Airlock (parachute)

The design was first developed by parachute inventor Brian Germain following a near-fatal ram-air wing collapse in 1994.

Germain made a full recovery and went on to personally test many of the airlock prototype parachutes, often in extreme conditions.

Specific parachute designs utilizing the airlock technology include the following: Jedei, Sweptwing, Genesis, Warlock, (AirTimeDesigns.com) Vengeance, (PerformanceDesigns.com) Samurai, Lotus, Sensei R1 (BigAirSportz.com).

For example, a ram-air parachute designed with airlocks will not deflate quickly upon landing on a windy day.

[1] This invention describes a ram-air type inflatable wing that is resistant to deflation.