Have you ever noticed that small white parachute above a tandem skydiving pair in freefall? It’s called a drogue, and despite its compact size, it plays a crucial role in the skydiving process. Let’s explore what the drogue is and how it functions.
The drogue parachute is quite different from traditional square canopies. It’s an elongated round parachute that’s deployed behind rapidly moving objects. Interestingly, it’s not actually a conventional parachute—it doesn’t have the airfoil design for generating lift or steering lines. Instead, its main job is to slow things down rather than provide flight capabilities.
In skydiving, the drogue has a smaller surface area compared to regular parachutes. This reduced size creates less drag, which is perfect for deceleration. It allows the drogue to be deployed at speeds that would potentially damage a larger parachute.
History and Uses of Drogue Parachute
The drogue parachute has quite a history. It was invented by Russian professor Gleb Kotelnikov back in 1912. Initially, it was used to help aircraft slow down, especially in tricky landing spots like drifting ice stations. Over time, its applications have expanded. Now, you’ll find drogue parachutes integrated into various aviation practices, including on modern jets like the Eurofighter Typhoon. They’re even used in space vehicle recovery systems by companies like SpaceX.
Drogue Parachute In Skydiving
In the 1980s, tandem skydiving faced a big challenge: how to slow down tandem pairs enough to safely deploy their parachutes. Ted Strong, the pioneer of tandem skydiving, came up with a brilliant solution—he decided to use the drogue parachute.
In tandem skydiving, the drogue serves multiple purposes. First, it reduces the tandem pair’s speed to a safer terminal velocity of about 120 mph. This prevents the discomfort and potential damage that could occur if you deployed the main parachute at higher speeds. Additionally, the drogue helps with stability, making it easier for instructors and students to maintain the proper orientation during freefall. Perhaps most importantly, it plays a key role in the parachute deployment sequence. When the instructor initiates the process, the drogue actually helps extract the main parachute.
Strong’s innovative use of the drogue in tandem skydiving was a game-changer. Without it, the sport might not have taken off as it did, and countless people might have missed out on the incredible experience of freefall. The drogue parachute truly proved to be a crucial innovation in the world of skydiving, opening up new possibilities for adventure seekers everywhere.