▁ground ▁in ▁a ▁st unt ▁for ▁the ▁movie ▁Sky ▁High . ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Army ▁Air ▁Service ' s ▁par ach ute ▁research ▁team , ▁and ▁at ▁McC ook ▁Field ▁near ▁Day ton , ▁Ohio . ▁ ▁After ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Major ▁E . ▁L . ▁Hoff man ▁of ▁the ▁Army ▁Air ▁Service ▁led ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁develop ▁an ▁improved ▁par ach ute ▁for ▁exit ing ▁air plan es ▁by ▁bringing ▁together ▁the ▁best ▁elements ▁of ▁multiple ▁par ach ute ▁designs . ▁ ▁Part icip ants ▁included ▁Ir vin ▁and ▁James ▁F loyd ▁Smith . ▁The ▁team ▁eventually ▁created ▁the ▁Air plane ▁Par ach ute ▁Type - A . ▁This ▁incorpor ated ▁three ▁key ▁elements , ▁ ▁storing ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁in ▁a ▁soft ▁pack ▁worn ▁on ▁the ▁back , ▁as ▁demonstrated ▁by ▁Charles ▁Broad wick ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 ; ▁ ▁a ▁rip cord ▁for ▁manually ▁deploy ing ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁at ▁a ▁safe ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁air plane , ▁from ▁a ▁design ▁by ▁Albert ▁Leo ▁Stevens ; ▁and ▁▁ ▁a ▁pilot ▁ch ute ▁that ▁draw s ▁the ▁main ▁can opy ▁from ▁the ▁pack . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁Ir vin ▁successfully ▁tested ▁the ▁par ach ute ▁by ▁jump ing ▁from ▁an ▁air plane . ▁The ▁Type - A ▁par ach ute ▁was ▁put ▁into ▁production ▁and ▁over ▁time ▁saved ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁lives . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁pre med itated ▁free fall ▁par ach ute ▁descent . ▁With ▁Smith ▁flying ▁the ▁plane