Bail Outs including
The Caterpillar Club
and the
Gold Wings Club
ET AL

Lived saved by Parachute
in
Peace and War

pre-1900 - Present

Parachute -

Lives Saved Rosters

Tens of thousands of people have saved their lives by using a parachute. This part of the website is intended to show that once accepted as a means of safe descent the use of the parachute spread rapidly.

Initially this section will attempt to add faces to the early users of the parachute and the more well known "Caterpillars".

I will slowly add to this section on an irregular basis. It does not claim to be comprehensive. I hope you will enjoy browsing the information and may feel able to add to it. If you have any information on a "life saved by a parachute" please  contact me to ensure that the person is remembered and if possible provide a photograph.

The Caterpillar Club was established to recognise those lived saved by a parachute from the IRVIN AIR CHUTE Company.
Later as more companies (list in preparation) produced parachutes they began their own Roster of Lives Saved. These also became generically became known as Caterpillars.
To differentiate lives saved by their company designs G.Q. Parachutes began the Gold Wings Club. Today "purists" will acknowledge that the "true Caterpillar members" used Irving Parachutes.

Note that ALL ejection seat users who survived became members of one or other of the Parachute Clubs.

Parachutists who were force to bail out due to collision with barrage balloon wires could join the Wireworm Club

Parachutists who landed in water and were rescued were eligible for the Goldfish Club

Australian parachutists could claim membership of the ROO Club

Some entries are not included in official Club lists - the descent circumstances were difficult to verify and so not included

Notes

First parachute jump
22nd October 1793  André-Jacques Garnerin dropped from about 6,500 ft over Monceau Park in Paris in a 23-foot-diameter parachute made of white canvas with a basket attached

26th September 1876 - First Belgian Parachute jump

  
Project Get Out and WALK

PLEASE NOTE THIS PAGE IS  ADDED TO ON AN IRREGULAR BASIS

This section of the website is dedicated to those aircrew who did not use ejection seats to egress from their aircraft. They used conventional bail outs using parachute and ripcord. Most were successful, for some the outcome was fatal. The performance dynamics of their aircraft made successful escape without mechanical assistance less certain. Assisted escape systems were needed to give the maximum  chance of survival.