Technically known as ram-air gliding parachutes, these fluttering rectangles can be steered for thousands of feet, enabling the operator to cover ground. Most are sold to outfits such as the Swiss Special Forces. A recent order came from the Italian army. Para-Flite's 80 employees work 10 hours a day, four days a week, with Fridays off. The schedule is part of an effective program designed to retain workers.
Quality control is a vital part of a business in which lives literally hang in the balance.
Each parachute is painstakingly inspected over a light table to make certain the fabric and seams are intact. Hefty premiums for liability insurance are a downside in manufacturing the accoutrements of high-risk pursuits. Although Para-Flite now carries liability insurance, there were years when it was more economical to operate without it. But most testing is done at a site in Arizona. Copyright 2001 Courier-Post.