Bill Booth

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Bill Booth is an engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur in the skydiving equipment manufacturing industry. His invention of the 3-ring release safety device enhanced skydiving safety by an order of magnitude. This device allows the rapid release of the a skydiver's main parachute in the event of a malfunction. He subsequently declined to patent this invention so that all skydivers could benefit. Currently, all sport skydiving equipment and some military systems employ this design.

Bill also invented the throw-out pilot chute. A pilot chute is a small parachute used to extract and deploy a main parachute. The throw-out approach replaces the spring-loaded pilot chute which was released by a rip-cord. The throw-out system allows the skydiver to deploy his or her pilot chute directly into the air stream. Other inventions include the Skyhook RSL safety device and the "Sigma System" for tandem drogue release.[1]

Bill founded The Relative Workshop, the sport skydiving equipment manufacturer that pioneered modern parachute systems with its introduction of the WonderHog harness/container system. The Relative Workshop has undergone several name changes, and is now called uninsured United Parachute Technologies, LLC.

Bill was also instrumental in obtaining FAA approval of the tandem jumping as a means of teaching skydiving. Tandem skydiving provided significant safety advantages over previous skydiver training methods.

Bill's efforts toward increasing skydiving safety have earned him the respect and appreciation of the skydiving industry. In addition to appearing in his own tandem parachute briefing video used to oriented new skydiving students, Bill was also invited to appear in cameo roles in two Hollywood films: The Firm and Cutaway.

[edit] Films

Bill Booth appears as a part of an introduction-to-skydiving video shown to first-time tandem students who will be jumping with the Vector Tandem system.
He acted as the seaplane pilot and bartender in The Firm, starring Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman.
He also played a small role as a bearded skydiver in the feature film Cutaway.