Concealed parachutes for movie stunts?

[riggerrob 643]

Who has any experience with concealed parachutes for movie stunts?

I have seen plenty of James Bond, etc. movies that included concealed parachutes, but movie riggers are notoriously tight-lipped about their secret containers.

I have seen a concealed rig, built by Scott Christensen for a "Charley's Angels" movie.
I have also sewn components for a concealed rig built by Sandy Reid, but never saw the completed rig.

So, my questions are: how many concealed rigs contain only a main parachute?

How many concealed rigs include a chest-mounted reserve?

How many concealed rigs include a piggyback reserve?

How many concealed rigs use round reserves?

How many concealed rigs include square reserves?

How many films included concealed rigs?

How many/few riggers built all those concealed rigs?

[diablopilot 2]

If not counting "breakaway" clothing that is designed to be removed before or during deployment of a standard built rig, then I have seen 5 different "concealed" rigs.

3 back type, 2 chest, 4 were ram air (reserve canopies were used), 1 round, 4 different builders, and none were TSO'd.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[JerryBaumchen 1,364]

Hi Rob,

I believe that your countryman, Mr. Zahar built a few rigs for some Bond movies.

Try contacting Al MacDonald, he might have some info for you.

JerryBaumchen

[wmw999 2,452]

I believe there was a fairly detailed article in Parachutist about the suit jacket rig in one of the Bond moves (the one with Jaws).

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ZigZagMarquis 9]

Well, I'd doubt you'd get answers to all those questions... but why don't you try contacting BJ Worth or Jim Wallace? Those would be my 2 best wild-assed guesses of folks to go talk to about this.



I believe Hank Asciutto made the parachute with the Union Jack on it that Bond deployed after skiing off a cliff in the opening sequence of The Spy That Loved Me (I think was the movie). If you can get ahold of him, maybe he'd know some things too?

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

Well, I'd doubt you'd get answers to all those questions... but why don't you try contacting BJ Worth or Jim Wallace? Those would be my 2 best wild-assed guesses of folks to go talk to about this.

I thought exactly the same thing.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[howardwhite 6]

I'd add Jake Brake to the list of people who would know a lot about this. (No idea where he is these days.)

HW

[riggerrob 643]

Last time I saw Jake Brake was about five years ago.
He was working at Sun Path, but came up to Pitt Meadows to film a commercial. The commercial included a concealed rig, but the character was wearing a "day pack," so the stunt rigging work really involved wrapping a fake "day pack" around a stock Javelin.

[skypuppy 1]

I seem to remember a Brit (Royal Marine, I think) named Apple wearing a concealed rig in a parka type jacket down at z[hills - I think it might have been for Dead Men's Tales.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[mr2mk1g 10]

Think you mean Paul Applegate, known to all as Apples. There's reference to the stunt and rigging here:

http://www.bpa.org.uk/skydive/pages/articles/dec02/paulapplegate.htm