Harness.  An arrangement of cotton, linen, or nylon webbing  designed to conform to the shape of the load to be carried  in order to secure it properly so that the opening shock and  the weight of the load are evenly distributed during descent. Free bag.  A type 5 reserve deployment device used with  ram-air canopies. Not attached to the canopy, it is designed to  allow deployment of the canopy in the event of a horseshoe- type malfunction. FPS.  Feet per second. Harness keeper.  Elastic webbing used to hold harness straps  in place.  Free fall.  A parachute jump in which the parachute is  activated manually at the discretion of the parachutist. Harness main sling.  The main load-carrying member of the  harness formed by two lengths of webbing, beginning at the  shoulder adapter or D-ring, continuing down across the seat  and up the other side, ending at the opposite adapter or Dring. French fell seam (LSC-2).  A plain overlap where material  is folded over on itself and stitched to prevent raveling. Hesitator loop.  One of a series of webbing loops that hold  the suspension lines in an orderly position in the container  when the parachute is packed and which pay the lines out in  sequence (hesitate) for orderly deployment. Friction burns.  The result of two textile surfaces rubbing  together rapidly and generating frictional heat, which reduces  the tensile strength of the textile and causes deterioration of  the individual threads; it occurs primarily during parachute  deployment and initial inflation. Hot knife.  An electrically-heated cutting tool used to cut and  sear webbing and fabrics. Housing clamp stiffener.  A metal plate sewn to the top flap  of the main parachute container and used to hold the ripcord  cable housing in place and to give rigidity to the housing.  Designed to provide stiff separation between the housing and  the top cone for an automatic opener. G force.  The measure or value of the gravitational pull of the  earth as modified by the earth’s rotation, equal to acceleration  of a freely moving body at the rate of 32.16 feet per second.  Example: If a 100-pound load places a 300-pound stress on  the parachute during opening, the shock is 3 Gs. Gauge.  The space between needles on a sewing machine. Hygroscopic.  A substance or material that absorbs water  readily from its surroundings. Glide.  The horizontal movement of the canopy. Gore.  The portion of the canopy contained between two  adjacent suspension lines and the area between them,  extending from the apex of the canopy to the skirt. Initial layout.  Process in which the canopy is stretched out  on the table with the top center gore on top in preparation  for securing proper layout. I G Grommet.  A metal eyelet used as a reinforcement around a  hole in fabric. Grommets are used on pack flaps to fit over  locking cones or loops. Inspection.  A step-by-step procedure for examining a  parachute prior to packing to identify any damage or non- airworthy condition. Gross weight.  The complete weight of the parachute assembly. Inversion.  State in which the canopy has been turned  completely inside out. Also see partial inversion. Guide or control line.  One or more parachute lines that run  from a slot or orifice in a steerable canopy to the harness  providing better steerability. Joint efficiency.  The comparison of the strength of the  junction or joining materials against the original materials. Jumping.  To engage in a premeditated parachute jump. HALO.  High Altitude, Low Opening. Handle.  Ripcord handpull or grip. Hardware.  All metal parts associated with parachutes,  parachute systems, and their suspended loads. J H G-5