Tiny Broadwick & the Parachute
Georgia Ann “Tiny” Thompson Broadwick (April 8, 1893 – August 25, 1978) was a pioneering parachutist and the inventor of the ripcord. In 1914, she became the first woman to jump from an airplane, and from a seaplane. Broadwick Street in Rancho Dominguez, California is named for her.
Early Parachutes
The first parachute jump from an airplane was made by Grant Morton from a Wright Model B over Venice, California, in 1911 — though credit is generally given to Albert Berry, who jumped from a Benoist biplane over Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, on March 1, 1912.
Early pilots didn’t carry parachutes because they were massive, strapped to the sides of hot air balloon baskets. Additionally, early aviators followed the maritime tradition of going down with one’s ship. “Bailing out” was not considered an option. The U.S. Navy mandated all pilots carry parachutes by 1924.
The Toy Parachute Chain
Pat the Parachute (1942) — designed by female aviator Elvy Kalep — connected directly to the 1966 Adam West Batman Parachute toy, then to the 1988 GI Joe Parachute Pack. The militarized parachute became a children’s toy became a superhero accessory. The descent mythologized as play.