20,912 --> 00:36:22,747 {\an7}\hJUST LIKE, ALRIGHT, WELL, NOW’S THE TIME, 695 00:36:22,781 --> 00:36:24,116 {\an7}YOU GOTTA MAKE THE JUMP." 696 00:36:28,286 --> 00:36:30,822 {\an7}THEY SERIOUSLY CALL ME \h\h\h\hTHE NUMBER 104, 697 00:36:30,855 --> 00:36:33,124 {\an7}\h\h\h\hBECAUSE IT’S THE 104th LIFE SAVED 698 00:36:33,158 --> 00:36:34,926 {\an7}FROM THAT PARACHUTE SYSTEM. 699 00:36:38,630 --> 00:36:42,434 {\an7}\h\h\h\hNarrator: AND THAT’S IN THE CIRRUS AIRCRAFT ALONE. 700 00:36:42,467 --> 00:36:47,339 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIN TOTAL, OVER 300 LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED-- 701 00:36:47,372 --> 00:36:50,842 {\an7}A NUMBER THAT BORIS POPOV \h\h\h\hIS VERY PROUD OF. 702 00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:53,144 {\an7}Popov: IF YOU WERE TO ASK ALL 324 OF THOSE PEOPLE, 703 00:36:53,178 --> 00:36:54,780 {\an7}\h\h\hDID YOU EVER THINK YOU WERE REALLY GONNA USE THAT PARACHUTE? 704 00:36:54,813 --> 00:36:56,415 {\an7}THEY’D SAY OF COURSE NOT. 705 00:36:56,448 --> 00:36:57,549 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hIT WAS, "MY WIFE MADE ME BUY IT," 706 00:36:57,582 --> 00:36:59,317 {\an7}OR "I REALLY DIDN’T THINK I NEEDED IT, 707 00:36:59,350 --> 00:37:00,551 {\an7}BUT THANK GOD I HAVE ONE, 708 00:37:00,585 --> 00:37:03,154 {\an7}AND I’LL NEVER FLY WITHOUT ONE AGAIN." 709 00:37:03,188 --> 00:37:06,224 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hNarrator: AS MATERIALS SCIENCE ADVANCES, 710 00:37:06,257 --> 00:37:09,127 {\an7}\hSOME IN THE INDUSTRY EVEN BELIEVE JETLINERS 711 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:13,064 {\an7}COULD ONE DAY BE FITTED WITH THEIR OWN CHUTES. 712 00:37:13,098 --> 00:37:15,334 {\an7}Popov: SOMEBODY ONCE ASKED ME, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hCAN YOU DO A 747? 713 00:37:15,366 --> 00:37:16,601 {\an7}I SAID SURE. 714 00:37:16,634 --> 00:37:19,403 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHERE’S TECHNOLOGY THAT’S LIKE ARTIFICIAL SILK 715 00:37:19,437 --> 00:37:22,540 {\an7}\h\h\hTHAT IS AMAZINGLY STRONG AND LIGHTWEIGHT. 716 00:37:22,574 --> 00:37:24,276 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hI SEE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL 717 00:37:24,309 --> 00:37:26,211 {\an7}WHEN IT COMES TO MATERIALS 718 00:37:26,244 --> 00:37:29,681 {\an7}THAT MIGHT MAKE AN EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT AND SMALL CANOPY. 719 00:37:29,714 --> 00:37:34,452 {\an7}AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, \hTHE SKY’S THE LIMIT. 720 00:37:34,486 --> 00:37:37,122 {\an7}\hNarrator: PARACHUTES HAVE BROUGHT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE 721 00:37:37,155 --> 00:37:39,524 {\an7}SAFELY TO EARTH. 722 00:37:39,557 --> 00:37:43,694 {\an7}THEY’VE EVEN ALLOWED US \hTO RETURN FROM SPACE. 723 00:37:43,728 --> 00:37:46,831 {\an7}NOW THEY’RE HELPING US \h\hREACH ALIEN WORLDS. 724 00:37:49,234 --> 00:37:51,169 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hMark Adler: WE HAVE MARS MISSIONS, 725 00:37:51,202 --> 00:37:53,337 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hEXPLORING TITAN WITH THE HUYGENS MISSION, 726 00:37:53,371 --> 00:37:55,139 {\an7}MOON OF SATURN. 727 00:37:55,173 --> 00:37:56,675 {\an7}WE HAVE VEHICLES \hGOING TO VENUS. 728 00:37:59,010 --> 00:38:00,745 {\an7}THEY’VE ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE, 729 00:38:00,779 --> 00:38:04,383 {\an7}USED PARACHUTES FOR LANDING. 730 00:38:04,415 --> 00:38:07,551 {\an7}Narrator: SO FAR, ONLY ROBOTS \h\h\hHAVE FLOWN UNDER CANOPY 731 00:38:07,585 --> 00:38:10,888 {\an7}IN EXTRATERRESTRIAL SKIES. 732 00:38:10,922 --> 00:38:16,561 {\an7}BUT PLANS ARE NOW UNDER WAY \h\h\hFOR HUMANS TO FOLLOW. 733 00:38:16,594 --> 00:38:21,432 {\an7}\h\hPUTTING ASTRONAUTS ON MARS IS THE NEXT GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND. 734 00:38:25,870 --> 00:38:27,505 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAdler: IT’LL BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES 735 00:38:27,539 --> 00:38:28,974 {\an7}HUMANS HAVE EVER FACED, 736 00:38:29,007 --> 00:38:31,910 {\an7}TO PUT PEOPLE ON MARS. 737 00:38:31,943 --> 00:38:35,346 {\an7}Narrator: A PAYLOAD MORE MASSIVE THAN AN 18-WHEELER TRUCK 738 00:38:35,380 --> 00:38:38,316 {\an7}MUST BE SLOWED FROM SEVERAL \hTIMES THE SPEED OF SOUND 739 00:38:38,349 --> 00:38:41,819 {\an7}TO A STANDSTILL. 740 00:38:41,853 --> 00:38:45,423 {\an7}AND THE AIR IS 100 TIMES \hTHINNER THAN ON EARTH, 741 00:38:45,456 --> 00:38:49,393 {\an7}MAKING IT MUCH HARDER \h\h\hTO DECELERATE. 742 00:38:49,427 --> 00:38:51,496 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hFORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE 743 00:38:51,529 --> 00:38:55,099 {\an7}OF LANDING HEAVY PAYLOADS THERE. 744 00:38:55,133 --> 00:38:57,802 {\an7}IN 2012, NASA’S CURIOSITY ROVER, 745 00:38:57,836 --> 00:38:59,504 {\an7}WHICH WEIGHS ALMOST A TON, 746 00:38:59,537 --> 00:39:01,506 {\an7}ARRIVES AT MARS. 747 00:39:03,875 --> 00:39:06,611 {\an7}Adam Steltzner: WHEN IT CAME \h\h\hTIME TO LAND CURIOSITY, 748 00:39:06,644 --> 00:39:09,647 {\an7}THE BIGGEST VEHICLE WE’VE PUT \h\h\hON THE SURFACE OF MARS, 749 00:39:09,681 --> 00:39:12,717 {\an7}WE NEEDED A VERY BIG PARACHUTE, 750 00:39:12,750 --> 00:39:16,687 {\an7}\hTHE WORLD’S LARGEST SUPERSONIC PARACHUTE. 751 00:39:19,390 --> 00:39:22,059 {\an7}Narrator: THE 70-FOOT-WIDE \h\h\hSUPERSONIC PARACHUTE 752 00:39:22,093 --> 00:39:25,063 {\an7}\h\h\h\hMUST SLOW IT DOWN FROM 1,000 MILES PER HOUR 753 00:39:25,096 --> 00:39:27,532 {\an7}TO JUST 180. 754 00:39:27,565 --> 00:39:31,702 {\an7}\hAFTER THAT, RETROROCKETS WILL BRING IT TO A NEAR STANDSTILL, 755 00:39:31,736 --> 00:39:36,574 {\an7}\hBEFORE THE ROVER IS LOWERED TO THE GROUND BY A SKYCRANE. 756 00:39:36,608 --> 00:39:39,511 {\an7}BUT WILL IT WORK? 757 00:39:39,544 --> 00:39:44,215 {\an7}\h\h\hTHE MODULE ENTERS THE MARTIAN ATMOSPHERE. 758 00:39:44,249 --> 00:39:45,350 {\an7}Man: WE’RE GOING ABOUT MACH 2.4 759 00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:48,119 {\an7}AT AN ALTITUDE OF 17... 760 00:39:48,152 --> 00:39:50,488 {\an7}\hWE ARE STANDING BY FOR PARACHUTE DEPLOY. 761 00:39:50,521 --> 00:39:51,422 {\an7}Man: GEAR POSITION. 762 00:39:54,926 --> 00:39:56,928 {\an7}Man: PARACHUTE DEPLOYED. 763 00:39:56,961 --> 00:39:58,830 {\an7}[CHEERING] 764 00:39:58,863 --> 00:40:01,933 {\an7}Man: WE ARE DECELERATING. 765 00:40:01,966 --> 00:40:05,236 {\an7}DESCENDING AT ABOUT .75 METERS \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hPER SECOND... 766 00:40:05,270 --> 00:40:07,339 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hSteltzner: ALL OF A SUDDEN...BOOM! 767 00:40:07,372 --> 00:40:08,340 {\an7}Man: TOUCHDOWN CONFIRMED. 768 00:40:08,373 --> 00:40:10,075 {\an7}WE’RE SAFE ON MARS. 769 00:40:10,108 --> 00:40:11,876 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hSteltzner: WE’RE ON THE GROUND. 770 00:40:11,910 --> 00:40:15,514 {\an7}IT’S HAPPENED, AND IT’S OVER. 771 00:40:15,546 --> 00:40:17,782 {\an7}I’VE BEEN SORT OF RUNNING \hA RACE FOR EIGHT YEARS, 772 00:40:17,815 --> 00:40:20,651 {\an7}AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I’M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FINISH LINE. 773 00:40:20,685 --> 00:40:23,321 {\an7}\h\hTHERE WAS SORT OF A SENSE OF DISBELIEF. 774 00:40:23,354 --> 00:40:25,957 {\an7}Narrator: LANDING SUCH \hA HEAVY CRAFT ON MARS 775 00:40:25,990 --> 00:40:30,094 {\an7}IS A TRIUMPH OF ENGINEERING. 776 00:40:30,128 --> 00:40:35,233 {\an7}HOWEVER, ANY HUMAN MISSION WILL WEIGH MANY TIMES MORE, 777 00:40:35,266 --> 00:40:38,903 {\an7}WHICH INTRODUCES NEW CHALLENGES. 778 00:40:38,937 --> 00:40:42,107 {\an7}MARK ADLER IS MANAGING \h\h\hTHE NASA PROJECT 779 00:40:42,140 --> 00:40:46,778 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION PARACHUTE. 780 00:40:46,811 --> 00:40:49,947 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAdler: NOW THAT WE WANT TO LAND BIGGER THINGS ON MARS, 781 00:40:49,981 --> 00:40:51,683 {\an7}WE GOTTA MAKE BIGGER PARACHUTES, 782 00:40:51,716 --> 00:40:52,717 {\an7}AND WE HAVE TO TEST THEM 783 00:40:52,750 --> 00:40:56,654 {\an7}BECAUSE THE OLD TESTS \h\h\h\hDON’T APPLY. 784 00:40:56,688 --> 00:40:58,990 {\an7}Narrator: AT 100 FEET ACROSS, 785 00:40:59,023 --> 00:41:03,094 {\an7}THIS IS THE BIGGEST SUPERSONIC \h\h\h\h\hPARACHUTE EVER MADE. 786 00:41:03,127 --> 00:41:07,098 {\an7}IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE TOUGHEST. 787 00:41:07,131 --> 00:41:09,433 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAdler: ALL OF THIS YELLOW STUFF HERE IS KEVLAR, 788 00:41:09,467 --> 00:41:10,935 {\an7}SAME STUFF THAT’S USED IN BULLET-PROOF VESTS. 789 00:41:10,969 --> 00:41:12,904 {\an7}VERY, VERY STRONG MATERIAL. 790 00:41:12,937 --> 00:41:15,173 {\an7}Narrator: BEFORE IT CAN \h\h\hBE USED ON MARS, 791 00:41:15,206 --> 00:41:18,476 {\an7}IT MUST BE TESTED FOR STRENGTH 792 00:41:18,509 --> 00:41:22,446 {\an7}\hAND FOR PERFORMANCE AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS. 793 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:26,651 {\an7}\h\hBUT BECAUSE IT’S SO BIG, IT’S VERY DIFFICULT TO TEST. 794 00:41:26,684 --> 00:41:28,419 {\an7}Adler: THIS PARACHUTE \hIS TOO BIG TO TEST 795 00:41:28,453 --> 00:41:32,857 {\an7}IN THE LARGEST WIND TUNNEL \h\h\h\hAVAILABLE ON EARTH. 796 00:41:32,890 --> 00:41:38,896 {\an7}Narrator: MARK’S TEAM MUST FIND \h\h\h\hANOTHER WAY TO TEST IT. 797 00:41:38,930 --> 00:41:41,199 {\an7}INSTEAD OF MOVING AIR \hPAST THE PARACHUTE, 798 00:41:41,232 --> 00:41:42,800 {\an7}LIKE IN A WIND TUNNEL, 799 00:41:42,834 --> 00:41:46,771 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY DECIDE TO PULL THE PARACHUTE THROUGH THE AIR, 800 00:41:46,804 --> 00:41:50,374 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hWITH A GIANT ROCKET-PROPELLED SLED. 801 00:41:50,408 --> 00:41:54,178 {\an7}Steltzner: SOUNDS PRETTY CRAZY, \h\h\h\h\h\hAND IT KIND OF IS. 802 00:41:54,212 --> 00:41:56,548 {\an7}\h\h\h\hTHE HELICOPTER LIFTS THE PARACHUTE UP, 803 00:41:56,581 --> 00:41:59,384 {\an7}IT LETS IT GO... 804 00:41:59,417 --> 00:42:01,486 {\an7}THEN WE LIGHT THE ROCKETS. 805 00:42:01,519 --> 00:42:05,423 {\an7}Narrator: A CABLE ATTACHES THE \hROCKET SLED TO THE PARACHUTE, 806 00:42:05,456 --> 00:42:08,926 {\an7}PULLING IT TO EARTH. 807 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:10,328 {\an7}Steltzner: THAT ALLOWS US TO PUT 808 00:42:10,361 --> 00:42:15,933 {\an7}HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS \h\hOF FORCE ON THIS PARACHUTE. 809 00:42:15,967 --> 00:42:18,603 {\an7}Narrator: THE ROCKETS \hPULL THE PARACHUTE 810 00:42:18,636 --> 00:42:26,577 {\an7}\hWITH MORE THAN 120,000 POUNDS OF FORCE WHEN IT FINALLY RIPS. 811 00:42:26,611 --> 00:42:29,080 {\an7}BUT THE TEST HAS BEEN A SUCCESS. 812 00:42:29,113 --> 00:42:31,882 {\an7}[CHEERING] 813 00:42:31,916 --> 00:42:33,151 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hSteltzner: THAT’S A LOT OF FORCE, 814 00:42:33,184 --> 00:42:39,023 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND ENOUGH FOR US TO USE TO SLOW DOWN ON THE WAY TO MARS. 815 00:42:39,057 --> 00:42:42,827 {\an7}\h\hNarrator: THE PARACHUTE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE THE LOAD, 816 00:42:42,860 --> 00:42:46,397 {\an7}\h\hBUT IT’S NOT READY FOR THE RED PLANET YET. 817 00:42:46,431 --> 00:42:49,801 {\an7}\hFIRST, THEY MUST SHOW IT CAN OPERATE IN THE SAME CONDITIONS 818 00:42:49,834 --> 00:42:51,836 {\an7}IT WILL ENCOUNTER ON MARS. 819 00:42:54,972 --> 00:42:57,308 {\an7}IN JUNE 2015, 820 00:42:57,341 --> 00:43:01,312 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHEY’RE READY FOR A HIGH-ALTITUDE SUPERSONIC TEST. 821 00:43:01,345 --> 00:43:02,980 {\an7}AFTER A WEEK OF DELAYS, 822 00:43:03,014 --> 00:43:05,517 {\an7}CONDITIONS IN HAWAII \h\h\h\hARE PERFECT. 823 00:43:05,550 --> 00:43:06,851 {\an7}Man: AND LAUNCH. 824 00:43:06,884 --> 00:43:08,018 {\an7}START LOOKING AT YOUR TELEMETRY, 825 00:43:08,052 --> 00:43:11,289 {\an7}AND MAKE SURE ALL SYSTEMS \h\h\h\h\h\hARE HEALTHY. 826 00:43:11,322 --> 00:43:14,192 {\an7}\hNarrator: THE PARACHUTE IS FITTED INSIDE A TEST VEHICLE 827 00:43:14,225 --> 00:43:18,930 {\an7}AND CARRIED UP TO 120,000 FEET \h\h\h\h\h\hBY A GIANT BALLOON. 828 00:43:21,833 --> 00:43:24,436 {\an7}\h\hROCKETS REPLICATE THE SUPERSONIC SPEED 829 00:43:24,469 --> 00:43:26,905 {\an7}\h\hOF A SPACECRAFT ARRIVING AT MARS... 830 00:43:26,938 --> 00:43:28,706 {\an7}Man: ONE, DROP. 831 00:43:28,739 --> 00:43:30,507 {\an7}SEPARATION CONFIRMED. 832 00:43:30,541 --> 00:43:33,110 {\an7}Narrator: WHICH WILL CAUSE THE \hPARACHUTE TO OPEN EXPLOSIVELY 833 00:43:33,144 --> 00:43:34,779 {\an7}AND ADD EXTRA STRESS. 834 00:43:34,812 --> 00:43:36,580 {\an7}Man: DVR’S RECORDING... 835 00:43:36,614 --> 00:43:40,918 {\an7}[CHEERING] 836 00:43:40,952 --> 00:43:44,956 {\an7}\hNarrator: THE TEST VEHICLE CLIMBS ANOTHER 60,000 FEET-- 837 00:43:44,989 --> 00:43:46,123 {\an7}Man: GOT STABLE FLIGHT. 838 00:43:46,157 --> 00:43:49,727 {\an7}Narrator: HALFWAY TO SPACE. 839 00:43:49,760 --> 00:43:53,230 {\an7}ONLY THERE IS THE AIR \hAS THIN AS ON MARS. 840 00:43:55,566 --> 00:44:00,204 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\hAT MACH 2.4, THE PARACHUTE DEPLOYS... 841 00:44:05,409 --> 00:44:08,312 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\hAND IS DESTROYED IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND. 842 00:44:08,346 --> 00:44:10,615 {\an7}[PEOPLE GROAN] 843 00:44:10,648 --> 00:44:12,617 {\an7}Man: FLIGHT, THIS IS P.I. \h\h\h\h\hPARTIAL CHUTE. 844 00:44:12,650 --> 00:44:14,452 {\an7}Man: COPY PARTIAL CHUTE. 845 00:44:14,485 --> 00:44:15,586 {\an7}Adler: AND WE’RE WATCHING, 846 00:44:15,620 --> 00:44:17,155 {\an7}\h\hAND VERY SHORTLY, WITHIN HALF A SECOND, 847 00:44:17,188 --> 00:44:19,624 {\an7}WE SAW THE PARACHUTE JUST ALMOST COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATE 848 00:44:19,657 --> 00:44:21,692 {\an7}AND TURN INTO CONFETTI. 849 00:44:21,726 --> 00:44:24,929 {\an7}\h\h\hNarrator: DESPITE KEVLAR REINFORCEMENTS, 850 00:44:24,962 --> 00:44:27,064 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE PARACHUTE CAN’T WITHSTAND THE STRESSES 851 00:44:27,098 --> 00:44:30,001 {\an7}OF SUPERSONIC FLIGHT. 852 00:44:30,034 --> 00:44:33,170 {\an7}BUT THE TEAM ARE NOT DETERRED. 853 00:44:33,204 --> 00:44:35,039 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hAdler: IF YOU DON’T HAVE FAILURES, 854 00:44:35,072 --> 00:44:36,640 {\an7}THEN YOU’RE NOT REALLY \h\hPUSHING HARD ENOUGH 855 00:44:36,674 --> 00:44:38,075 {\an7}TO GET THE CAPABILITIES \hTHAT WE’RE GONNA NEED 856 00:44:38,109 --> 00:44:41,245 {\an7}FOR OUR FUTURE MISSIONS TO MARS. 857 00:44:41,279 --> 00:44:43,681 {\an7}Narrator: EVEN THOUGH THE PARACHUTE FAILED, 858 00:44:43,714 --> 00:44:47,017 {\an7}\h\h\h\h\h\h\hTHE TEST IS IN MANY WAYS SUCCESSFUL. 859 00:44:47,051 --> 00:44:50,855 {\an7}IT REACHED THE CORRECT \h\hALTITUDE AND SPEED, 860 00:44:50,888 --> 00:44:52,857 {\an7}\hWHICH MEANS DATA FROM THE EXPERIMENT 861 00:44:52,890 --> 00:44:55,659 {\an7}\h\hWILL HELP THEM LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPERSONIC PARACHUTES. 862 00:44:55,693 --> 00:44:57,094 {\an7}Man: 0.6 SECONDS. 863 00:44:57,128 --> 00:44:59,464 {\an7}SO IT’S THE FASTEST INFLATION \h\h\h\h\h\hWE’VE EVER SEEN. 864 00:44:59,497 --> 00:45:00,832 {\an7}Ian Clark: I’M CONFIDENT 865 00:45:00,865 --> 00:45:03,067 {\an7}WE’VE GOT ANOTHER GREAT DATA SET IN FRONT OF US 866 00:45:03,100 --> 00:45:04,602 {\an7}\h\hTHAT WILL HELP US UNDERSTAND EVEN MORE 867 00:45:04,635 --> 00:45:06,103 {\an7}\hABOUT THE NATURE OF THESE PARACHUTES 868 00:45:06,137 --> 00:45:08,973 {\an7}\h\h\h\hAND HELP US DESIGN PARACHUTES FOR THE FUTURE. 869 00:45:09,006 --> 00:45:11,609 {\an7}Narrator: ALTHOUGH THE CHUTE \h\h\h\h\h\h\hDIDN’T SURVIVE, 870 00:45:11,642 --> 00:45:14,678 {\an7}THE TEST HAS BROUGHT NASA \h\h\h\hCLOSER THAN EVER 871 00:45:14,712 --> 00:45:17,815 {\an7}TO PUTTING ASTRONAUTS ON MARS. 872 00:45:17,848 --> 00:45:22,753 {\an7}PARACHUTES HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE DA VINCI’S FIRST DESIGN-- 873 00:45:22,787 --> 00:45:24,856 {\an7}FROM A SIMPLE DRAG DEVICE 874 00:45:24,889 --> 00:45:27,692 {\an7}TO A NYLON WING... 875 00:45:27,725 --> 00:45:29,360 {\an7}FROM PEOPLE... 876 00:45:29,393 --> 00:45:30,861 {\an7}TO PLANES. 877 00:45:33,531 --> 00:45:37,735 {\an7}\h\h\hBUT THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FOR PARACHUTES IS STILL TO COME. 878 00:45:41,672 --> 00:45:44,175 {\an7}Clark: MARS IS VERY FAR AWAY. 879 00:45:44,208 --> 00:45:45,576 {\an7}THE STEPS THAT WE’RE TAKING NOW, 880 00:45:45,610 --> 00:45:47,112 {\an7}\h\hTHEY ARE STEPS THAT WE ARE TAKING 881 00:45:47,144 --> 00:45:49,513 {\an7}\h\hIN THE DIRECTION OF GETTING HUMANS TO THE SURFACE OF MARS. 882 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,122 {\an7}Man: WE FOUND A NICE FLAT PLACE \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hFOR COMING IN.