Parachute

Hello. I am a parachute. I look like a giant, colorful mushroom that blooms in the big, blue sky. Sometimes, I feel like a silky umbrella, but instead of keeping you dry from the rain, I keep you safe in the air. My special job is to help people float. When someone is way up high, I open up and catch the wind. Then, we float down, down, down together, gently and safely. It feels like we are a fluffy dandelion seed dancing on a soft breeze. I love being a soft, safe ride from the sky to the ground.

My very first big jump was with my creator, a brave man named André-Jacques Garnerin. He thought I could help people fly down from high places. On a special day, October 22nd, 1797, he took me for a ride. We went up, up, up in a giant hot air balloon, so high that the people below looked like tiny ants. My heart was thumping with excitement. Then, he let go of the balloon. WHOOSH. I opened up with a big, happy sound. I caught all the air in my big, silky arms and carried my friend André-Jacques down. We swayed back and forth, floating gently until we landed softly on the ground. Everyone cheered so loudly.

Today, I still love helping people. I am very important for pilots who fly airplanes. If they ever need to leave their airplane in the sky, I am there to give them a safe, slow ride back to the earth. I also help brave firefighters. Sometimes they need to get to a forest quickly, so they jump with me to land safely and help the trees. But my very favorite thing is turning a fast fall into a slow, gentle float. It makes me so proud to know I am helping everyone get back to the ground, safe and sound, with a happy landing.