General Science Photography

Red Parafoil Parachute

A parafoil is a non-rigid (textile) airfoil with an aerodynamic cell structure that is inflated by the wind. Ram-air inflation forces the parafoil into a classic wing cross-section. Parafoils are most commonly constructed out of rip-stop nylon. Parafoils see wide use in a variety of windsports such as kite flying, powered parachutes, paragliding, wingsuit flying and skydiving.