[ youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v6SiLSrowI]
Remotely Piloted Parachute System (RPPS) test drop from a C-17 at Edwards Air Force Base. Before a new parachute is ever used by humans, it is dropped using dummies specifically designed for parachute testing. Once clear of the aircraft, the dummies are typically at the mercy of the winds. The remote system is designed to manipulate the toggles – the parachute’s control handles – much the same way a live jumper would, allowing some control over the descent of the test article. This dummy was dropped 3500′ AGL and guided to the drop zone within 150′ of the operator.
