Parachutes in the sky with Swissboogie since 1968

Hundreds of thousands of Swiss people in search of the thrill of space

There have been and are some in all colors, all shapes and for all functions, sport, transport, advertising. Men and women from all social classes experienced extraordinary moments. Parachutes bring joy to...hundreds of thousands of Swiss people in search of the thrill of space. And millions of spectators enjoyed from the ground and on TV broadcasts the evolutions of those who come from space. The hemispherical parachutes first called T10 and C9, very difficult to maneuver, which were used to stop the vertical fall of a person for their landing as part of initiations or progression in skydiving, were used for tens of thousands of people by Swissboogie instructors from June 3, 1968.

The risk of fractures upon landing is completely eliminated

In October 1977 Swissboogie developed the first in Switzerland, for the general public, the jumps into Lake Biel from Kappelen. Henri Schurch obtains authorizations from the head of the skydiving department of the Air Office in Bern, Mr. Fritz Bigler. A presentation of an organizational program with all safety procedures must be created and presented for official approval. For these operations, hemispherical parachutes do the trick, the success is great. The risk of fractures upon landing is completely eliminated. Recoveries are carried out by the Lake Cantonal Police led by Chief Erwin Zaugg. It makes the major resources of the cantonal rescue service available. All the people who were worried about fractures see a new horizon and rush to the gate to register. The big difference for this jump is that it becomes recreational skydiving and no longer sport. It is no longer limited in number and does not require a student card.

With the training of the first parachute grenadiers in 1968, for the Swiss Air Force, a first significant evolution in equipment surfaced with the arrival of US equipment called Para-Commander with which the members of the Swiss Special Unit are equipped. They allow appreciable rotation and horizontal movement maneuvers to reach the landing point relatively easily and less violently. Civilian paratroopers quickly fell back on purchasing these Para-Commanders and took the step towards progress.

Landing can be done with a rounding like airplanes

In the 80s it was the turn of rectangular sails to arrive on the market. It's a revolution in equipment that comes to us as always from the USA. Hemispherical parachutes are set to disappear in favor of the new rectangular parachute which becomes a glider. Landing can be done with a flare like pilots do with airplanes. Jumpers can land upright with a smile. Rolls are no longer imperative. Sport is undoubtedly changing dimensions. With this new form of sail, improvements in equipment in the direction of increases in performance, reductions in sprains or fractures upon landing aim for perspectives with new limits. The parachute now allows horizontal and even upward movements in certain weather situations which can give glider capabilities.

The new performance of the sails allows an expansion of the use of a parachute; they consist of jumping from a bridge, a rock or a building with a free fall. These jumps are called basejumps. This is a more than reckless formula. Swissboogie does not identify with it, for a simple security reason. And in a completely different area of ​​use, the parachute has found its place on the backs of extreme skiers, which allows them to descend steep slopes by taking off on skis and rising momentarily to fly over obstacles. This function is called Speed-Flying.

Irreplaceable skydiving remains the original

True skydiving remains, of course, the original, which allows you to leave a plane in flight and “get high in the air” to enjoy a freedom simply comparable to nothing else . For this, the Cessna's piston type aircraft, the Dornier-27 etc., had to be replaced by new, modern and turboprop aircraft, a priori Pilatus PC-6, Cessnas Caravan etc., which allow you to enjoy a long free fall, such as nature can provide. At all times and in all its phases, authentic skydiving continues to offer practitioners the unique, inimitable sensation of acceleration and real free fall, whether jumping alone or in groups. Back on earth, sharing the pleasure with friends at the round table is ultimately the icing on the cake.

The sports parachute to become a skydiver

Beginners in a course that begins with automatically opening jumps, the intense emotions and pleasure of the start followed by a short acceleration, are extraordinary moments comparable to no other sporting practice. This training is practiced for compact groups in continuous lessons, in particular for young people who follow the SPHAIR preparatory courses.

Accelerated version with individual instruction .

Beginners in fall training assisted by two instructors, i.e. PAC (Assisted Fall Progression), follow an accelerated version with individual instruction. It provides the same sensations, with the difference that if the course is followed without interruption, progression goes very quickly and obtaining the license is faster. The student is instructed by two instructors in his first three jumps and by one instructor in the next four jumps. The method is American and has been practiced in Kappelen officially since 1985. The second course with around twenty progression jumps takes candidates to the level of the license. You can discover these training courses by clicking here .

The transport parachute for the tandem

The tandem jump is a recreational jump. There are people who treat themselves to it once every year. This is “their” traditional jump. It is the modern way to enjoy a departure from the plane and a free fall without having to participate in an important preparatory lesson. The tandem master is the guardian angel in the two-seater harness. The tandem master must be a professional parachutist who has successfully completed appropriate training which makes him fully responsible for the jump. In fact, he successfully participated in specialized courses with final aptitude exams. To have access to a course and become a tandem master, the skydiver must also prove personal experience of at least 750 jumps with 10 hours of added free fall.

If you want to discover recreational skydiving, click here .

The transport parachute for field jumps

It is possible to get somewhere, using the plane and the parachute for distance transport and the parachute for final transport to the landing place. This jump in the countryside is called injump . It is tolerated for the licensee or exceptionally for a student supervised directly by an instructor who has given his approval as to the abilities of his student. If the jump is carried out through controlled airspace, the competent authority must give its approval on a case-by-case basis. The pilot or a parachutist school can take the necessary steps for good form, according to the rules in force. To ensure smooth landings, the use of a parachute with a large surface area is absolutely recommended. To participate in field jumps for the first time, for example on a lawn or a field, during a party, it is important to seek the opinion and advice of a parachutist experienced in such developments. It is obviously essential to organize security assistance at the parachutist's landing site.

The commercial advertising parachute

Carrefour calls on Swissboogie. The new Hypermarket is established in Switzerland, in Bienne and Lausanne. Carrefour general management contacted Swissboogie with the plan to fly parachutes regularly over its stores, with of course high visibility of the commercial logos. Swissboogie appoints Ursula Schurch for the preparation of permanent commercial contracts. The directors Christian Martin and Benno Heidelberger wish to place orders for the organization of numerous public interventions. Ursula will order twenty-eight complete specific paratrooper equipment from the USA for these operations and will train the emergency teams. The demonstrations include more than 800 jumps day and night , in stadiums, in front of stores, or even as Santas at the end of the year.

For demos followed by attractions in parking lots

Coop non-food Basel takes over for demonstrations when Carrefour leaves Switzerland. Swissboogie is once again commercially involved in demos followed by attractions in the large company's car parks, during the opening of Coop and other associated stores throughout Switzerland. Twelve complete specific pieces of equipment are necessary with the establishment of competent personnel. A 5-year contract can be established for Coop non-food headed by the head chef responsible for the large company Roland Todt.

Swisscom calls on Henri Schurch. The Mega-Enterprise wants SWISSCOM sails to be visible in the air during class events through skydiving shows. A 3-year contract is signed with Department Head Werner Steiner. Swissboogie is setting up a competition team, having sports equipment manufactured in the USA for demos and complete transport equipment for tandem jumps. With of course the provision of appropriate personnel. Events are organized on spontaneous orders throughout Switzerland. In the combined premiere, there are interventions with the demo team made up of 8 competitive parachutists, immediately followed by tandem jumps with various personalities. In part, engagements are carried out with the Super Puma helicopter for transport and recovery.

Breitling in international events

In 2001, the aviation managers of the great house Breitling invited the Swissboogie administration for a session of aeronautical creations. This time it is not for demonstrations, but for entertainment at aviation meetings and luxury private events intended for business leaders from around the world of classy watchmaking. Swissboogie enters into a contract and commits itself for an indefinite period which will ultimately be 18 years. The Pilatus PC-6 will be repainted with the design desired by Breitling. Ad hoc equipment, the best on the world market, is ordered without delay. Swissboogie forms a solid and available troop of tandem masters. They will transport several thousand business leaders from around the world as well as political figures and very high-level athletes to take a tandem jump. Swissboogie provides skydiving in all Breitling-specific events which take place in Switzerland, then in France and then in England in connection with the luxury automobile factory Bentley. Here they take place on a Queen of England military airfield.

Different types of parachutes with different functions

We can therefore affirm that parachutes have different or complementary functions depending on the engagement. There are the types of parachutes which consist of the assignment to recreational sport or competitive sport or the assignment to transport if it is a question of tandem jumps or injumps in the field. Militarily, parachutes are means of transport.