History Main / PunyParachute

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

* ''Film/PeeWeesBigAdventure'' - when Pee-Wee drives Mickey's Edsel convertible off a cliff, after several seconds of screaming, he raises the top, which balloons out a small amount and floats the two-ton car to a soft landing.
* ''Film/TheGreatRace'' - Professor Fate has a small pedal-powered airship - but the envelope component looks too small to lift the metal gondola framework, let alone a person - and it carries ''two'' people. Still, it looks cool.
* ''Film/TheGreatDictator''. One of the wacky inventions demonstrated by Grand Marshall Herring is a hat parachute. It doesn't work.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

* The ''Aladdin'' example under Film also applies to [[VideoGame/AladdinCapcom the SNES platformer]], though the player needs to pick up the rug first.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has raggedy, patched parachutes that are about six feet squares but work perfectly until their time runs out or you land. The engineering tinker goblin glider has a pair of wings that unfold from one's cloak that are about the same surface area.

* In ''VideoGame/BalloonFight'', the parachute used by enemies after you pop their balloons is no wider than they are. The parachute can be attacked like any balloon, and destroying it sends the enemy to a watery death.

[[AC:WebAnimation]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* Many cartoons show umbrellas being used as parachutes -- the real-life consequences are shown on ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' when Hank jumps off the roof of the compound with an umbrella (in a Batman Halloween costume), with fatal results.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'' shows the short-but-massive Ram-Man descending on a parachute only slightly wider than his shoulders.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop''. Penelope once used her ''scarf'' as a parachute after jumping from a plane.

* In ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the main character jumps from a building and uses an approximately 2x2 foot scarf to soften his fall. Try that and good luck in not reducing your leg bones to shards.

** The Paraglider in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' is at least a bit bigger than the previous two, and unlike them it seems specifically designed for this function. It's nonetheless way too small to realistically serve this function.

* The sailcloth used by Link in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' to slow falls and ride updrafts; it's only about two or three feet to a side.
** The Deku Leaf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is used for similar purposes and is of similar size; though it at least relies on [[AWizardDidIt magic]] for its power to stay aloft.

* WoW has raggedy, patched parachutes that are about six feet squares but work perfectly until their time runs out or you land. The engineering tinker goblin glider has a pair of wings that unfold from one's cloak that are about the same surface area.

* ''TheHerculoids''. Whenever Gloop or Gleep turn themselves into an ImprovisedParachute, they're significantly smaller than a regular parachute - too small to provide the braking power they do.
* Any and every WarnerBrothers cartoon parachute.
* Many cartoons show umbrellas being used as parachutes - the real-life consequences are shown on ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' when Hank jumps off the roof of the compound with an umbrella (in a Batman Halloween costume), with fatal results.

* ''ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop''. Penelope once used her ''scarf'' as a parachute after jumping from a plane.

** The Deku Leaf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is used for similar purposes and is of similar size; though it at least uses magic.

* ''UndercoverBrother''. When Undercover Brother falls over the edge of the cliff near the end of the movie, he floats to the ground using his bell-bottom pants as a parachute. They are much smaller than a normal parachute.
* ''PeeWeesBigAdventure'' - when Pee-Wee drives Mickey's Edsel convertible off a cliff, after several seconds of screaming, he raises the top, which balloons out a small amount and floats the two-ton car to a soft landing.
* ''TheGreatRace'' - Professor Fate has a small pedal-powered airship - but the envelope component looks too small to lift the metal gondola framework, let alone a person - and it carries ''two'' people. Still, it looks cool.
* ''TheGreatDictator''. One of the wacky inventions demonstrated by Grand Marshall Herring is a hat parachute. It doesn't work.

* The ''Aladdin'' example under Film also applies to the SNES platformer, though the player needs to pick up the rug first.

A type of {{Balloonacy}}, with ParasolParachute as a distinct subtrope. See also ImprovisedParachute, which often fits this trope.

In RealLife, parachutes are ''big''; rarely ever less than twelve to fifteen feet across once unfurled. But in animation (and comics especially), parachutes are usually much smaller -- a four to six foot diameter for example -- yet somehow, they still manage to work just as well (if not ''better'') than their real life counterparts. This also applies to airship envelopes, and for the same reasons.

* One episode of ''[[HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]]'' shows the short-but-massive Ram-Man descending on a parachute only slightly wider than his shoulders.

* Many cartoons show umbrellas being used as parachutes - the real-life consequences are shown on ''TheVentureBrothers'' when Hank jumps off the roof of the compound with an umbrella (in a Batman Halloween costume), with fatal results.

** The Deku Leaf in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' is used for similar purposes and is of similar size.

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!!Examples:

* In ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'', the main character jumps from a building and uses an approximately 2x2 foot scarf to soften his fall. Try that and good luck in not reducing your leg bones to shards.
* ''UndercoverBrother''. When Undercover Brother falls over the edge of the cliff near the end of the movie, he floats to the ground using his bell-bottom pants as a parachute. They are much smaller than a normal parachute.

* Almost every dirigible in ''GirlGenius'' is ridiculously small for its lifting power.

* ''TheHerculoids''. Whenever Gloop or Gleep turn themselves into an ImprovisedParachute, they're significantly smaller than a regular parachute - too small to provide the braking power they do.
* Any and every WarnerBrothers cartoon parachute.

* In the first ''[[SkylarkSeries Skylark]]'' book by [[EEDocSmith E. E. 'Doc' Smith]], the antagonist Marc "Blackie" [=DuQuesne=] [[spoiler:bails out from the titular spacecraft while high in Earth's atmosphere, using a parachute ''designed for compactness'' [[JustifiedTrope on a world with both considerably lower gravity and higher atmospheric density than Earth]]. While the landing isn't described, there's no indication of him requiring a lengthy stay in hospital when he reappears in the next book.]]

* ''KamenRiderFourze'' has a specific switch that gives him [[RuleOfThree three of these.]] Somehow they can help him ''survive re-entry'' into the Earth's atmosphere.

** The Deku Leaf in ''WindWaker'' is used for similar purposes and is of similar size.

[[AC:((LiveActionTV}}]]

* In the first ''[[SkylarkSeries Skylark]]'' book by [[EEDocSmith E. E. 'Doc' Smith]], the antagonist DuQuesne [[spoiler:bails out from the titular spacecraft while high in Earth's atmosphere, using a parachute ''designed for compactness'' [[JustifiedTrope on a world with both considerably lower gravity and higher density than Earth]]. While the landing isn't described, there's no indication of him requiring a lengthy stay in hospital when he reappears in the next book.]]