3 definitions by Maitre D

brown streamer

From military parachuting: when a parachute fails to open it's called a streamer, and if the jumper's reserve parachute doesn't function, the jumper's going to die- the brown in the phrase is either from the dried blood on the chute when the jumper assumes the consistency of rasberry jam, or from the well-known, first you say it, then you do it..."Oh, sh--!"

I thought sure that streamer was going to be a brown streamer until his reserve popped at the last second.

by Maitre D April 26, 2004

streamer

From military parachutists: when the parachute fails to fill with air, it waves vertically above the jumper like the tail on a kite, or a streamer banner on an airplane advertisement. If the jumper's reserve doesn't open, it becomes a brown streamer.

There was a knot in one of my lines, so my chute came out as a streamer.

by Maitre D April 26, 2004

skyhook

Worst kind of parachute malfuntion; not only does the main parachute not deploy, a streamer but the reserve parachute becomes entangled with the main and goes either around or inside it, causing it to bend into the hook shape of the top of a question mark.

I thought he was going to make it until the reserve turned his main into a skyhook.

by Maitre D April 26, 2004