Airlock (parachute)

A parachute airlock, often shortened to airlock, is a safety mechanism built into some ram-air parachutes to help them keep their shape while open. It uses a ram air structure to stiffen each section of the outer edge of the canopy, and the patented form places a valve in each cell of the wing so that the cells resist deflation when the air pressure inside is greater than outside. The design was first developed by parachute inventor Brian Germain after a near-fatal ram-air wing collapse in 1994, and he personally tested many prototypes, often in extreme conditions. Supporters value the stability of such canopies in flight. The drawbacks are that a canopy with airlocks does not deflate quickly on landing on a windy day, which can drag the parachutist, and that it takes longer to pack.