This film is part of Free

Parachute Descent from an Airship
Parachute experiments shot from a bird’s-eye-view.
Overview
Follow the parachute pioneers as they leap into the cold air towards the snow speckled fields below. This footage, which appears to be filmed from a nearby blimp, shows secret military tests. Despite E.R. Calthrop’s ‘Guardian Angel’ parachute proving its worth, the Royal Flying Corps rejected its use.
Everard Richard Calthrop invented the 'Guardian Angel' parachute in response to the high number of deaths that the Royal Flying Corps sustained in plane crashes during WWI. Initially the British military decided against equipping pilots with parachutes on the basis that the option of a safe exit from the aircraft when confronted by the enemy might impair their fighting spirit. The Royal Flying Corps were later renamed the RAF. More footage of these tests can be seen in ‘E.R. Calthrop's Patent Safety Guardian Angel Parachute: Tests and Dem’, also free to view on the BFI Player.
Related

Nelson; The Story of England's Immortal Naval Hero Nelson; The Story of England's Immortal Naval Hero
Biopic 1918 126 mins Silent
Morale-boosting exploits intended to inspire war-weary citizens.

Trips and Tribunals (The Blunders of Mr. Butterbun) Trips and Tribunals (The Blunders of Mr. Butterbun)
Comedy 1918 25 mins Silent
Mr Butterbun presides over a tribunal dealing with cases of men presenting excuses to avoid the First World War draft.

Women's Work in Wartime Women's Work in Wartime
Documentary 1918 8 mins Silent
Who wears the trousers while the men are at war? The women of Britain, who pick up a surprisingly wide range of jobs

Battle Front in Britain Battle Front in Britain
Documentary 1918 24 mins Silent
Growing potatoes in Green Park plus some handy uses for your old tin cans – it’s all part of the war effort on the home front.

Scenes of the First World War Scenes of the First World War
Documentary 1918 5 mins Silent
Dramatic footage of Italian and British troops on the front line and airborne.

Haunted Hotel Haunted Hotel
Fantasy 1918 17 mins Silent
Guests find things that go bump in the night.

Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.

Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.

Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.

Gabriel Yared on composing for film Gabriel Yared on composing for film
Inside Film 2013 11 mins
Composer of The Lives of Others, The English Patient and Betty Blue on intimacy and experimentation.

Lois Burwell on movie makeup Lois Burwell on movie makeup
Inside Film 2013 17 mins
Lincoln, Braveheart and Magnolia make-up artist Lois Burwell explains how she created some of her most iconic looks, as part of a BAFTA Masterclass.

Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass) Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass)
2013 61 mins
British cinematographer of The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, Hillsborough and Riff Raff reviews the art of the moving image.