Harry Wayne Schmoll

1932–1999 · Biographical and career profile

5.3 Technical Significance

The harness demonstrates more about Schmoll’s capabilities than a simple description of him as a parachute sewer or repair technician would convey.

He had to account for:

  • how opening loads would reach Pack’s body;
  • how the system would behave under nonstandard attachment geometry;
  • how hardware could be located under severe time pressure;
  • how the jumper could manipulate that hardware in freefall;
  • what could happen if the primary donor failed to arrive; and
  • how to introduce a useful contingency without making the already complex system unmanageable.

It is therefore reasonable to describe the project as specialized parachute-harness engineering or fabrication, provided “engineering” is used functionally rather than as evidence that Schmoll held an engineering degree or a professional-engineer license.