April 10, 2005 Leonardo Da Vinci was the first person to conceive the parachute, documenting his idea 500 years ago but it was not until we had airplanes that the idea really offered some compelling ...

Among other things, US manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft is known for the fact that some of its planes, namely those from the SR series, are fitted with a ballistic parachute. This, in the event of an ...

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Alan Klapmeier, CEO and co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft, which makes an airplane equipped with its own parachute. Over the past week, two different Cirrus pilots ...

SOUTH SAINT PAUL, Minn. & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BRS Aerospace, the leading whole aircraft rescue parachute system manufacturer in the world, and Transcend Air Corporation, developer of the Vy 400, ...

Parachutes capable of carrying entire aircraft exist, so why aren’t they installed on more planes? Wouldn’t they save lives in emergencies, wonders Katia Moskvitch. John Farese’s plane engine quit ...

Parachutes can be deployed in seconds to allow aircraft to make a safe, soft landing if major systems like propulsion and flight controls fail, but are they suitable for new vertical takeoff and ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Alan ...